Women's Sports Finally Have A Home
Women's Sports Foundation announces opening of Billie Jean King International Women's Sports Center - world's only museum exhibit and hall of fame dedicated to all women's sports
NEW YORK, N.Y., (May 6, 2008) - Part of the mission of the Women’s Sports Foundation is to seek recognition for the groundbreaking accomplishments and record-making feats of female athletes. On May 7, 2008, the Women’s Sports Foundation, in partnership with the Sports Museum of America, will open the doors to the long-awaited home it has created for women’s sports history and the women making it.
The Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center is the first museum exhibit and hall of fame dedicated exclusively to female athletes. Named for the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center, located within the http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/About-Us/Contact.aspx
In June, the Women's Sports Foundation will celebrate the triumph of creating this museum space by giving the 130 members of its International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame a housewarming party. On June 9, the 2008 class will be inducted into the hall of fame, giving the greatest contemporary and historical figures in women’s sports a chance to celebrate them and their new home. The Women’s Sports Foundation started the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and has been the keeper of the compelling legacies of world-class female athletes ever since.
Billie Jean King and Sheila Johnson will host this year’s ceremony, inducting the 2008 Hall of Fame class, who are equally as accomplished, fascinating and inspiring as their predecessors. The Women’s Sports Foundation proudly congratulates this year’s inductees:
Shannon Miller gained notoriety when she became the first American gymnast to win an individual gold medal on the balance beam, in 1996, and continued in the sport to become the most decorated American gymnast, earning seven Olympic medals.
Algerian track star Hassiba Boulmerka is the first African woman to win a world championship title in long-distance running despite controversy and criticism throughout her career. Because Boulmerka competed in shorts baring her legs, she drew ire from fundamentalist Islamic groups and later admiration from Algerian women when she became the most decorated female runner in the 1,500m category.
Hisako “Chako” Higuchi was the first Japanese player to win a major championship on the LPGA Tour and a charter member of the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA). In 1977, she won the LPGA Championship, a victory that prompted a ticker-tape parade in Tokyo. To this day, Higuchi is the only Japanese player, male or female, to capture a major championship title on either the LPGA or PGA Tours.
This year’s induction of Sue Enquist, one of the most notable coaches in softball, is particularly timely, as 2008 is the last year that softball will make an appearance in the Olympic Games. Softball stars Christie Ambrosi, Jennifer Brundage, Sheila Cornell Douty, Lisa Fernandez, Stacey Nuveman, Dot Richardson and Amanda Freed were all coached by Enquist during their UCLA careers.
More information on the Billie Jean King International Women’s Sports Center and the June 9 Hall of Fame induction ceremony is available at www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
The Women’s Sports Foundation—the leading authority on the participation of women and girls in sports—advocates for equality, educates the public, conducts research and offers grants to promote sports and physical activity for girls and women. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, the Women’s Sports Foundation builds on her legacy as a champion athlete, advocate of social justice and agent of change. We strive for gender equity and fight discrimination in sports. Our work shapes public attitude about women’s sports and athletes, builds capacities for organizations that get girls active, provides equal opportunities for girls and women, and supports physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles. The Women’s Sports Foundation is recognized worldwide for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence.
For more information, please call the Women’s Sports Foundation at 800.227.3988 or visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.