Indianapolis, Ind.Located in White River State Park, off the Downtown Canal Walk, is the NCAA Hall of Champions. When Indianapolis won the bid to become the new location of the NCAA National Headquarters, having a visitors’ experience was an important piece of the deal. As a result, the Hall of Champions opened in March of 2000. This interactive museum allows visitors to learn about the amazing feats of and opportunities for college athletes through hands on exhibits and activities. I would not classify myself as a sports-lover, so I was not sure what to expect from a place dedicated to athletics. After spending roughly and hour and a half at the Hall, I can say it was totally worth going and I definitely want to go back. It is very budget friendly, packed with fun things to do, and conveniently located in the heart of downtown. My dad came along with me on this field trip and we both really enjoyed everything the Hall has to offer. In the entryway stands life-size statues of football players forming the “The Flying Wedge”. If you don’t know what “The Flying Wedge” is, do not worry. You will know that and more after you watch the Hall’s brief introductory film in the Kickoff Theater. The film gives an overview of the need for and formation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). According to Assistant Director of Hall of Champions and Conference Center Kelly Dodds, part of the Hall’s mission is for visitors to understand there is more to the NCAA than basketball. “A lightbulb goes off when they [kids] realize that there are a lot of different things that they could maybe do in college,” Dodds said. “Higher-education is really what we are about. We want to make sure that people know that, that college athletes do have to maintain a certain standard, they have to have a certain GPA, that the education piece is really important, and that the student athlete part of it just adds to that experience.” The two-story museum contains displays for all 24 NCAA sports, a timeline of women’s athletics, a trivia challenge, sports simulators, and a replica 1930s gymnasium. Visitors are given the opportunity to experience the speed of the average college-level tennis serve, test the height of their vertical jump, shoot some free-throws, and much more. Working for the Hall has given Dodds an even greater appreciation for what student athletes are doing. “I was probably more about basketball and football as far as watching it, and now I can really appreciate when the TCU rifle team, the first all women team, beats an all-male team for the first time in NCAA history,” Dodds said. “Those are the stories that, now, I gravitate toward. I love hearing those types of stories.” The Hall of Champions welcomes all sports-lovers and families, offers specialized programming led by retired teachers for school groups, and rents out space for corporate and private events. “You don’t have to love sports,” Dodds said. “You can come to the Hall of Champions, not care a lick about sports and you will leave learning something that you can apply outside of sports just with some of the experiences and biographies of the people in the Hall of Honor, those types of things. As well as you can just have fun. You don’t have to be a great sports person to go in our simulators and kick a soccer ball… We are definitely a place where you are going to come and let your hair down, play a little bit, [and] learn something without even realizing you are learning something.”
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AuthorsPete is the founder of Piggyback App. At the time of writing this description, he may or may not be on a horse. |