Math Hoops: From the Classroom to the International Stage

At St Damian’s Primary School, maths has taken on a whole new energy thanks to NBA Math Hoops. The program, delivered through The Huddle, has transformed how students engage with numbers — from those who struggle with maths anxiety to those who can’t get enough of it.

Carmen Bruce, Maths Leader at St Damian’s, has seen the impact firsthand:

"It's been fantastic as a maths leader to see all the kids being engaged in maths from our students that find maths a bit challenging or have anxiety with maths to our students that love maths and want to do it every day."

Making Maths Fun and Accessible

What makes Math Hoops so engaging is its mix of skill and chance.

"“It’s got all different components to it, including our four operations and then the probability and chance. And the great component of this is that it has luck involved. So it doesn’t matter what skill level you’re at, sometimes you can have a stinker of a game and sometimes you can have a great game. So it’s been fantastic.”

This balance means that every student — no matter their ability level — has the chance to succeed, play, and most importantly, enjoy learning maths.

From Local Games to Global Opportunities

The program has even opened doors beyond the classroom.

"We were lucky enough to nominate two of our students to go to the international championships, and we were so thrilled to hear that one of our students got chosen. He had the most fantastic time over in America, meeting the players in the draft and just had such an experience. So those opportunities are so few and far between that it was just such an amazing challenge.”

For the school community, watching one of their own compete on an international stage was a moment of pride and inspiration.

A Partnership That Delivers

Carmen credits The Huddle and its partners for making these experiences possible.

“We really want to say a big shout out to Learn Fresh and the North Melbourne Football Club in The Huddle for all the amazing opportunities that we’ve had with them, from the training online for the teachers, to the board games being delivered to the school, the Victorian tournament and even the international championships, it’s been absolutely fantastic.”

Through Math Hoops, St Damian’s Primary School has shown that learning doesn’t just happen in books — it happens through play, teamwork, and opportunity.

Watch our interview with Carmen below!