{"id":10351,"date":"2026-06-15T12:37:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/?p=10351"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:37:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T16:37:40","slug":"friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Friendship Series:\u00a0Forever Friends \u2014\u00a0Tom and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eleven-year-old Tom began his Team IMPACT journey in 2024, and ever since, he has found a forever friend. Tom was matched with the Elmhurst&nbsp;men\u2019s&nbsp;basketball&nbsp;team&nbsp;through the organization and&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;was drawn to John \u201cWitch\u201d Witkowski.&nbsp;For the past two years, their friendship has grown and deepened exponentially.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom lives with&nbsp;Williams&nbsp;syndrome. When matched with Elmhurst&nbsp;basketball, he&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;became a staple on their team, building relationships with players who consider him one of their own. Among his friendships with the players, one specific player, Witch, stands out.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-9-16 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Thomas and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bVsz0qvaGUM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s my best friend,\u201d Tom said when asked why he wanted to nominate&nbsp;Witch&nbsp;for Teammate of the Year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the beginning,&nbsp;Witch&nbsp;has gone&nbsp;above and beyond&nbsp;to make Tom included in the team environment and keep them connected. He creates opportunities&nbsp;in both the season and offseason, for Tom to stay involved&nbsp;long after the final buzzer sounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pair have spent countless hours together, from bowling and playing one-on-one basketball, to visiting the zoo and even crossing paths on vacations.&nbsp;They have even developed traditions of their own, including a secret handshake that shows how strong their bond is.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Witch\u2019s unwavering support in addition to his friendship, is the biggest takeaway from their relationship. Tom explained that Witch helps him with rough days both on and off the court. Whether they are spending time together or&nbsp;are&nbsp;apart, Witch&nbsp;consistently shows up as a mentor and role model. He has a genuine interest in Tom\u2019s&nbsp;life and&nbsp;celebrates all big and small moments with him.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"10357\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas6.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas6-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas6-scaled.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 225w, 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srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?w=1920&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas8-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"10360\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas9.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas9-scaled.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas9-scaled.jpeg?resize=169%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 169w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas9-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas9-scaled.jpeg?resize=864%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 864w, 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https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas1-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas1-scaled.jpeg?w=1920&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas1-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"10356\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?resize=576%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?resize=169%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 169w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?resize=864%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 864w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas5-scaled.jpeg?w=1440&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;John, who goes by&nbsp;Witch, is a large part of what drives our match,&#8221; Tom&#8217;s&nbsp;mom, Mandi,&nbsp;shared. &#8220;He keeps both the team and Tom connected in the offseason by helping organize activities and outings.&nbsp;<strong>He makes sure Tom has a spot with the guys and has helped foster relationships with Tom and the team while also building a lasting friendship with Tom himself.<\/strong>&nbsp;He is always curious about what is going on in Tom&#8217;s life and has become like an older brother to Tom.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The friendship between Tom and Witch reflects the heart of Team IMPACT\u2019s mission. Sports may bring them together, but the genuine connection they build on and off the court is what continues to make the impact. This story reminds us that belonging&nbsp;to a team&nbsp;is more than just being a name on a&nbsp;roster; it is knowing that someone will save a spot&nbsp;next to them&nbsp;for you on the bench.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Tom, that person is Witch.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eleven-year-old Tom began his Team IMPACT journey in 2024, and ever since, he has found a forever friend. Tom was matched with the Elmhurst\u00a0men\u2019s\u00a0basketball\u00a0team\u00a0through the organization and\u00a0immediately\u00a0was drawn to John \u201cWitch\u201d Witkowski.\u00a0For the past two years, their friendship has grown and deepened exponentially.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":10355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[33,17,18],"tags":[],"mens-teams":[],"class_list":["post-10351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-match-stories","category-success-stories","category-updates"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Friendship Series:\u00a0Forever Friends \u2014\u00a0Tom and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friendship Series:\u00a0Forever Friends \u2014\u00a0Tom and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Eleven-year-old Tom began his Team IMPACT journey in 2024, and ever since, he has found a forever friend. Tom was matched with the Elmhurst\u00a0men\u2019s\u00a0basketball\u00a0team\u00a0through the organization and\u00a0immediately\u00a0was drawn to John \u201cWitch\u201d Witkowski.\u00a0For the past two years, their friendship has grown and deepened exponentially.\u00a0\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Team IMPACT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GoTeamIMPACT\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-15T16:37:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-15T16:37:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Thomas4.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie DePaolo\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GoTeamIMPACT\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GoTeamIMPACT\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie DePaolo\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie DePaolo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a83bc3e15e1ed8dd27d63d62074b8525\"},\"headline\":\"Friendship Series:\u00a0Forever Friends \u2014\u00a0Tom and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-15T16:37:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-15T16:37:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":496,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Thomas4.jpeg?fit=720%2C1080&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Match Stories\",\"Success Stories\",\"Updates\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-forever-friends-tom-and-witch-elmhurst-basketball\\\/\",\"name\":\"Friendship Series:\u00a0Forever Friends \u2014\u00a0Tom and Witch, Elmhurst Basketball\u00a0 - 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