JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State tennis teams hosted a special Team IMPACT Draft Day celebration for 10-year-old Ethan Durham on Wednesday, who signed an official Letter of Intent to become an honorary Gamecock.
 
Ethan, who was diagnosed with a heart condition in 2008, is from Rainbow City, Ala., and attends John S. Jones Elementary School.
 
The newest member of the JSU tennis team will attend practices, matches and numerous team events as the Gamecocks' most-recent addition to the roster.
 
"We are very fortunate and lucky to have Ethan join our team," head coach Andres Amores said. "This is a great experience for both him and our team. We are excited to have such a great kid be a part of our program. He is very talented, gets along with both of our teams and is very eager to learn the game."
 
Ethan joins the Gamecocks via Team IMPACT, a national non-profit based in Boston, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing serious and chronic illnesses through the power of teams.
 
"He is so happy to be a part of the JSU tennis team," his mother, Amy Durham, said. "I love that he gets to try a sport he never considered before, and maybe it can become a lifelong activity for him. The memories he is making in the process of getting to know the team and ways of the game are priceless."
 
Since 2011, Team IMPACT has matched more than 1,700 children with more than 500 colleges and universities in 49 states, reaching over 50,000 participating student-athletes. The child joins the athletic team and the student-athletes join the child's support team. Throughout the journey, the child gains strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective they can't learn in a classroom.
 
Team IMPACT has more than 1,000 teams waiting to be matched with children, ages 5-16, who have been diagnosed with a serious or chronic illness and who could benefit from becoming a member of the team. If you know a child who may be interested, visit www.goteamimpact.org for more information.
 
For more information on the JSU tennis teams, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_Tennis) and on Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUTennis). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).