Marquette camp shows sports, STEM connection
Racine kids shown math, tech ties and possible careers
Marquette University men’s head basketball coach Shaka Smart stood in front of 45 Racine Unified Middle School students, talking about the connection between STEM and sports.
Then, before opening the floor for questions, he told the students he wanted to see them again, for a Golden Eagles game and — more important to him — a practice. He wanted the kids to see how much the team utilizes math and technology. And in doing so, he hoped to open their eyes to the importance, and the future, of science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.
“I think you’re going to really get a lot out of it from the standpoint of what goes into making these guys what they are, the work they put into it, the mindset they put into it,” Smart said to the campers. “You’re also going to get a chance to see firsthand the technology we use in our practices.”
Sophomore Marquette guard Stevie Mitchell was neither surprised by Smart’s gesture nor by his preaching about the importance of STEM academics.
“Coach Smart is really good at that stuff — like with relationships. He really cares about not only everybody on our team, our staff, but everybody who surrounds the area,” Mitchell said. “I’m really excited to get them (the Racine students) out to a game and a practice.”
The camp, dubbed “STEM and Sport Team Up,” is part of a partnership between SC Johnson, which has its global headquarters in Racine, and 4th Family, an Albany, New York-based not-for-profit dedicated to reaching youths in underserved communities with a combination of sports with STEM learning. SC Johnson funded 4th Family’s expansion into Chicago and Racine.
The three-day camp, which started Monday, had the campers participate in basketball drills, with their performances measured and recorded.
“We invest in programs like this ... to take the great interest that young kids have in sport — and their ability to hang with role models, coaches, professional athletes — and learn about not just the sport, but link it to the science behind the sport, which is specifically the program we're doing with 4th Family,” said Alan Vander-Molen, chief communications officer for SC Johnson.
This week's camp is actually the third and final phase of the program, which started at the end of May.
The first phase involved a series of assemblies in Chicago and Racine schools that introduced STEM to about 4,000 students. The second phase was a series of half-day clinics in June — outside the school day — that went more in-depth and made the connection between STEM subjects and sports, especially basketball. Those clinics reached more than 250 of the kids from both cities who had attended the earlier assemblies. The third stage has students putting everything together to see how STEM and sports are interconnected and can lead to careers. A Chicago version was held last week.
“This final phase is going to be putting together all the things that they've learned, have the opportunity to analyze, test the results (and) see how the results compare to some collegiate athletes,” John Scott, cofounder of 4th Family, said Monday.
The camp featured special guests like former WNBA All-Star and current agent Ticha Penicheiro, Marquette junior forward Oso Ighodaro, Marquette junior guard Tyler Kolek and STEM experts, in addition to Mitchell and Smart. It was held at the Helfaer Tennis Stadium and Recreation Center basketball courts — notably located just south of the Marquette University Engineering Hall.
The students participated in agility drills, spot shooting and testing their vertical jump. Through it all, they were being cheered on by each other, the instructors and everyone in the gym.
“Before I got to Marquette I never did any of this stuff,” Mitchell said. “The fact that they get to start it now is cool, just give them a head start.”
Smart made sure to point out to the students that Mitchell had the highest grade point average on the team and also leads the team in slapping the floor when getting ready to defend the opponent. The rise of technology in sports may not include tracking floor slaps, but Penicheiro has found it to help athletes get better and see how they go hand in hand.
“In sports, it is a little bit of science, it is a little bit of technology, especially these days. There's so many things that you can work on to make you a better player,” Penicheiro said. “So you have this opportunity to combine both. I think it's perfect.”
Penicheiro was at the WNBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago before coming to Milwaukee to assist, something she was known for in her playing days. She wanted to do so to help be something she didn't have growing up.
“Especially with the little girls, I remember being in their shoes and I didn't have any women role models looking up to,” Penicheiro said. “I wanted to be like Michael Jordan or like Magic Johnson. I think it's so important to see the girls in women's sports and for these little girls to have women role models.”
Having the opportunity to work with kids is also something that Smart said he welcomes.
“Anytime we have people visiting our campus at Marquette, we want to welcome them, especially kids. We don't get to interact a lot with kids from Racine,” Smart said. “So it's a great opportunity to spread a positive message, give off some positive energy and also build in their minds the connection between sports, specifically basketball, and science and technology.”