United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General 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, he had a grandfather in the Army, and he had an uncle in the Marines as well as other uncles in the Air Force. Gick’s brother-in-law is also a two-star general in the Army.
“I guess there is a lot of military in my family,” Gick said. Someone else he cited as inspiration to join was then roommate Joseph Shamy, who had his own career in the Air Force. He initially connected with Gick while they both attended Texas Tech University, both as members of the school’s Air Force ROTC.
Shamy currently serves as the JROTC Senior Aerospace Science Instructor at Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas. Shamy recalled the first time he and Gick met.
“Tim and I connected at Texas Tech, and we were roommates, and he saw me training for ROTC, which ultimately led me into going into the Air Force.”
Both men went on to serve their respective careers. Gick’s time in service to date has included Officer Candidate School in 2007, through multiple tours in Afghanistan and the Republic of Georgia, to leadership roles in intelligence and reconnaissance. Aside from his direct service, he’s also volunteered for groups such as Toys for Tots. In 2022, he was working in San Francisco, CA with Toys for Tots packing gifts and filling orders when he noticed two things that he didn’t like; all the toys were made outside the United States, and they had no meaning behind them.
“I told myself, ‘I can make my own toy made here in the United States that provides a pathway to purpose and service.’”
Tim Gick
What is Mission Match?
The result of that vision is “Mission Match!,” a military-themed game that both teaches kids about the military and encourages them to exercise. The ultimate goals are to promote activity, inspire teamwork, and show the benefits that can come with military service. The decks feature a variety of characters such as Muscle Monkey and Cosmo Cat that are inspired by the branches of service and include various exercises that the players are to perform such as leg raises, jumping jacks, pushups, and squats. Players are to match cards and perform the exercises if they pick up a pair of action cards. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.
How Lieutenant General Timothy Gick Brought His Idea to Life
Gick reached out to Shamy to help make this vision a reality. Shamy saw firsthand how bad a game like this was needed. At the time, the world at large was still affected by the COVID pandemic, and students weren’t able to be as active as kids in his generation were. There was also a lack of desire to serve in the military that both men felt needed to be addressed. Gick credited Shamy with the idea of adding a physical fitness component, and they both believed this game could potentially solve both of those issues.
“I saw that there was a deficiency in at least the kids that wanted to go into the military in their 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 Shamy confirmed, it has even been a hit with his high school students.
“The reactions are positive,” he said. He even confirmed that one of his students has taken fitness more seriously and has seen a big change as a result.
“He actually lost about 40 pounds.”
Aside from the exercises, there are also cards that can be scanned that lead to pages for each branch of service to educate kids about that service. Gick explained that scanning these cards could lead to more interest in the various branches or at least the military as a whole.
“Based upon your age when you click through, like on the Marine Corps with Gunny Gus, it’ll take you to Young Marines or JROTC or the Marine Corps directly depending on how old you are. So that’s the idea of the game.”
The Mission Match Movement is Underway
“Not a Very Good Teacher” is one of six companies that Gick has founded, and Mission Match! is a part of that brand. Shamy is a part of the company as well, and their plan is to get the game in as many hands as possible while also inspiring Generation Alpha to be more active and consider service when they grow up.
One way that Gick is doing that is through the Pathfinder Games, which is described as “hands-on, real-world events where kids step out from behind screens and step into purpose.” One event was held at the Pentagon as part of Bring Your Child to Work Day, and Gick reported on the success of that event as well as others that have connected kids with service members. With more events scheduled in the future, the room for growth appears to be very significant.
“This provides that pathway to purpose so that they can meet these organizations they wouldn’t have otherwise. That’s the whole point of Pathfinder Games.”
Whether families discover it through the Pathfinder Games or through word of mouth, Shamy hopes that parents will see the benefit of having this unique game on their shelves and ready to play with their children because of how it can help them be better prepared when they grow up.
“It’s definitely about making sure that you’ve ingrained those lifestyle habits into your kids today because the decisions they make today definitely affect them tomorrow.”
To be a part of “Mission Match!” and support their efforts, join their Kickstarter. You can also learn more and pre-order by going to their website.
M&F Senior Military Editor Rob Wilkins contributed to this Fit to Serve article.
