It’s rare to see a mid-season roster addition at the college level, but Kiya Thomas, the newest signee with the UVA women’s soccer team, is sure to be a key member of the program this season, and going forward.
Thomas, who is all of 6 years old, signed with the program on Friday through Team IMPACT, a multiyear program that links children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic programs across the country.
Thomas, who is living with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, officially signed with UVA Soccer in a ceremony at the Harrison Olympic Sport Center on Grounds at the University of Virginia.
Thomas will participate in a variety of activities with the team over the next two years, including games, practices and other team events.
“We’re really excited to have Kiya officially join our team,” Virginia head coach Steve Swanson said. “She’s already been such an inspiration to our players and our whole program, and it will be great to have her involved even more than she has been. She’s a big part of what we’re doing here, and she’s a big part of our culture. I think she will be as much of an inspiration to our team as our team is to her.”
Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 4,500 children with 850+ colleges and universities in all 50 states, impacting more than 110,000 student-athletes.
If you know a child or team who may be interested in participating, visit www.teamimpact.org.
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Chris Graham
