SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary's University Men's Basketball team is thrilled to announce Marcos as its newest team member. The Rattlers signed Marcos through Team IMPACT at a special signing ceremony inside Bill Greehey Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Marcos Valadez is a 16-year-old from San Antonio who is rarely without a smile on his face despite overwhelming medical difficulties. He loves music, art, and swimming, and loves to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
"Marcos is a great addition to the St. Mary's Rattlers' family," said Head Coach
Bubba Meyer. "He faces every challenge in his life head-on, and we couldn't be prouder to be a part of his life and to help him in any small way we can. He has already made a major impact on my life and the lives of his teammates."
Marcos jumped right into the team activities, as Saturday was also media day. After the ceremony, he and the team took pictures, shot short videos for the videoboards, and got to know his teammates a little better.
St. Mary's has partnered with Team IMPACT for three years, partnering children with baseball, men's basketball and softball and hopes to continue for years to come.
About Team IMPACT
Team IMPACT's unique multi-year program signs children facing serious illness and disability onto college athletic teams across the country. Based on a clinical model, Team IMPACT guides a symbiotic relationship between teams and children focused on socialization, empowerment, and resilience, ensuring everyone involved has the personalized game plan they need to win, effectively building confidence and independence. Founded in 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 4,000 children with 750+ colleges and universities in all 50 states, impacting more than 75,000 student-athletes. If you know a child or team who may be interested, please visit
www.teamimpact.org.
