By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Whether you are an athlete or an engineer, you need to know about math.
That’s what New York Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances told the students in Dawn Cresap’s class at the Village Elementary School recently.
Betances was invited to talk to the students about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and to help them as they worked on an engineering project of their own – how to design and build a bridge that would support the weight of a dump truck and loader.
The children used the 2017 Hess Dump Truck and Loader for their project, compliments of Justin Mayer, the general manager of Hess Toy Truck for the Hess Corp. His son is a student in Cresap’s class.
The Hess Toy Truck kits that Mayer brought to Cresap’s class are designed for STEM lessons. The energy company worked with Baylor College of Medicine to create a STEM educational outreach program, using the Hess toy trucks as a learning tool.
The New York Yankees baseball team also is committed to education, and the partnership between the team and Hess Toy Truck is one way to engage the students in the STEM curriculum.
“What you learn in school, you can use in baseball,” Betances said.
The Yankees pitcher told the children that statistics – math – is built into all sports. People call baseball a “big numbers game,” he said. They look at the statistics – the number of innings pitched, the launch angle of a baseball, how the baseball spins and its speed. He has thrown a baseball at speeds of up to 102 miles per hour.
“We use (the numbers) to help us become better,” he said.
Before settling down to watch the students and help them with their project – to design and build a bridge out of paper and toothpicks that can support the dump truck and the loader – Betances fielded some questions from the youngsters.
Amazed at Betances’ height – he is 6 feet 8 inches tall – one student asked him if he is taller than teammate Aaron Judge. He smiled and replied that he is one inch taller than Judge, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall.
Betances also told them that his favorite foods are steak, rice and veggies. The team has a full-time chef, he said, adding that nutrition is important for athletes. It makes them feel better, he said.
Then it was time to get down to business – bridge-building business, that is.
“When I travel to Yankee Stadium, I use the George Washington Bridge,” Betances told the children as he handed out packets with photos of assorted bridge designs.
As he walked around the classroom, the children showed him photographs of the bridges. He asked them to point out the similarities in designs. All of the bridges incorporate columns for support.
“You guys are doing a pretty good job,” Betances said as he stopped to watch a bridge under construction by one group of children. He pointed out to them the need to provide more support for the bridge.
At another table, Betances watched as the children pushed a toy Hess dump truck and a Hess loader across the bridge they had designed. “All right, all right, that’s a good base. I like it,” he told them.
“Wow, this is pretty good. This is awesome. You guys work well together. It’s teamwork,” Betances said to another group of children. He watched intently as the toy dump truck crossed the bridge.
“This bridge is safe to drive on,” he said as the STEM lesson wrapped up.
The children were still excited and wanted to talk to Betances. They lined up and he signed baseball cards, the brim of a baseball cap and even a few baseballs for them.
When one child said his father was a Red Sox fan and his mother was a Yankees fan, Betances teased the boy and said, “You tell your dad he has to change his team.” He signed a baseball card for the boy.
After every child had a chance to get Betances’ autograph or to speak with him, he posed for a group shot with the students and then prepared to leave the classroom.
“Everybody passed the test. You can get to work on building bridges,” Betances said.
For families with the 2017 Hess Toy Truck, the STEM curriculum is currently available for download on https://hesstoytruck.com/. On Jan. 16, teachers nationwide will be able to apply for a 2017 STEM kit, which will include (12) 2017 Hess Dump Truck and Loaders to be used with the 2017 STEM curriculum in the classroom. The electronic application form will be available on the website.
