Martin and Brewer Join Perkins at Thunder Fit

Middle school is always a tenuous time in a child’s life. At Douglass Mid-High School, 60 kids from that age group had a wonderful, carefree time at the Thunder Fit Clinic on Tuesday.

Sure it helped that the Thunder trio of Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Martin and Ronnie Brewer all stopped in to assist the Fit Clinic, presented by Homeland, but it was the kids who made the event special. They were energetic, intent on learning something and also engaged in all of the drills. From the nutrition station to the basketball drills to the exercise area, the kids at Douglass Mid-High were absorbing it all.

“It’s fun anytime kids are willing to be active and are getting away from the IPad and Playstation 3,” Martin said. “They came out today and they listened well. We just had a blast with them.”

Martin and Brewer were making their first visit to a Fit Clinic, but they jumped right in and helped the instructors run the drills and get the kids motivated to exercise, eat right and stay healthy. All the while there were plenty of laughs and jokes shared by the Thunder trio and the students as both the players and the kids got the chance to see their personalities shine through.

Whether it was one student wearing big sunglasses indoors confidently or others competing with friends in the workout drills, Perkins and company got a fun memento of what it was like to be that age.

“It just reminds you of the time when I was school, how kids had their own little styles and swagger and personalities,” Perkins said. “You like to see the kids that come out and they have that type of personality. It means they have high self-esteem about themselves, and that’s a good thing. You can just tell these kids love being around each other. It was a good group of kids today.”

The players enjoyed getting to learn more about the kids in the midst of teaching proper dribbling technique and how to do push-ups. It may have been more instrumental, however, for the kids to see the Thunder players someplace besides on their television screens. Sometimes it’s hard for fans to view these Thunder players human beings and dynamic people too, just like them, so it was a treat for the students to meet Perkins, Martin and Brewer up close and in person.

One student, Bobbi Jarmon, commented on how Kendrick Perkins can be so tough and intense on the basketball court, yet have a massive smile on his face all day at her school. Not only did she get a lesson in healthy living, but also how Thunder players are special people off the court too.

“It was exercising, but it was fun at the same time,” Jarmon said. “They were telling us how important it is… They’re down to earth, so it was cool.”

For the Thunder, events like these are a great tool to give back. Students like Jarmon are the future of Oklahoma City, so any way to make an impact in their lives is a benefit to the entire community. Even newcomers to the team like Brewer sense how special the atmosphere at Chesapeake Energy Arena is and how connected the organization is to Oklahoma City. That feeling breeds a sense of responsibility to return the favor of support to those all around them.

“It’s great, the fans, the community show so much support to the Thunder,” Brewer said. “I feel like it’s our duty and we have to do our part to go out there and show support for them. The kids are our future and the community makes up who we are. I’m just happy to be a part of this.”