More than 120 students entered, but only two left champions of the 2019 Sixers Youth Foundation Math Hoops Tournament, presented by TD Charitable Foundation.
On Jan. 30, students from across Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington and the surrounding areas descended upon the 76ers Training Complex for the third annual regional tournament. The largest in the Sixers Youth Foundation program’s history, this year’s tournament saw participants from more than 40 different sites put their math skills on display throughout a fun-filled day of friendly Math Hoops competition.
The program is based on an exciting, fast-paced, basketball-themed board game and curriculum that teaches students fundamental life skills such as sportsmanship, teamwork and problem-solving while also fostering their math literacy and appreciation skills.
Students have the opportunity to “draft” their favorite 76ers and other NBA and WNBA players while improving not only their math skills and understanding of statistics, but also their ability to collaborate more effectively with their peers.
After surviving and advancing through three rounds of action-packed games, the duo of Gianni and Antonio from Camden’s Mastery Cramer Hill School were crowned champions. For Gianni, this win only bolstered her growing Math Hoops resume, as in 2018 she was selected from more than 25,000 applicants nationwide to compete in the National NBA Math Hoops Tournament in Detroit.
While only two walked away with the title of SYF Math Hoops Champions, all the day’s participants went home a winner. In addition to receiving a personalized SYF Math Hoops certificate, those students who did not advance to the knockout stages of the tournament received the opportunity to participate in unique experiences such as TD Bank Math Literacy sessions and Math Hoops Live.
Math Hoops Live brought the game to life for these students, as the board game’s signature court was replicated on the practice court of the 76ers Training Complex. As opposed to taking shots by using the board game’s spinner, the students had the opportunity to watch 76ers alumni World B Free and Marc Jackson take the shots for them up close and personal.
In total SYF Math Hoops, presented by TD Charitable Foundation serves nearly 6,000 students across more than 60 local sites. To learn more about the program, click here.