Timothy Gick and Joseph Shamy Promote Mission Match to Make Youngsters Higher Match To Serve

United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Tim Gick joined the army in 2007, however his dedication to nation and connection to service may be traced again to his childhood. His father served within the Navy, he had a grandfather within the Military, and he had an uncle within the Marines in addition to different uncles within the Air Power. Gick’s brother-in-law can also be a two-star common within the Military.

“I assume there’s a whole lot of army in my household,” Gick stated. Another person he cited as inspiration to hitch was then roommate Joseph Shamy, who had his personal profession within the Air Power. He initially related with Gick whereas they each attended Texas Tech College, each as members of the college’s Air Power ROTC.

Shamy at present serves because the JROTC Senior Aerospace Science Teacher at Franklin Excessive Faculty in El Paso, Texas. Shamy recalled the primary time he and Gick met.

“Tim and I related at Texas Tech, and we had been roommates, and he noticed me coaching for ROTC, which finally led me into going into the Air Power.”

Each males went on to serve their respective careers. Gick’s time in service so far has included Officer Candidate Faculty in 2007, via a number of excursions in Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia, to management roles in intelligence and reconnaissance. Apart from his direct service, he’s additionally volunteered for teams corresponding to Toys for Tots. In 2022, he was working in San Francisco, CA with Toys for Tots packing presents and filling orders when he seen two issues that he didn’t like; all of the toys had been made exterior the USA, they usually had no that means behind them.

“I advised myself, ‘I could make my very own toy made right here in the USA that gives a pathway to function and repair.’”

What’s Mission Match?

The results of that imaginative and prescient is “Mission Match!,” a military-themed recreation that each teaches children concerning the army and encourages them to train. The last word targets are to advertise exercise, encourage teamwork, and present the advantages that may include army service. The decks characteristic quite a lot of characters corresponding to Muscle Monkey and Cosmo Cat which can be impressed by the branches of service and embody varied workouts that the gamers are to carry out corresponding to leg raises, leaping jacks, pushups, and squats. Gamers are to match playing cards and carry out the workouts in the event that they decide up a pair of motion playing cards. The participant with essentially the most playing cards on the finish of the sport wins.

How Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Gick Introduced His Thought to Life

Gick reached out to Shamy to assist make this imaginative and prescient a actuality. Shamy noticed firsthand how dangerous a recreation like this was wanted. On the time, the world at massive was nonetheless affected by the COVID pandemic, and college students weren’t in a position to be as lively as children in his technology had been. There was additionally an absence of need to serve within the army that each males felt wanted to be addressed. Gick credited Shamy with the concept of including a bodily health element, they usually each believed this recreation may probably resolve each of these points.

“I noticed that there was a deficiency in at the least the children that wished to enter the army of their bodily health. And after we had been making the sport, integrating health was one thing we wished to do as a result of it makes the sport extra totally different than only a regular card recreation.”

The sport is designed for youthful kids, however as Shamy confirmed, it has even been a success along with his highschool college students.

“The reactions are optimistic,” he stated. He even confirmed that considered one of his college students has taken health extra severely and has seen a giant change in consequence.

“He really misplaced about 40 kilos.”

Apart from the workouts, there are additionally playing cards that may be scanned that result in pages for every department of service to coach children about that service. Gick defined that scanning these playing cards may result in extra curiosity within the varied branches or at the least the army as an entire.

“Based mostly upon your age while you click on via, like on the Marine Corps with Gunny Gus, it’ll take you to Younger Marines or JROTC or the Marine Corps instantly relying on how outdated you might be. In order that’s the concept of the sport.”

The Mission Match Motion is Underway

“Not a Very Good Trainer” is considered one of six corporations that Gick has based, and Mission Match! is part of that model. Shamy is part of the corporate as nicely, and their plan is to get the sport in as many fingers as attainable whereas additionally inspiring Era Alpha to be extra lively and contemplate service once they develop up.

A technique that Gick is doing that’s via the Pathfinder Video games, which is described as “hands-on, real-world occasions the place children step out from behind screens and step into function.” One occasion was held on the Pentagon as a part of Carry Your Baby to Work Day, and Gick reported on the success of that occasion in addition to others which have related children with service members. With extra occasions scheduled sooner or later, the room for progress seems to be very important.

“This gives that pathway to function in order that they’ll meet these organizations they wouldn’t have in any other case. That’s the entire level of Pathfinder Video games.”

Whether or not households uncover it via the Pathfinder Video games or via phrase of mouth, Shamy hopes that oldsters will see the good thing about having this distinctive recreation on their cabinets and able to play with their kids due to the way it might help them be higher ready once they develop up.

“It’s undoubtedly about ensuring that you just’ve ingrained these way of life habits into your children as we speak as a result of the selections they make as we speak undoubtedly have an effect on them tomorrow.”

To be part of “Mission Match!” and help their efforts, be part of their Kickstarter. You too can study extra and pre-order by going to their web site.

M&F Senior Navy Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this Match to Serve article.