This was not your normal P.E. class.
Fresh off another record-breaking summer of running his youth hoops camps in New Zealand, Thunder center Steven Adams was still in coaching mode.
60 students at Taft Middle School got an unexpected visit from the Big Kiwi along with teammate Kyle Singler inside their gym on Thursday afternoon.
Delivering the message of leading an active and healthy lifestyle, the Thunder front court tandem tipped off the season’s first Thunder Fit Clinic, presented by Homeland.
Feeding off the day’s excitement, Adams barked instructions intoning the cadence of a drill sergeant with a touch of mischief as his motivated young cohort try to conquer the agility ladder at the cardio station.
“What’s good about it is that the kids are enthusiastic about it,” said Adams. “All of them want to learn and have fun. It’s an opportunity to get them hyped up.”
Jumping in one of the layup lines with the kids, Singler demonstrated how the drill exercises worked helping them to refine their technique as they get ready for another attempt.
“It’s awesome to come into an environment that kids are ready to exercise with their friends,” said Singler. “Just glad to be a part of it.”
The students also took part in activities at the nutrition station where Adams and a Homeland nutritionist quizzed on food properties and provided meal-planning tips rounding out a three-prong approach for fitness.
By the end of the session, Adams and Singler sent each student home with a Thunder swag bag and an unforgettable experience.
Singler: “Anytime that a professional team or athlete can be a part of young people’s lives, that’s a day changer.”