The Valley Suns connected basketball and education with inspiring Field Trip Day

Thousands of bright orange rally towels were waving gleefully in Mullett Arena on Wednesday afternoon as the Valley Suns took on the South Bay Lakers. The atmosphere suggested G League playoff stakes, but the significance of this matinee stretched beyond basketball.

Hosting their second Field Trip Day this year, the Valley Suns welcomed schools across the community for a unique gameday experience. Through the team's partnership with the Arizona Science Center, students were able to merge education with sports and entertainment, providing a nice break in a busy week of classes.

Field Trip Day is a two-day event where school groups, families, and hundreds of other fans get to enjoy a G League game while learning STEM facts and watching live science experiments.

This year, 34 schools participated in the event, featuring classes ranging from third grade to high school. Each school or district had their own section in the crowd with a perfect view of the action. The excitement started from the moment students got off the bus and saw the court for the first time. It was the loudest pregame warmups and hype session of the season.

Valley head coach Paul Jesperson couldn't believe the amount of support – or how pumped the kids were.

"That was phenomenal," he said. "I can't even put it into words to be honest. Our group did a tremendous job making sure that was loud and full of great energy. It was honestly tough to hear [in the huddle]. The more we can create that environment, we obviously appreciate it as a group."

It was the most-attended Valley Suns game to date – a significant milestone as Phoenix's G League affiliate continues its growth. The Suns hosted roughly 4,300 students between Wednesday and the first Field Trip Day earlier this month, their youthful buzz roaring and echoing through the building like a high school rivalry night.

Kids were engaged throughout the day with different activities. For instance, the halftime show was a live demonstration from the "Blue Crew," a team of educators from the Arizona Science Center who create interactive exhibits in the lab. They first showed the students how heat, fuel, and oxygen can lead to combustion and cause a ring of fire. The second demo was even crazier, as the Blue Crew created an explosion using liquid nitrogen.

During each timeout, the group would present fun facts and videos to the crowd to inject some educational components into the game. The Valley mascot, Ray, also made his way around the arena to greet students and hand out merchandise.

Players felt the difference in the building. The energy of the next generation is unmistakable.

And while the Valley Suns always maximize effort like their Phoenix counterparts, the guys wanted to illustrate the beauty of teamwork, competition, and hustling on every possession.

"Especially these kids games, they get up for those games," Jespersen said. "I think some of these guys were in their shoes at one point. This may be some of those kids' first time seeing a professional basketball game, so we wanted to make sure we're playing the right way as a group, competing, and hopefully inspiring some of them."

Each student in attendance was given a drawstring Valley-branded backpack containing several goodies – a booklet, pen, bookmark, stamp map, and of course, the rally towel.

For the students who aren't basketball fans, Field Trip Day was still an opportunity to let loose, chat with fellow classmates, and enjoy snacks while watching the presentations.

After the game, the Valley Suns participated in a panel discussion presented by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Play-by-play broadcaster Braiden Bell was joined by Valley players Marcus Burk and Kaleb Johnson in a conversation about leadership and avoiding peer pressure. Middle and high-schoolers at the panel were attentive as the players shared their perspectives. A few of them had the opportunity to ask insightful questions, too.

Once the buses rolled away from Mullet Arena in Tempe, the afternoon would be defined by bright smiles, valuable lessons, and an experience the students and teachers will always remember.