Math is regarded as a universal language—its symbols and core principles understood across cultures, geographies, and languages. Second only to math, one could argue that sports are another universal language. In our increasingly globalized world, hometown wins are now shared with unexpected fans worldwide, bringing sports into a new cultural dimension. This global connection is something Rafael, Cristian, and Oscar—students and sports fans—would come to experience firsthand.
Rafael and Cristian were unlikely partners who became Global Champions through a baseball-inspired math board game. Rafael, 13, from the Dominican Republic, and Cristian, 11, from Brazil, began playing MLB Players STEM League through their hometown baseball organizations—Baseball Island Foundation and Project Béisbol, respectively. The program, developed by Learn Fresh in partnership with the MLB Players Trust, uses a baseball-themed board game to teach algebra concepts through the lens of baseball. By leveraging player stats and simulating the energy of a live baseball game, the program offers an immersive learning experience that strengthens critical thinking, teamwork, and fundamental math skills.
Above, left to right: Cristian (Brazil, Project Béisbol) and Rafael (Baseball Island Foundation)
Being passionate baseball players themselves, the MLB Players STEM League was a natural fit.
As part of the program, students participate in local tournaments and community events that build up to a culminating championship tournament - known as Globals. Held annually alongside MLB’s Spring Training, the tournament invites 24 students from around the world for three days of immersive STEM activations and competition.
For Rafael and Cristian, this would be their first time in the United States.
They were partnered on the first day of the three-day tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, and despite speaking different native languages, the two formed a fast friendship. Their bond was rooted in a shared love of the sport. Their ability to overcome a language barrier and compete in a once-in-a-lifetime experience exemplified the power of math to act as a connecting point despite cultural differences.
Together, Rafael and Cristian went on to win the global tournament, earning a return trip to the U.S. in July for a special MLB All-Star experience.
Celebrating their victory in the final round of the 2025 MLB Players STEM League Global Championship.
Their story is not only a testament to teamwork and resilience—it’s a case study in what happens when core educational principles connect directly with students’ passions. When learning is rooted in real-world interests, like sports, it becomes more personal, relevant, and lasting. Programs like MLB Players STEM League show how this approach can awaken a newfound love of learning and expand students’ sense of what’s possible.
Dreaming of going pro isn’t just a fantasy. With a deeper understanding of the STEM skills behind the game, students can envision futures not only as athletes but also as coaches, analysts, and innovators.
By blending academics with the world around us, students and educators are uplifted. These programs can reach millions globally through a shared love of learning and sport, bringing math into the third dimension, making it tangible, and creating a new sense of discovery.
For ten-year-old Oscar, this was exactly the case.
From Adelaide, Australia, Oscar was first introduced to NBA Math Hoops, the flagship program of Learn Fresh, thanks to his teacher, Mrs. Davis. Like MLB Players STEM League, NBA Math Hoops is a basketball-inspired board game that teaches core math concepts by leveraging the NBA and WNBA brands, using real player stats. Oscar, a basketball fan and player himself, was immediately hooked – not just by the gameplay, but by the fast-paced mental math involved.
NBA Math Hoops follows a similar structure to MLB Players STEM League, featuring regular-season gameplay and regional tournaments, culminating in a Global Championship tournament in New York City. The chance to be selected for Globals would be a dream come true for Oscar, and one that became a reality.
Above, left to right: Oscar (The Huddle Math Hoops) and Kingston (Trail Blazers Math Hoops)
Held each June alongside the NBA Draft, the NBA Math Hoops Global Championship is the premier stage for the program. Since its launch in 2012, the basketball-based board game has reached more than 1.4 million students across six continents and over 10 countries. From programs around the world, a select 24 students are chosen each year to compete.
Arriving in New York for the 2025 Global Championship tournament, Oscar was the only student from an international program selected to compete this year. Within the first day, Oscar met the other selected participants—including his partner, Kingston from Portland, Oregon. Like Rafael and Cristian, Oscar and Kingston quickly bonded over their shared enthusiasm for the game and the opportunity to compete on a global stage.
Together, they made it all the way to the finals, supporting one another throughout with strategy, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
Kingston shared, “I just want to say thank you so much for this opportunity, and thank you so much for partnering me with Oscar cause he is now my new best friend, and we won because of that, and thank you for letting me come.”
Oscar had become the first international student to ever win the NBA Math Hoops Global Championship—a feat sought after by many.
Moments after the buzzer, securing the title of 2025 NBA Math Hoops Global Champions.
As exemplified in each of these winning moments, common ground is found through math and sport. Whether in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the U.S., or Australia, students like Cristian, Rafael, Oscar, and Kingston are discovering that education doesn’t have to exist in isolation from the rest of their world. It can reflect their interests, celebrate their cultures, and connect them with peers thousands of miles away.
In this way, programs like MLB Players STEM League and NBA Math Hoops are more than academic tools—they’re bridges. Bridges between nations, between cultures, and between who students are now and who they might one day become.