Martin's Math Club Kicks Off Season Two

Oct. 26, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) announced on Thursday the second season of “Martin’s Math Club,” a partnership with Gamecock head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin, who was a long-time math teacher prior to his time coaching in the college ranks. Season two began when Martin visited Pontiac Elementary School and taught a math lesson to a fourth-grade class. Season two focuses on South Carolina’s historic run to the Final Four last March.

At Pontiac, Martin discussed how basketball and math are connected, and helped the students work through an activity that involved multiplication and the NCAA bracket.

“We started a group a year ago called Martin’s Math Club to help promote math and the educational system at the grass roots level around the state, and Pontiac Elementary School is one of the school’s that’s adopted Martin’s Math Club,” Martin said. “We went into a fourth grade classroom today and I had the fun of doing something I hadn’t done since 1999, which was get in front of a group of students and teach math.”

Several fans have supported the cause by purchasing season tickets and donating them to the program. Section 220 has been designated as Martin’s Math Club section and fans can purchase tickets in the section for only $75 by calling 803-472-3267.

With assistance from South Carolina math educators, the EOC has published 27 standards-based lessons for K-8th grade that incorporate math and basketball. Each teacher that incorporates at least one of three available lessons in each grade level into their teaching has the chance to win two tickets to a South Carolina home basketball game and each student who receives a lesson will be eligible to win two tickets to a home basketball game. Winners will be recognized at each game and may have the chance to meet Coach Martin. Contest details can be found online at www.helpwithmathsc.org.

“The EOC is so pleased that this project is so popular with SC students and teachers, and Coach Martin is an excellent ambassador for education in our state,” stated EOC Chairman Neil Robinson. “These lessons show young people how math is not only relevant in their daily lives, it is in the game they love too!”

South Carolina begins the 2017-18 campaign with an exhibition contest against Erskine on Oct. 30. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. ET, and admission is free for the matchup.