Feb. 24, 2015
SAN DIEGO - The No. 54-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team has been excelling on the court recently, and they're also impacting lives off the court.
Through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Adopt-A-Child Program, the Aztecs have made nine-year-old Ethan Ford an honorary team member. Ethan is in remission for cancerous malignant brain tumor, Medulloblastoma, but that doesn't stop him from living life to the fullest. Despite using a walker to get around, Ethan loves to swim, play video games and ride his bike. He also enjoys stuffed animals, cars, SpongeBob SquarePants, playing battle ball and playing jokes on people.
The Adopt-A-Child Program is designed for children battling a pediatric brain tumor, where they are paired up with a high school or college sports team as an honorary member. The team provides love, support and friendship throughout the relationship, and in turn, athletes gain a different perspective about life and compassion.
"We are really excited about the addition of Ethan to our Aztec men's tennis squad," head coach Gene Carswell said. "He brought a lot of energy to his first practice with us. We are looking forward to great things from Ethan as the season continues."
The mission of FOJ is to improve the quality of life for children and their families who are battling pediatric brain tumors, and to raise awareness about the disease. Each day they celebrate by creating relationships between student-athletes, the children and their families.
San Diego State (5-4) is coming off an impressive victory over No. 21-ranked South Carolina, 7-0, on Feb. 20 at Aztec Tennis Center. The Aztecs return to the court on Tuesday, March 3, when they play host to Rice.