On Feb. 9 at Loews Philadelphia Hotel, the St. Joe’s baseball team welcomed a new member to their team. Mason Wyckoff, a 7-year-old boy who was diagnosed with immune dysfunction in 2013, officially became a Hawk during his “Draft Day” celebration.
This event was coordinated through the national nonprofit Team IMPACT in association with the St. Joe’s baseball program.
Team IMPACT is an organization that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with college athletic teams. They have matched approximately 1,700 children with over 500 colleges across the country.
After signing his contract in front of a room of over 200 people, Mason Wyckoff said he’s incredibly excited to be a Hawk.
“It felt really amazing [to officially sign],” Mason Wyckoff said. [Since I started going to practices], everything’s starting to get pretty insane. [I’m excited to] hit a home run and be the bat boy.”
Brianna Wyckoff, Mason Wyckoff’s mother, said she’s proud of how her son overcame certain anxieties in order to get up and address the crowd.
“He was able to show everyone what he goes through every day,” Brianna Wyckoff said. “It took a ton of courage.”
Junior catcher James McConnon said courage is something Mason Wyckoff will be able to teach the entire team.
“He goes through some of the toughest treatments I’ve seen for a kid his age,” McConnon said. “The fact that he’s 7 years old and he’s in there every day, eight hours at a time, it really gives us a moment to reflect on how lucky we are.”
Junior right handed pitcher Hayden Seig said that officially adding Mason Wyckoff as a member of the program is an incredibly special moment for everyone involved.
“We added another person to our family,” Seig said. “It’s nice to have another guy that we can say completes our team. We talk about family a lot with our team. Mason is part of that. It’s not just on the field, it’s also about off, and Mason’s a perfect fit for us.”
Shelby Carney, the marketing and communications coordinator for Team IMPACT, said a family atmosphere is important for Mason because due to treatment, many children diagnosed with such illnesses are isolated.
“Our program is geared to improve a child’s sense of optimism and sense of belonging,” Carney said. “We want to make sure they feel like they can be a part of something.”
With her son as the newest addition to the Hawk family, Brianna Wyckoff is excited for Mason to be surrounded by 34 players who are like brothers to him. She said Mason will be able to teach the team the true meaning of strength and bravery in a whole different way than they’ve ever known.
Head Coach Fritz Hamburg agreed, saying the relationships between players and Mason Wyckoff will be twofold.
“I don’t think [this experience] can be measured in terms of how much it means to Mason,” Hamburg said. “On the flip side, it also means a lot to us because we recognize that if we can make Mason’s day just a little bit better, that’s what living is all about.”
McConnon has already taken that sentiment to heart. He said that every time he sees Mason Wyckoff, it makes his day.
“To see the reaction on his face, it really touches you and hits home,” McConnon said. “There’s no feeling that can generate that. There’s only one way you can do that to get a genuine reaction.”
Brianna Wyckoff said that one of the most important aspects of Wyckoff joining older players is that they have a unique perspective on what Wyckoff is going through.
“It’s much easier for Mason [to participate] at St. Joe’s,” Brianna Wyckoff said. “It’s okay for him to sit on the sidelines if he’s too tired to participate. He wouldn’t have that option playing with kids his age. They wouldn’t understand what he’s going through.”
McConnon said he looks forward to building his relationship with Mason throughout the rest of the season.
“It’s a great opportunity to keep things in perspective for us,” McConnon said. “We have the opportunity as athletes for people to look up to us. For us to give back to him, it’s a special moment.”
