An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen sitting in a stadium. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a green and white baseball shirt.

Nykeem says HEY EVERYONE,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB,
WHERE SPORTS AND SCIENCE COLLIDE
WITH AN EXPLOSION OF FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Nykeem walks on a baseball field and puts on a blue baseball cap and says MY NAME'S NYKEEM, AND I'M GONNA
TAKE YOU OUT TO THE BALLGAME,
HERE AT THE HOME OF
THE THUNDER BAY BORDER CATS.
(Fanfare)
(Cheers)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Baseball."

Nykeem walks onto a white base on the baseball field and a caption reads "Port Arthur Stadium, Thunder Bay, Ontario."

Nykeem says BASEBALL IS
A LEGENDARY GAME,
FULL OF PITCHING, BATTING,
AND BEST OF ALL:

Nykeem pulls out a hot dog, eats it, and says HOT DOGS.

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She is in has straight, dark brown hair in a ponytail and wears a blue shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says THAT'S RIGHT,
SNACKS ARE DEFINITELY
A FUN PART OF BASEBALL,
BUT THEY'RE JUST A WARM UP.
SCIENCE IS
THE STARTING PITCHER.
FOR EXAMPLE, STATISTICS,
OR NUMBERS,
MEASURE ALMOST
EVERY PART OF THE GAME.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE
USED TO DISCOVER
EXCITING NEW WAYS TO PLAY.
BUT, REMEMBER.
THE MOST IMPORTANT
NUMBER IS STILL
THREE STRIKES AND YOU'RE OUT.

Nykeem walks on the baseball field and says SO, BUCKLE UP,
BECAUSE SPORTS LAB
IS ABOUT TO BRING IT HOME.

(music plays)

Porter appears on screen with a caption that reads "Porter." Porter has short, straight blond hair, and wears a black baseball cap, and a white baseball shirt that reads "Thunder Cats."

Porter says I'M PORTER,
AND I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD.
I'VE BEEN PLAYING
ALMOST ALL MY LIFE.

(music plays)

Clips of Porter playing baseball appear on screen.

Porter says I'VE NEVER HAD A SAD
DAY PLAYING BASEBALL.

(music plays)

Nykeem walks up to Porter, gives him a high five, and says HEY, PORTER.
WELCOME TO
SPORTS LAB.
THIS PARK IS
SO BEAUTIFUL.
WHAT MAKES
BALL PARKS SO FUN?

Porter says BECAUSE IT'S GREAT.
THE SMELL OF THE POPCORN
AND THE NEWLY CUT
GRASS IS AMAZING.

Nykeem says I LOVE POPCORN.
WHAT POSITION DO YOU PLAY?

Porter says SHORT STOP, PITCHER,
CATCHER.

Nykeem says WOW, ALL THREE?

Porter says YEAH.

Nykeem says WOW, THAT'S A LOT.
IS IT HARD TO TRAIN
FOR ALL OF THEM?

Porter says NO, ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO
CATCH, FIELD AND THROW,
YOU CAN KIND OF PLAY
ANY POSITION IN THE FIELD.

Nykeem says NICE, I HAVE ANOTHER
QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHEN YOUR TEAMMATES
DO WELL ON THE FIELD,
DO YOU SCREAM OUT
ANY ENCOURAGEMENT?
I GO, "HEY, BATTA,
BATTA, BATTA!"

Porter says YEAH, I SAY,
"ATTA BOY, NICE PLAY!"

Nykeem says PRETEND I JUST HIT A HOME RUN,
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Porter says "NICE HIT, ATTA BOY,
KEEP RUNNING THOSE BASES!"

Nykeem says OKAY, I LIKE THAT.

Porter says IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D
LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT BASEBALL?
WELL, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF
HISTORY, BUT I WANNA LEARN MORE.

Nykeem says THEN LET'S SWING INTO
THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL.
(Fanfare)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Baseball."

Nykeem says GAMES RESEMBLING
TODAY'S BASEBALL
STARTED TO APPEAR AROUND
THE 18TH CENTURY IN ENGLAND.
ONE WAS CALLED ROUNDERS,
WHICH HAS FOUR BASES,
A STRIKING TEAM
AND A FIELDING TEAM.
SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
THOSE GAMES EVENTUALLY
MADE THEIR WAY
TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES
ACROSS AMERICA.
IN 1845, A MAN NAMED
ALEXANDER CARTWRIGHT,
WHO SOME CALLED
THE FATHER OF BASEBALL,
HELPED DEVELOP SOME RULES
FOR THE YOUNG GAME.
SOME OF THOSE RULES
ARE IN PLACE TODAY,
INCLUDING ONE THAT SAYS "YOU CAN'T THROW THE BALL
AT OTHER PLAYERS."
THANKS, ALEXANDER.
PLAY BALL!

Back on the field, Nykeem says WELL THAT DOES IT FOR
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BASEBALL.
READY TO
PLAY BALL?

Porter says YEAH!

Nykeem says ALRIGHT, I'VE BEEN WAITING
TO SAY THIS ALL DAY.
BATTER UP!

Porter says WOO!

Nykeem and Porter run toward home base and Nykeem says LET'S GO.
I'M GONNA WIN.

(music plays)

Nykeem throws Porter the ball and Nykeem says NICE, GOOD JOB.

(music plays)

Nykeem and Porter play baseball together.

After they practice, they run over to the dugouts and Nykeem says OH, MAN...
WOW, THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN.
ALL THAT'S MISSING IS
PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS.
I LEARNED A LOT
FROM YOU TODAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN?

Porter says YEAH, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO USE
THE WHOLE BODY WHEN YOU SWING,
NOT JUST THE ARMS -
WHY DOES THAT HELP?

Nykeem says YOU KNOW,
I'M NOT SURE.
BUT WHERE THERE'S SPORT,
THERE'S SCIENCE.

Nykeem pulls out his phone and Dr. Heather appears on screen.

Nykeem says DOCTOR HEATHER!

In the lab, Dr. Heather says HI, GUYS.
I CAN'T ANSWER JUST YET.
BUT, LET'S FOCUS ON HOW A PLAYER
DELIVERS ENERGY TO THE BALL.
I'M SENDING SOMEONE
SPECIAL TO LEND A HAND.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT,
LET'S GO!

Porter says OKAY!
(Fanfare)

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says IT'S QUIZ TIME IN THE LAB.
WHY DO BASEBALLS HAVE STITCHES?
A. BETTER GRIP.
B. THE BASEBALL GOT A CUT.
OR, C. IT LOOKS NICE.

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS A.

Nykeem says BETTER GRIP.
THE STITCHES ALSO AFFECT
THE AIRFLOW AROUND THE BALL,
CHANGING ITS FLIGHT.

(music plays)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Bryce appears on screen with a caption that reads "Bryce." Bryce has short, straight blond hair and wears a white baseball shirt that reads "Thunder Cats."

Bryce says MY NAME IS BRYCE, I'VE BEEN
PLAYING BASEBALL FOR 12 YEARS.
WHAT DREW ME TO BASEBALL?
WELL, WHEN I WAS A KID
I STARTED PLAYING T BALL
AND JUST GOT HOOKED INSTANTLY,
I COULDN'T STOP PLAYING.
I LOVE THE TEAM ASPECT OF IT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS PICK UP
YOUR TEAMMATES,
AND THEY'VE ALWAYS
GOT YOUR BACK AS WELL.

Nykeem and Porter walk up to Bryce and Nykeem says HEY, BRYCE.
NICE TO SEE
YOU, BUDDY.

Bryce says YOU TOO.

Nykeem says I THINK I'D
INTRODUCE YOU TWO,
BUT YOU ALREADY
KNOW EACH OTHER?

Porter says YEAH, IT'S MY
BROTHER, BRYCE.

Bryce says HEY PORTER,
HOW'S IT GOING?

Porter says GOOD, YOU?

Bryce says I'M DOING ALRIGHT.

Nykeem says BASEBALL BROS.
PORTER, WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING
UP AROUND THE BORDER CATS?

Porter says IT WAS SO MUCH FUN.
ALL THE PLAYERS LOVE ME.
EVERYONE KNEW MY NAME,
EVERYBODY KNEW ME,
I PLAYED WITH
THEM ALL THE TIME.
SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN
IN THE MAJORS RIGHT NOW.

Nykeem says HAS PORTER ALWAYS WANTED
TO PLAY BASEBALL WITH YOU?

Bryce says YEAH, ALL THE WAY FROM T BALL,
HE'S ALWAYS BEEN BY MY SIDE.
HE USED TO CARRY
MY BATS FOR ME.

Nykeem says DO YOU STILL
CARRY THE BATS?

Porter says NO, NOT ANYMORE.
I'VE GOT MY OWN BATS TO CARRY.

Nykeem says OH.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PLAYING
WITH YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER?

Bryce says HE JUST LOVES TO
LEARN SO MUCH.
HE'S GOT SO MUCH
PASSION FOR THE GAME.
HE'S ALWAYS ASKING
ME QUESTIONS.
MAKES ME WANT TO BE
A BETTER PLAYER MYSELF.

Nykeem says AND WHAT ABOUT YOU,
PORTER?

Porter says HE JUST TAUGHT ME
TO RESPECT THE GAME,
AND HAVE THE BEST
ATTITUDE ON THE FIELD.

Bryce says THAT'S MY BRO.

Nykeem says PORTER AND I NEED
SOMEONE TO DEMONSTRATE
WHY IT'S SO EFFECTIVE TO USE
A FULL BODY WHEN YOU SWING.
CARE TO SHOW
US A FEW HACKS?

Bryce says MORE THAN HAPPY TO.

Nykeem and Porter walk back and Nykeem says ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE
IF BROTHER KNOWS BEST,
STEP BACK, STEP BACK.
HERE WE GO!

Bryce picks up the bat and says ALRIGHT, YOU'RE GONNA WANT
YOUR FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART.
REALLY STEP INTO THE BALL
AND REALLY TWIST YOUR HIPS.

The umpire throws the ball and Bryce knocks it out of the park.

Porter looks at Nykeem and says THAT'S MY BROTHER.

(music plays)

Bryce continues to hit every ball.

Porter says WHAT A SWEET SWING.

(music plays)

While Bryce continues hitting balls, Nykeem pulls out his phone and says DOC, ARE YOU
SEEING THIS?

Dr. Heather says GOOD TIMING!
I THINK I CRACKED THE CASE.
BRYCE HAS POWER
AT HIS FINGERTIPS
BECAUSE OF SOMETHING
CALLED A KINETIC CHAIN.
IN ORDER TO SEND
THE BALL FLYING,
BRYCE NEEDS TO USE
HIS WHOLE BODY
TO GIVE IT
KINETIC ENERGY.
IF HE ONLY
USED HIS ARMS,
THE BALL WOULDN'T
GO VERY FAR.
BRYCE LINKS ALL OF
HIS BODY TOGETHER,
USING IT TO BUILD
AND TRANSFER ENERGY
ALL THE WAY TO THE BALL.
THE WINDUP STARTS IN HIS LEGS,
MOVES THROUGH HIS HIPS,
INTO HIS ABDOMINAL MUSCLES,
THROUGH HIS SHOULDERS,
DOWN HIS ARMS,
INTO HIS HANDS,
THROUGH THE BAT
AND INTO THE BALL.
WHEN THE BODY WORKS TOGETHER
IN A BASEBALL SWING,
IT BUILDS MOMENTUM.
MOMENTUM IS AN OBJECT'S MASS
IN MOTION.
IT'S AN OBJECT'S
MASS TIMES VELOCITY.
AND VELOCITY IS SPEED
IN A GIVEN DIRECTION.
SINCE BRYCE USES
HIS ENTIRE BODY,
HE CAN SWING THE BAT
WITH MORE VELOCITY.
WITH MORE VELOCITY,
THE BALL SAILS
INTO THE OUTFIELD.
SO INTRODUCE YOUR
LEGS TO YOUR ARMS.
IF THEY WORK TOGETHER,
THEY'LL WIN THE DAY.

Back on the field, Nykeem says ALRIGHT, PORTER.
SO, YOU NEED TO BUILD
LINKS IN THE KINETIC CHAIN.
WHAT DO YOU
THINK ABOUT THAT?

Porter says THAT MAKES SENSE, MAKES ME WANT
TO TAKE A FEW SWINGS MYSELF.

Nykeem says LET'S GIVE YOUR BROTHER
A RUN FOR HIS MONEY.

(music plays)

Bryce and Nykeem walk behind Porter and the umpire throws the ball toward Porter. Porter hits the ball.

Bryce says NICE HIT.

Porter continues to hit the ball.

Nykeem says YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE MOMENTUM
BUILD IN THE SWING.

Bryce and Nykeem walk over to Porter and Bryce says HEY, ATTA BOY. YEAH.
(Fanfare)
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem appears on screen on the field and Nykeem says WHEN IT COMES TO BASEBALL,
WHERE THERE'S A BALL,
THERE'S A BAT.
THIS BAT IS MADE OF ALUMINUM,
WHICH IS THE THIRD MOST ABUNDANT
ELEMENT ON THE PLANET.
ALUMINUM BATS CAN HIT FURTHER
THAN WOOD, WHICH MAKES ME A FAN.
WHY CAN THEY HIT FURTHER?
THAT HAS TO DO
WITH SPRINGINESS.
ALUMINUM HAS MORE
GIVE THAN WOOD.
IT'S MORE FLEXIBLE.
SO, WHEN A BALL HITS IT...
IT'S ABLE TO SPRING OFF
WITH LITTLE EFFORT.
HOPEFULLY NOT INTO
SOMEBODY'S GLOVE.
SO, WHEN THE BALL HITS WOOD,
THERE'S NOT AS MUCH GIVE.
THE BALL LOSES ENERGY WHEN IT
COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP.
BUT, ALUMINUM OR WOOD,
ALWAYS REMEMBER
TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL.

Later, Nykeem pitches to Porter.

Nykeem says PORTER, STEP RIGHT UP.
HEY, BATTA, BATTA, BATTA.

Porter misses the ball and says WE NEED A PITCHER, COME ON!

Nykeem pitches and Porter hits the ball.

Nykeem says YES.
WHOA, NOW THAT'S
THE KINETIC CHAIN.
(APPLAUSE)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Bryce appears on screen and says HERE'S SOMETHING I REMEMBER
WHEN I'M OUT ON THE FIELD.
I TRY TO STAY CALM,
TRY TO SLOW THE GAME DOWN.
IT REALLY HELPS ME
EXECUTE AND CONCENTRATE
WHEN I'M OUT ON THE FIELD.
REMEMBER GUYS,
IT'S JUST A GAME,
TAKE A COUPLE DEEP BREATHS.
(BREATHES)
AND JUST HAVE SOME FUN.
MY NAME IS BRYCE,
AND THAT'S MY PRO TIP.

Now Porter appears on screen and says I LEARNED ABOUT BASEBALL,
THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT,
IT WAS AMAZING.
I'LL SEE YOU ON
THE BASEBALL DIAMOND.

Nykeem walks onto the field, hits the ball, and says TODAY WE LEARNED
WHY SWINGING A BAT
IS ALL ABOUT THE KINETIC CHAIN.
WE DISCOVERED THAT
TO BUILD MOMENTUM,
YOUR LEGS AND HANDS HAVE
TO PLAY ON THE SAME TEAM.
(APPLAUSE)
MOST IMPORTANTLY,
WE SAW THAT PLAYING SPORTS
AND LEARNING WITH YOUR FAMILY
IS AN EXCELLENT PASTIME.
THAT'S IT FOR ME, BUT ONLY FOR
NOW, BECAUSE IN SPORTS LAB,
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO
UNCOVER AND DISCOVER.

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.