by Melanie Bennett
You're in the NASCAR pit crew, the truck pulls up, and you have 15 seconds to change the tire. Can you do it in time? Find out at the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, opening May 7, 2008 in the Sports Museum of America.
As the first museum to pay tribute to the history and excitement of all sports, the Sports Museum of America (SmA) will showcase inspiring exhibits, memorabilia, stories and heroes that resonate with fans of all ages. In addition to hosting the first women's sports hall of fame, SmA will also be the new permanent home of the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center and the legendary Heisman Trophy. Through cutting-edge interactive exhibits, SmA will use the latest technology to put visitors “in” the game.
After spending time in some of the other galleries like Olympics, Breaking Barriers, Basketball and Fan Culture, visitors will experience the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center.
Could you wear Angela Ruggiero's ice hockey skates? Compare your feet with Laila Ali's, Gretchen Bleiler's, Julie Foudy's, Dominique Dawes' and, of course, Angela's. While you're checking out whether you can fit in the shoes of your favorite athlete, cheer on your friends in front of you as they see if they can stay up on the balance beam.
But cheering is not the only sound you hear. A swimmer is doing the breaststroke across the floor, and the sound of her tearing through the water moves closer as she approaches the other end of the gallery. Suddenly the pool changes to a soccer field, and the ball is kicked across the floor. Across the wall in front of you are stories of incredible athletes, coaches and individuals who fought to keep girls playing sports. At the moment, though, you're too busy looking at Serena Williams' U.S. Open victory outfit to notice anything else.
Next stop, the Billie Jean King memorabilia case. Have you ever wanted to know how big the trophy Wimbledon winners take home really is? This is your opportunity to get close to items from throughout Billie Jean King's career, including everything from her Wimbledon tennis racket to her iconic blue Adidas shoes. You can even see some of the letters she received around the 1973 Battle of the Sexes tennis match against Bobby Riggs. Maybe you'll find your letter in there!
Ever thought you could be an Olympian? Maybe you are an Olympian and want to see if you can beat another. Take a seat at the rowing interactive and see how hard you can row in 30 seconds, then compare your distance to that of an Olympian.
So you beat the Olympian? Fantastic! Walk down to the Women's Sports Foundation International Women's Sports Hall of Fame and picture your name up there with the greats. Would you be next to Wilma Rudolph or C. Vivian Stringer? You can find out which athletes you have the most in common with, plus random facts about the athletes, in the touch-screen computers in front of the wall. These computers have quotes, statistics and videos for the Hall of Fame athletes.
After a full day in the Sports Museum of America, it's time to move on. You'll return for the parts of the Billie Jean King Center you didn't have time to explore. As you leave King tells you to “Get out there and go for it!” You are making your way out of the gallery when you notice a wall with the names of the people and organizations that came together to make the gallery happen, and a wall of information on how you can get equal play for everyone once you leave the museum. You take a pamphlet from the wall so you remember to go to www.WomensSportsFoundation.org at home to get another chance to see all of the great information and revisit the incredible stories posted around the gallery.
After years of work the Women's Sports Foundation is proud to announce the opening of its new gallery, the Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center, in the Sports Museum of American in May of 2008. The Sports Museum of America is located at 26 Broadway in Manhattan. This gallery, dedicated to equal play, will feature the stories of outstanding female athletes and coaches and those who inspire them. Visitors will follow the path of mind, body and soul to learn what it takes to be a female athlete. In this, the showcase of Billie Jean King's life-long vision, visitors will come heart to heart with the stories of legends, pioneers and champions from every sport.