United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Tim Gick joined the military in 2007, but his commitment to country and connection to service can be traced back to his childhood. His father served in the Navy, his grandfather was in the Army, and one of his uncles was in the Marines and another uncle was also in the Air Force. Gik’s brother-in-law is also a two-star general in the army.
“I think I have a lot of soldiers in my family,” Gick said. Another person he cited as inspiration for getting involved was then-roommate Joseph Shami, who had a career in the Air Force. He initially connected with Gick when they both attended Texas Tech University, both as members of the school’s Air Force ROTC.
Shami currently serves as the JROTC Senior Aerospace Science Instructor at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. Shami recalled the first meeting between him and Gik.
“Tim and I connected at Texas Tech, and we were roommates, and he saw me training for ROTC, which ultimately inspired me to go into the Air Force.”
Both men remained engaged in the service of their respective careers. Gick’s tenure in the service to date includes Officer Candidate School in 2007, multiple tours in Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia, to leadership roles in intelligence and reconnaissance. In addition to her direct service, she has also volunteered for groups such as Toys for Tots. In 2022, he was working with Toys for Tots in San Francisco, CA, packing gifts and filling orders when he noticed two things he didn’t like; All of the toys were made outside the United States, and had no meaning behind them.
“I said to myself, ‘I can make my own toy here in the United States that provides a path of purpose and service.'”
What is Mission Match?
That approach resulted in “Mission Match!” is, a military-themed game that teaches kids about the military and encourages them to exercise. The ultimate goal is to promote activity, inspire teamwork, and showcase the benefits of military service. The deck features a variety of characters such as Muscle Monkey and Cosmo Cat inspired by the branches of service and involves players performing various exercises such as leg raises, jumping jacks, pushups and squats. If players pick up a pair of action cards they must match the cards and practice. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
How Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Gick brought his idea to life
Gik reached out to Shami to help make this vision a reality. Shami saw firsthand how much a game like this was needed. At that time, the entire world was still affected by the Covid pandemic, and students were not able to be as active as children of their generation. There was also a lack of desire to serve in the military which both men felt the need to address. Gick credited Shami with the idea of adding a physical fitness component, and they both believed the game could potentially solve both of those issues.
“I noticed that at least among the kids who wanted to go into the military, they were lacking in physical fitness. And when we were making the game, integrating fitness was something we wanted to do because it makes the game more different than just a normal card game.”
The game is designed for younger children, but as Shami confirmed, it has been a hit among his high school students as well.
“The reactions have been positive,” he said, also confirming that one of his students has taken fitness more seriously and has seen a big change as a result.
“She actually lost about 40 pounds.”
In addition to the exercises, there are cards that can be scanned that take children to pages for each branch of service to educate them about that service. Gick pointed out that scanning these cards could generate more interest across different branches, or at least the entire Army.
“Depending on your age when you click, like, on Marine Corps with Gunny Gus, it will take you straight to Young Marines or JROTC or the Marine Corps, depending on how old you are. So that’s the idea of the game.”
Mission Match movement is going on
“Not a Very Good Teacher” is one of six companies that Gick founded, and Mission Match! A part of that brand. Shami is also part of the company, and he plans to get the game into the hands of as many people as possible, as well as inspire Generation Alpha to be more active and consider the service as they grow up.
One way Gick does this is through the Pathfinder games, which are described as “hands-on, real-world events where kids step out from behind the screen and step into the objective.” An event was held at the Pentagon as part of Bring Your Child to Work Day, and Gick reported on the success of that program, as well as other programs that have paired children with service members. With more events scheduled in the future, the scope for growth appears to be significant.
“It’s about providing that path to purpose so they can meet these organizations that they otherwise wouldn’t have. That’s the whole purpose of the Pathfinder games.”
Whether families discover it through Pathfinder games or through word of mouth, Shami hopes parents will see the benefit of having this unique game on their shelves and will be ready to play with their children because of how it can help them be better prepared as they grow up.
“It’s definitely about making sure you’ve instilled those lifestyle habits in your kids today because the decisions they make today definitely impact them tomorrow.”
“Mission Match!” To be a part of and support their efforts, join their kickstarter. You can learn more and pre-order by going here their website.
M&F senior military editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this Fit to Serve article.
