CARY, N.C. —  How are soccer and science related? 120 fifth graders from Wake County will now be prepared to explain the connection to their parents and friends, after a special day at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Kids spent a few hours on Friday, at the first ever STEM Field Day Event, organized by Lenovo and the North Carolina Football Club.

Not only did they have a chance to sharpen their soccer skills, but they were able to sharpen their minds.

Students were able to learn about how science, technology, engineering, and math can improve their game and their minds. 

“It’s involved in soccer in the way the field is set up. If the field is flat, the soccer ball can roll on it. But if it’s slanted, the ball will roll down a slanted way,” explained Weatherstone Elementary School student Alina Parmar.

That’s one of the many things she learned at the premiere partnership event. 

The goal of the day was to get kids involved and excited to learn about STEM.

Organizers told CBS17 it’s important to teach kids these subjects at a young age to prepare them in the future.

“The more we can use real world examples to help students understand STEM, especially as we look to the future. 80% of jobs that are currently open, require STEM skills,” said Daren Heaton, the Executive Director of Science of Sport.

Science of Sport is the group that created the interactive curriculum for the students on Friday.

The organization also trains teachers how to better engage students in the classroom, when teaching STEM subjects.