Redshirt junior Zoë Bormet has a favorite moment at the beginning of each field hockey season at the University of Michigan.
"Every season I just get so excited to bring in our freshmen. I just love, love watching the freshmen go through the transition, come out of their shell and start connecting with teammates," she said.
For Bormet, empowering the freshman class reflects the spirit of being a Wolverine, an experience she was practically born into.
Her father, Sean Bormet, earned All-America status as a wrestler at Michigan before returning to become the head coach. Her mother, Teri Bormet, earned a doctorate from the school in 2013 and now works in data and research analysis for the university.
When it came time for the high school All-American to pick a college, the choice was clear.
"My heart has always been at Michigan," she said.
Throughout her life, Bormet has admired how the community rallies around Michigan athletics.
"I also just fell in love with the coaching staff and the girls ahead of me that I'd seen find so much success through the rigor of the academics and the athletic system itself," she added.
Now, as a veteran of the team, Bormet thrives on bringing the younger members into the fold, helping them embrace the experience as much as she has. Yet the two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree's leadership extends beyond the lines of the field.
Throughout high school, Bormet involved herself with peer-to-peer connection groups working with special-needs students. When Bormet arrived on Michigan's campus, she missed the engagement with those groups.
"I felt just such a gap in my life and just a loss of purpose," she said.
Then Bormet learned about Michigan's involvement with Team IMPACT, an organization that matches children facing serious illnesses or disabilities with college sports teams.
Bormet swiftly became involved, and Team IMPACT matched the Michigan field hockey program with Charlotte, an 11-year-old with a genetic disorder.
At first, Charlotte was shy, touring the athletics facilities with the team without speaking much. But once Charlotte got comfortable, she blossomed.
"She's the absolute boss of the team. When Charlotte is there, she's running the show," Bormet said. "She does everything in life with invigorating passion."
As team captain, Charlotte can be seen on the sidelines during games, sometimes wearing a field hockey uniform like her collegiate teammates. Bormet and Charlotte also spend one-on-one time. Recently, the two went bowling, with Charlotte leading the way.
"It was her first time bowling, and she was showing me exactly how I needed to bowl. She just gave me all the pointers. She was my coach," Bormet said. "We just have so much fun together. We're never not laughing. We're never not joking."
Similar to her approach with her freshmen, Bormet has loved building a tight-knit bond with Charlotte.
"She is so ambitious, intelligent. She has just the most infectious smile, laugh," Bormet said. "That girl is my best friend. This is a lifelong relationship."
Yet as much as the field hockey team impacts Charlotte's life, Charlotte impacts her Michigan teammates, too.
"She's so incredibly valuable to our team," Bormet said. "Having her at practice, at games, doing activities, I've genuinely seen it really escalate the environment and dynamics of the team."
From Bormet's perspective, the excellence required to be a Michigan student-athlete naturally translates to involvement with organizations like Team IMPACT.
"At Michigan, we coin ourselves as being leaders," she said. "It's ingrained into the fabric of our values at Michigan."
From the players and coaches to the athletics department administrators, the university has bought into the value of Team IMPACT.
"It makes all the difference because we've really formed a community, and we're really fostering collaboration. Especially with the coaches being so on board, it makes a big, big difference when we're trying to be agents of change."
Bormet encourages other student-athletes and universities to join Team IMPACT.
"You will not regret getting as involved in Team IMPACT as you possibly can. This organization is so special."
With the season underway, Bormet takes pride in seeing Charlotte's infectious passion weave through every practice and match, transforming her teammates into a family and proving that the true victory lies far beyond the scoreline.
"Having her a part of our team brings such purpose and light and meaning, especially off the field," Bormet said. "Just having a purpose outside of the sport itself, being a part of something bigger and more meaningful than the sport itself, is everything."
Team IMPACT matches NCAA member teams with children facing serious illness and disability. If you are interested in applying as a team, you can sign up here or click here for more information.
