Do you have a middle schooler who loves sports and is not so crazy about science? Have him take a look at these videos which could make learning science more fun.

“Science of NFL Football” on NBCLearn.com, found here, is a 10-part video series funded by the National Science Foundation and produced in partnership with the National Football League. “Science of NFL Football” teaches a variety of scientific concepts using examples from professional football. The videos feature footage and contributions from NFL football players and NSF scientists on a variety of topics including Newton’s laws of motion, vectors, projectile motion and parabolas, torque and center of mass, nutrition and health and the Pythagorean theorem. The videos are fun to watch, make scientific concepts easier to understand, and encourage children to think about the uses of science in everyday life.

“Sports Science”, an award-winning series aired on ESPN, uses the principles of momentum and friction and the laws of gravity to uncover sports myths and mysteries. If your son can’t easily watch the shows on TV, the Sports Science website, found here, has loads of video from the shows. Rather than use examples from the sports world to teach specific concepts, “Sports Science” focuses more on running superior athletes through series of tests to try to understand the science behind their abilities. Not as instructional, but gives viewers fun ways to think about the practical applications of scientific principles.

Tell your sports-loving son to check out these videos. He is likely to learn a few things, and he may better appreciate the wonderful world of science!!