‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins, one of the newest members of the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, is trailed by her teammate ‘Scooter’ Christensen into the Pittston Area Martin L. Mattei Middle School gym, the same school Hopkins attended as a child. Hopkins and the Globetrotters will be appearing at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Feb. 12.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
And teach some fun, fancy moves
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Social studies teacher Jill Space wows the crowd at Solomon/Plains Middle School, with a little help from Harlem Globetrotter Scooter Christiansen.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Pittston Area grad Mia ‘Mighty’ Hopkins, one of three women now playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, talks to the media on Thursday morning in the gym at Solomon/Plains Middle School.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Harlem Globetrotter Scooter Christiansen, center, gave a Solomon/Plains student a quick lesson in bouncing a basketball off his knee, and the youth was a quick study.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
The crowd of students at Solomon/Plains Middle School watches with fascination as Wyoming Valley native ‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins, right foreground, and her Harlem Globetrotters teammate ‘Scooter’ Christiansen show off their ball handling skills.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Yes, it’s possible to roll a basketball up along your spine and over your head, as Scooter Christiansen showed onlookers Thursday morning at Solomon/Plains Middle School.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Pittston native and newest member of the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, ‘Mighty’ Mia Hopkins, returned to the very same middle school she attended as a child to promote the Globetrotters game at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Feb. 12. Hopkins is shown getting the students psyched up for the upcoming game.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Easy or hard?
That was the question Scooter Christiansen asked a gym full of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students Thursday morning at Solomon/Plains Middle School.
Should social studies teacher Jill Space, already standing in the middle of the gym floor and waiting for an assignment from Christiansen and his fellow Harlem Globetrotter Mia “Mighty” Hopkins, have to attempt a difficult basketball trick? Or should she get off easy?
The answer resounded from the bleachers: “Hard!” “Hard!”
Ms. Space might have felt a little nervous, because she’d already seen how Christiansen had taught a half dozen Solomon/Plains students some fancy ways of handling the ball — passing it behind their backs, bouncing it off a knee, in one case having a kid lean forward as the ball rolled up along his spine and over his head.
Despite the roaring from the crowd, Christiansen made things easy for the teacher and told her to just point one finger up. When the ball was passed to her, he made it spin and spin on her finger — quite a spectacular effect; but not demanding too much ball handling skill from her.
“I was grateful,” the teacher said afterward, adding she’s long been a fan of the Harlem Globetrotters’ skill on the basketball court as well as the positive messages they bring to young people.
Christiansen and Hopkins will be part of the team playing at the Mohegan Sun Arena at 5 p.m. Feb. 12. But on Wednesday they visited Solomon/Plains Middle School in Plains Township in the morning, and Martin L. Mattei Middle School in Pittston in the afternoon to bring motivational messages about staying in school, speaking out against bullying, taking responsibility, showing compassion, and persevering to work toward your dreams.
Hopkins has lots of experience with that last goal, working hard to overcome such injuries as a dislocated arm — yes, it was her shooting arm — before becoming one of just three women who are traveling and playing with the Globetrotters.
“This is my ideal job,” she said, explaining she’s thrilled to serve as a role model for young people, especially girls.
Tickets to the Feb. 12 Harlem Globetrotters appearance at the Mohegan Sun Arena are available at Ticketmaster or at the box office.
