Alexander Provenza, seventh grade math teacher and assistant wrestling coach, has put together two programs for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Asbury Park. The first is the morning program. In the morning students cannot wait to get to school and participate in Mr. Provenza’s football morning league. When students participate in this morning league, they not only play tag football but Mr. Provenza provides them with strategies they use to outsmart their opponents. On many occasions students have written down the plays that Mr. Provenza has taught them. Therefore, not only are the students playing football for fun but also they are developing good study habits through the use of learning new strategies to score a touchdown.

In addition to the football morning league, Mr. Provenza has put together a chess club for the students after school. In the afternoon, Mr. Provenza teaches the students how to play chess. He provides the students with guidelines on how to come up with different strategies, like the morning football league, to defeat their opponents. This chess club allows students to develop their thinking skills as they have to plan every move carefully or suffer a quick defeat.

Both programs are recognized by the students.