6-Year-Old with rare illness signs letter of intent with Temple University Owls basketball team
PHILADELPHIA - Six-year-old Mason Wyckoff is only 4’2”, but he’s just committed to playing basketball for the Temple University Owls.
The Temple coaches wanted Wyckoff on their squad, so they pulled out all the stops with a genuine press conference. Wyckoff got his chance with the Owls thanks to TEAM IMPACT, a non-profit which pairs sick kids with college teams.
Wyckoff has common variable immune deficiency, which means he gets sick more easily than other kids, and also needs weekly injections Mason’s mom, Brianna, told Fox 29 that means he always has to be alert.
“He knows how to flush toilets without touching them. He uses sanitizer all the time,” said Brianna. “He knows how to do a lot of things that most kids don’t know how to do to keep himself safe.”
Owl’s head coach Fran Dunphy told press and players assembled at the signing ceremony that thinks that’s the kind of spirit his team needs.
“We see a young guy like Mace who has a battle, and he doesn’t fear it. He faces it with great courage,” said Dunphy. “He’s a role model for us.”
Wyckoff says his favorite part of the game is dribbling, and of course, the dunks. His mom says the support from all the players makes his life just a little bit easier, every day.
“He loves it,” she said. “They’re his boys. He’s one of the team.”