The men's basketball team visited two area elementary schools during the week of Jan. 11, engaging with students in the fifth consecutive year of Coach Adam Nelson's "Skills and Drills" program.

The Rams visited first-grade and third-grade classes at the Montclair School in Quincy. The players broke into small groups with the first-graders and read from Chris Paul's book Long Shot, a story about following personal dreams and never giving up. The team worked on a math lesson based on a basketball box score with the third-grades. Then both classes came together in the gymnasium for some fun basketball skills and a chance to watch the Suffolk team play.

The team also visited fourth-graders at the William E. Russell School in Dorchester, where the day began with the Suffolk and Russell students working on a box score and answering questions based on their findings. The groups then went into the school auditorium for some basketball drills and a question-and-answer session, where the Suffolk student-athletes addressed topics ranging from academics to physical fitness.

These partnerships have served as a valuable experience for both Suffolk student-athletes and elementary schoolchildren over the past five years. The curriculum for the program is developed by Deb Nelson, wife of Head Coach Adam Nelson, who also handles all of the logistics for the visits