The hottest ticket in town this winter isn’t for the varsity boys or girls, a big rivalry game, or even a pep rally. No, the real action is happening in the Fox River Grove Middle School lunchroom — specifically in the half of the lunchroom not occupied by folded-up cafeteria tables or cheerleaders running through routines. That’s where history is being made.
For the first time, Fox River Grove Middle School has a fifth-grade basketball team, coached by someone who, by his own admission, had exactly zero previous experience coaching anything at all.
“I’m Corey Maki, the head coach of the fifth-grade basketball team!” he says with the enthusiasm of a man who has willingly chosen to hold practice in a room designed for chicken nuggets and chocolate milk. “This is my first coaching experience in anything ever.”
In a school where the seventh- and eighth-graders dominate the full courts in the main gym, the fifth-graders have carved out their kingdom — half a lunchroom, one slightly-too-low hoop, and at least one spirited dance practice happening a few feet away. It's not exactly the United Center, but Coach Maki decided early on that the setting didn’t matter. The philosophy, he says, is simple: grit.
“It’s a very old-school word that I'm hoping they really buy into,” he says. “I want to instill mental and physical toughness in them in a way school doesn't. Sports are a great way to do that.”
Numbers Dictate Decision
The reason for forming a fifth-grade team was simple math: they had enough fifth-graders interested in playing basketball.
“We were surprised at the number of students who wanted to play,” said Superintendent Dr. Matt Mayer. “When you see that much enthusiasm and energy, we will never say ‘No.’”
Dr. Mayer also sees fifth-graders' participation as a constructive place to be after school. With adult supervision, he noted, it’s productive, social, safe and reduces unstructured downtime. In addition, fifth-grade athletics introduce responsibility, teamwork, perseverance, and — yes — grit at an age when kids are ready for real-life practice with these skills. Team members learn to show up, work hard, and support others.
“Sports give younger students a reason to feel connected to their school community,” Dr. Mayer added. “Being on a team boosts pride, belonging, and motivation to show up, participate and try their best in class. And let’s not forget that team sports at this age help kids make friends, practice communication, and build self-esteem in a supportive environment.”
Learning on the Fly (and Sometimes on the Floor)
Working with younger athletes has its quirks, especially when those athletes are still trying to master the art of remembering where they put their water bottles.
“Working with fifth graders compared to older students has been very similar to differences I've seen teaching older students — it requires more patience and focusing on the little things,” Maki says. “We are big on basic fundamentals to help prepare for later years in the program. It's also very important that I help them understand that after school, I'm their coach, not their classroom teacher.”
Patience is sometimes tested, especially during drills.
“We've had numerous situations where we can't get through simple drills without a few hiccups,” Maki admits. “It takes a lot of stopping and interjecting with more teaching moments throughout the drills we do.”
Surprises, Spirit, and Questionable Jersey Vintage
Despite the quirks and chaos, the team’s enthusiasm has been a revelation.
“Some of the biggest surprises and highlights so far are how into it the kids are,” says Maki. “They truly love being a part of the team and having an opportunity to come to practice after school every day.”
Their love is so deep that they don’t seem to care that they only have four scheduled games, or that their jerseys once belonged to some very, very long graduated athletes.
“There was a little bit of a delay in the arrival of the 8th-grade team's new jerseys,” Maki explains. “We were supposed to get the hand-me-downs. Due to the delay, the jerseys our fifth graders are wearing are from a long time ago. Regardless, they don't care. They were so excited to have the opportunity to choose their jersey number.”
To earn those treasured numbers, the players completed timed sprints across the lunchroom-turned-mini-arena.
“I had them do an ‘earn your jersey’ activity,” he says. “It consisted of timed sprints from one end to the other with only 10 seconds to rest between each sprint.”
Nothing says “welcome to the team” quite like sweating on the same floor where you ate tacos two hours earlier.
High Energy and Higher Hopes
Game days are just beginning — two of them back-to-back — but if practice is any indication, the energy will be electric.
“Practice has been generally high energy,” Maki says. “I try to have those high-energy kids be the leaders to instill it into the others and lead by example.”
The season may be short, but the impact, Maki hopes, will last long after the final buzzer.
“I want them first and foremost to have fun with this experience,” he says. “I want them to be proud of being a part of the team, and I hope that the lessons they learn throughout the season they're able to take with them through life.”
As the first fifth-grade team in school history, they’re setting the tone, and Maki is thinking big.
“It’s a great opportunity to start ‘building a farm’ and developing players early to have success in grades six through eight,” he says. “I want them to have fun, become better players, become better people, and become leaders in their school.”
Not bad for a team practicing between lunch tables and cheer practices.
And if grit can grow in a lunchroom, it can grow anywhere.