Last year, Mylissa Hall was the principal of Webster Middle School, but this year was able to return to her own alma mater in the same role at Southeast High School. There was a program she experienced a year ago at Webster that she wanted to provide to her new students at Southeast, and on Wednesday she accomplished that goal.
Mitch McGary, Kyle Singler and Cameron Payne stopped by Southeast for the afternoon as a part of a Thunder Fit Clinic, going through aerobic exercises, basketball drills and nutrition stations to encourage the teenagers to stay healthy. For Hall, it was a dream come true for the students at Southeast to experience what those at Webster did a year ago.
“They get to see pro athletes and that’s awesome,” Hall said. “They get to see a great role model who is doing it on the court and off the court. They get to see the healthy side of it. Our kids need to see what is healthy to it eat and not healthy to eat.”
Singler and Payne popped into each station in the gym, touching base with all of the students and interacting with them through simply sharing a conversation or defending them while they dribbled. McGary, a veteran of these events, was everywhere as well. Sweating through two Thunder Fit shirts, the second-year forward then led the group in a quiz session to see if they paid attention to what was taught throughout the afternoon.
“I’m just showing the kids that it’s important to stay active, stay fit and have fun while you’re doing it,” McGary said. “I just love being with the kids, hanging out with them and making them feel special. I love these things. I love coming out and doing what I can to help the community.”
“Kids nowadays become obese just from not staying active,” McGary continued. “These Thunder Fits are important to bring kids out here and show them the importance of staying active.”
While also testing their attention, McGary put the kids to the test around the rim. First, he allowed a student rise up and dunk on him, then returned the favor with a windmill slam of his own, drawing cheers from the onlookers all over the gym.
For the students at Southeast, the chance to banter, challenge and just enjoy time with McGary, Slinger and Payne will be an unforgettable encounter that can pay dividends down the line. As a charter school, Southeast is full of kids who are excelling and working hard, making Hall extremely proud to reward them with a special day.
“Sometimes the kids at say, well, it’s an application school and they forget about us because they’re always doing the right thing,” Hall explained. “So they get a chance to be here and be a part of this and reach out to somebody from a great organization like the Thunder. We invited our cheerleaders to be here as well, just so we get a full, well-rounded atmosphere.”