{"id":10560,"date":"2026-06-25T13:17:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T17:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/?p=10560"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T19:24:09","slug":"friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For 17-year-old Sophie, joining the University of Maryland women\u2019s basketball team opened the door to a community that would change her life. The team was matched with Sophie in 2023 and became fast friends. The match became an opportunity to gain meaningful friendships, build confidence, and discover a place where Sophie truly feels she belongs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest difference maker in Sophie\u2019s team experience? Her teammate Saylor. From the beginning, Saylor made Sophie feel like she was more than just attending team events but was a valued member of the program from the very start. Through small acts of kindness, steady encouragement, and genuine friendship, Saylor helped Sophie find confidence in herself.&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-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CxycDpEZdeU?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\">\u201cI nominate Saylor for Teammate of the Year because she always helps me in the lockers, she makes me feel happy, excited, and special,\u201d Sophie shared.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While a small gesture such as helping in the locker room may be overlooked by some, it means the world to Sophie and her family. It is one example of countless small moments where Saylor has made sure that Sophie has a place and is welcomed fully.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSaylor Poffenbarger embodies what it means to be a true teammate,\u201d Sophie\u2019s family shared. \u201cHer impact on Sophie isn\u2019t limited to one special moment; she consistently shows up with genuine kindness, attention, and encouragement that make Sophie feel included and valued as part of the team.\u201d&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=\"800\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"10561\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie1.jpeg?resize=800%2C800&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie1.jpeg?w=960&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie1.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie1.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie1.jpeg?resize=768%2C768&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"764\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"10566\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6.jpeg?resize=764%2C1024&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?resize=764%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 764w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?resize=224%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 224w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1029&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?resize=1146%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1146w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?resize=1528%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1528w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?w=1910&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1910w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie6-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"10568\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10568\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?w=1920&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie8-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What stands out most about Saylor\u2019s friendship is its consistency. Saylor makes a difference in the little, everyday moments. She has built a friendship rooted in genuine kindness and care, checking in with Sophie, offering her encouragement, helping navigate activities, and simply spending time together.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSaylor has made you feel so seen and valued, not just on big game days, but in everyday little moments,\u201d Sophie\u2019s mother said to her.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is the impact of these moments that have transformed the way Sophie views herself. Over the past three years, Sophie\u2019s confidence has grown tremendously. With Saylor\u2019s support, she can step out onto the court with her teammates, embrace new experiences, build meaningful relationships, and develop a belief in herself that continues to grow.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sophie\u2019s journey with Team IMPACT reflects the power of inclusion, friendship, and confidence from knowing that you are valued. The sense of belonging is one of the organization\u2019s greatest gifts, and Saylor has made that a reality for Sophie.\u00a0<\/p>\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\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"821\" data-id=\"10569\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9.jpeg?resize=800%2C821&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?resize=998%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 998w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?resize=292%2C300&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 292w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C788&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?resize=1497%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1497w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?resize=1997%2C2048&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1997w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie9-scaled.jpeg?w=2400&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" data-id=\"10564\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4.jpeg?resize=800%2C600&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie4-scaled.jpeg?w=2400&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being a teammate is not about how many points are on the scoreboard at the end of the game, but how you make people feel, how you work together, and how you navigate all of the small challenges that turn into big moments. The friendship between Sophie and Saylor is a reminder that some of the most impactful friendships happen quietly. They build in locker rooms, during conversations, and in simple moments where one chooses to show up for the other.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saylor does not just make Sophie feel like a part of the team; she gives Sophie the confidence of knowing that she is right where she is meant to be.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that feeling will stay with her long after the buzzer sounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" data-id=\"10562\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=800%2C534&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie2.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" data-id=\"10563\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=800%2C534&#038;quality=89&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10563\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie3.jpeg?w=1600&amp;quality=89&amp;ssl=1 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For 17-year-old Sophie, joining the University of Maryland women\u2019s basketball team opened the door to a community that would change her life. The team was matched with Sophie in 2023 and became fast friends. The match became an opportunity to gain meaningful friendships, build confidence, and discover a place where Sophie truly feels she belongs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":10565,"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-10560","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: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland 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-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For 17-year-old Sophie, joining the University of Maryland women\u2019s basketball team opened the door to a community that would change her life. The team was matched with Sophie in 2023 and became fast friends. The match became an opportunity to gain meaningful friendships, build confidence, and discover a place where Sophie truly feels she belongs.\u00a0\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-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=\"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\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-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie DePaolo\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a83bc3e15e1ed8dd27d63d62074b8525\"},\"headline\":\"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":561,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"articleSection\":[\"Match Stories\",\"Success Stories\",\"Updates\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/\",\"name\":\"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":720},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/about\\\/blog\\\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"Team IMPACT\",\"description\":\"Getting All Kids In The Game\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Team IMPACT\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/logo-outline.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/04\\\/logo-outline.svg\",\"width\":782,\"height\":905,\"caption\":\"Team IMPACT\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/GoTeamIMPACT\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/GoTeamIMPACT\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/team-impact-inc-\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/goteamimpact\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/TeamIMPACTVIDEOS\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.teamimpact.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a83bc3e15e1ed8dd27d63d62074b8525\",\"name\":\"Katie DePaolo\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT","og_description":"For 17-year-old Sophie, joining the University of Maryland women\u2019s basketball team opened the door to a community that would change her life. The team was matched with Sophie in 2023 and became fast friends. The match became an opportunity to gain meaningful friendships, build confidence, and discover a place where Sophie truly feels she belongs.\u00a0\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/","og_site_name":"Team IMPACT","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GoTeamIMPACT\/","article_published_time":"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Katie DePaolo","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GoTeamIMPACT","twitter_site":"@GoTeamIMPACT","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie DePaolo","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/"},"author":{"name":"Katie DePaolo","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a83bc3e15e1ed8dd27d63d62074b8525"},"headline":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/"},"wordCount":561,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1","articleSection":["Match Stories","Success Stories","Updates"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/","url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/","name":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0 - Team IMPACT","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-06-25T17:17:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-25T19:24:09+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1","width":1080,"height":720},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/about\/blog\/friendship-series-happy-excited-and-special-sophie-and-saylor-maryland-basketball\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Friendship Series: \u201cHappy, Excited, and Special\u201d \u2014 Sophie and Saylor, Maryland Basketball\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/","name":"Team IMPACT","description":"Getting All Kids In The Game","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#organization","name":"Team IMPACT","url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/logo-outline.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/logo-outline.svg","width":782,"height":905,"caption":"Team IMPACT"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GoTeamIMPACT\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GoTeamIMPACT","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/team-impact-inc-\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/goteamimpact\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/TeamIMPACTVIDEOS"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a83bc3e15e1ed8dd27d63d62074b8525","name":"Katie DePaolo"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Sophie5.jpeg?fit=1080%2C720&quality=89&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10560"},{"taxonomy":"mens-teams","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/mens-teams?post=10560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}