By Layna Delgado
Springfield College will be at the center of the men’s Division III volleyball world this week, hosting the Final Four inside Blake Arena. Amidst the high stakes in the national spotlight, there’s another story; it may be quieter, but it’s just as powerful, and ready to take center stage.
Springfield College has been a partner with Team IMPACT for over a decade. The men’s volleyball program has spent years building a bond that goes beyond wins and losses. Team IMPACT is an organization that connects children facing serious illness and disability with college athletic teams, creating relationships rooted in mentorship, resilience, and belonging.
“The connection actually started even before I worked here,” said Associate Athletic Director Michelle Lee Scecina, who has worked at the college for nine years. “Our first Team IMPACT match was with a young boy named Luke Bradley, and that really sparked everything. Since then, we’ve had around 20 matches in our athletic program.”
For the men’s volleyball team, that connection is embodied in a teenager named Conlan Shaw, who has been with the team for five years, far longer than any original expectation. He is now undeniably part of the family. He’s even traveled with the team to a previous national championship.
Head Coach Charlie Sullivan described their relationship as mutual and impactful. While the team offers a sense of inclusion, Conlan gives them something just as meaningful and returns perspective. His presence, his laughter, and his ability to embrace each moment remind the players what it means to compete with gratitude.
“It’s hard to say who benefits more,” Sullivan said. “When he laughs in any situation, it helps our guys. And when they look at what he’s been through, and how positive he is, it’s inspiring.”
At Blake Arena during tonight’s National Anthem, several matched children and student-athletes will be participating in holding the flag.
Additionally, Friday will feature the strong partnership between the college and the Special Olympics. There will be a clinic with the Boston-based Special Olympics volleyball team, allowing these athletes to play alongside the two teams vying for a national championship.
“It’s just who we are,” Scecina said. “We’re Springfield College. We connect people, we give back. It aligns perfectly with our humanics philosophy and with what Team IMPACT and Special Olympics stand for.”
“There’s life beyond sport,” Scecina said. “This shows them something bigger than themselves. Some of these kids have faced life-threatening illnesses or spent much time in the hospital. When our athletes build relationships with them, it changes their perspective. It teaches empathy. It teaches connection.”
For some of these players, this weekend will mark the end of their collegiate careers, making the timing of this partnership ever more meaningful. They are doing this along with someone who measures success differently, not in trophies, but moments shared. For some, Conlan has been there throughout their whole collegiate journey at Springfield College.
Conlan, Sullivan joked, is already thinking about championship rings. He may not have patience for the process, but in many ways, his presence shifts the focus from the pressure and puts it in perspective, reminding the team and the entire campus that volleyball is one piece of a much larger picture.
This weekend, Springfield College will showcase the best of Division III volleyball, but through Team IMPACT and the Special Olympics, it will showcase something deeper: the power of sport to connect, uplift, and inspire.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics