David Boudia, Steele Johnson Win 3-Meter Synchro at USA Diving Winter Nationals
by DANIEL D’ADDONA
17 December 2019
David Boudia (West Lafayette, Ind.) and Steele Johnson (Carmel, Ind./West Lafayette, Ind.) won men’s synchronized 3-meter while Tarrin Gilliland (Midland, Texas) and Delaney Schnell (Tucson, Ariz.) took gold in women’s synchronized 10-meter as the USA Diving Winter Nationals opened Tuesday at the University of Minnesota.
In addition to claiming national titles, the winning teams also punched their tickets to the 2020 FINA World Cup, set for April in Tokyo. The World Cup will be the final opportunity for countries to qualify their spots to the 2020 Olympic Games. The U.S. has already secured its women’s synchronized 10-3-meter Olympic berth, but the U.S. is still seeking an Olympic spot in men’s synchronized 3-meter.
Boudia and Johnson, who won silver in men’s synchronized 10-meter at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, now look to qualify the United States for Tokyo in synchronized 3-meter. The duo came from behind to finish with 815.22 points over two lists of dives to pick up first 3-meter synchro national title together. Michael Hixon (Amherst, Mass./Bloomington, Ind.) and Andrew Capobianco (Holly Springs, N.C./Bloomington, Ind.) scored 811.71 for silver, and Grayson Campbell (Vienna, Va./Austin, Texas) and Greg Duncan (Oakton, Va./West Lafayette, Ind.) scored 780.27 points for bronze.
“I’m not going to lie. It was intense. It was a high stress event. The top three teams were all battling for that World Cup spot, and we were right in the mix of it,” said Johnson, who was competing in a 3-meter synchro event for the first time since the 2012 Junior World Championships.
Boudia and Johnson led halfway through the final but dropped to third, 12.63 points back, after scoring just 66.30 points on their fourth-round inward 3 ½ tuck.
“We had a pretty big miss in the fourth round that we had to come back from. Luckily we kept our heads on our shoulders. David’s a huge competitor, and I’m a competitor. We’ve been through this before, and we know how to keep calm and execute when we need to,” Johnson said.
Boudia and Johnson rallied back with more than 80 points on their final two dives at USA Diving Winter Nationals, including 87.15 points on a reverse 1 ½ with 3 ½ twists to clinch the win.
“I knew that we had a chance. I didn’t know exactly what we needed to qualify but I knew that Michael and Andrew had missed a little bit. We just needed a really good dive to finish off. I wasn’t focused on crushing the dive. It ended up being exactly what I needed alongside Dave,” Johnson said.
Gilliland and Schnell scored 624.18 points to claim the women’s synchronized 10-meter national title, with both divers each participating as part of two teams in Tuesday’s contest. Gilliland won gold and silver, as she scored 603.78 points to finish second with Jessica Parratto (Dover, N.H./Bloomington, Ind.). Schnell and Parratto scored 596.10 points for bronze.
“Honestly it was taking one dive at a time. It’s really hard to reset after a couple minutes and get back up there and do it again. That was the biggest challenge,” Schnell said.
Gilliland and Schnell led after the morning preliminaries and maintained their lead throughout the entire final. They were the only pair to score 70 points or higher on all three of their optional dives in the final, highlighted by an inward 3 ½ tuck that scored 78.72 points and a back 2 ½ with 1 ½ twists that earned 73.92 points.
“The inward is a very strong dive for me, and I know that’s a really strong dive for Tarrin as well. Being able to put that dive together was really good for us,” Schnell said.
The USA Diving Winter Nationals continue through Sunday, December 22. Wednesday’s competition features women’s 3-meter synchro and men’s 10-meter synchro.
Robert “Bob” Burnside, Founding President, United States Lifesaving Association and 2014 Paragon Award / Aquatic Safety passes away, December 11, 2019
Bob was perhaps the best known and most iconic lifeguard in the
United States. His contributions to water safety are extraordinary. His love of
aquatics was probably most influenced by his stepfather, 1920 Olympian and
ISHOF Honoree, Stubby (Harold Herman) Krueger, and his mother, Jane Mackenzie,
who was a Ziegfeld Follies dancer.
In his early years, Bob was selected 22 times to the “All
American Swim Team”, and three times to the “All American Water Polo Team”. In
high school, he was the national record holder in the 100-yard backstroke and
the 120-yard IM. He was the first high school swimmer in the US to break the one-minute
barrier in the 100-yard backstroke!
Bob was hired as an ocean lifeguard by Los Angeles County in
1951. When a representative of Surf Lifesaving Australia met with Los Angeles
County leaders, Bob was appointed to become the president of what was to be
called the “Surf Life Saving Association of America”, created solely to compete
in an international lifesaving competition to be held in Australia during the
year of the 1956 Olympics. Bob was a member of that team, which had never
competed in an international lifesaving competition. Bob placed third in the
international belt race at Torquay Beach.
In 1963, Bob invited lifeguards from various lifeguard agencies
in Southern California to meet and discuss the concept of creating a true
national association of professional ocean lifeguards. The various delegates
agreed, and in 1964, the “Surf Life Saving Association of America” was formally
created as a nonprofit organization of professional beach lifeguards. Bob was
elected president and served in that capacity for four years. The organization
changed its name twice, and it is known today as the “United States Lifesaving
Association”.
In 1967, Bob served as manager of a new competition team, which
toured and competed in Australia and in New Zealand. The following year, 1968,
he toured the East Coast of the US to promote membership and to broaden the
interest in and to help move the organization toward a true national base. Bob
designed and produced the revolutionary plastic “Burnside Rescue Can” (patrol
can), which is now a standard for lifeguards worldwide, and an iconic symbol
for beach lifeguards. It was the symbol for the TV Series “Baywatch”.
Professionally, in Los Angeles, Bob was instrumental as a member
of the affirmative action committee to mandate women’s rights to take the beach
lifeguard test that led to the hiring of the first female ocean lifeguards by
the department. He eventually rose to become the chief lifeguard of Los Angeles
County. During his tenure, Los Angeles County created the first lifeguard
paramedic program, a hyperbaric chamber, lifeguard certification program and
pioneered the “prevention first” concept in lifeguarding. Previously the
profession had focused primarily on “reaction” to people in distress, rather than
“preventing” distress. Also, during his tenure, most of the municipal beach
lifeguard agencies in Los Angeles County were merged into a single county
agency, which continues to exist today.
Bob is the founder of “Club Tortuga” a USLA approved Mexican
water safety development project. As part of this operation, the first Spanish
beach lifeguard training manual was developed, primarily as a translation of
the USLA Training Manual. He also organized the development of a video
depicting lifeguard issues throughout Mexico and coordinated on-site training
and political support for Mexican lifeguards. Those efforts established
Mexico’s first government beach lifeguard employees, now serving under the
state fire division chief.
Bob earned the Australian Bronze Medallion, the Canadian and
Royal Lifesaving Instructors Certificate, the New Zealand Instructor
Certification and the American Red Cross Instructor Certificate for first aid
and water safety. He has been certified by the USCG as a rescue board operator
and he was part of the first certified Los Angeles County Diving Scuba
Instructors and a longtime member of the Department’s underwater rescue and
recovery unit, which was the first such team in the West!
Bob was a Grand champion in World Body Surfing in 1989, and for
13 consecutive years, the winner in his age division. He has been a masters
division national champion twelve times at the USLA National Lifeguard
Championships in the Iron Man, swim rescue board and rescue race events. He has
been a national master’s division swim champion and a National Dorymen’s
Association Champion, and winner of the Masters Inter-Mountain Downhill Ski
Championship!
Burnside will be missed by the many lifeguards around the world
who he helped, and friended through the years.
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Beautiful piece on Ursula Carlile, one of our newest Honorees (Class of 2020) from our very own, Swimming World Editor in Chief, Craig Lord.
I got a Christmas card from Australia today with this beautiful stamp on it commemorating 100 years since the first England to Australia flight … what an adventure, what a Ride!
Make that Ryde. The card was from Ursula Carlile. Each year, she tops my chart of beautifully crafted year-end travelogues, no longer with Forbes, who passed away in 2016 as racing was about to begin in Rio. How I miss his emails of tireless campaigning for the betterment of swimming and swimmers.
He was urging the Athlete Voice to let itself be heard decades before the current gen catch-up on rights, welfare, representation and much else. He was urging governors to adopt good governance athlete-first practices several decades ago. We wait yet, alas.
Ursula will be missing him more than any, of course. One of her pool managers accompanied Ursula on Celtic tour this year in Scotland and Ireland … what a Time they had!
Ursula is 83. She writes with the thrill of a 23-year-old out in the world soaking up experience … and she writes beautifully, her descriptions worthy of the best of travel books. She might have made a career of it.
Instead, she chose Forbes and swimming and they chose her. In April 2020, Ursula will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame … what a wonderful moment that will be, 101 years after the events immortalized on the stamp.
Ursula hopes to be there for the ceremony. I pray she will be on this night approaching third Advent, the full moon so bright that silver and shadow look like snowfall on birch, barn and lawn.
Ursula writes in her letter „I‘m not sure I deserve this honour“. Banish doubt Ursula! You do!
Forbes made the Hall in 1974, two years after one of his swimmers and one of the greatest of all-time, Shane Gould, sped to 3 gold, all world records, a silver and a bronze, all solo, at the Munich Olympic Games. Her tally remains a record haul of solo medals at one Games in the pool among women (Mr. Phelps is the man at the top of that count, 5 solo golds among 8 Beijing 2008 …).
Gould’s pioneering unfolded at a time when blazers travelled with teams and coaches were less than the proverbial child best seen but not heard. Coaches should be neither seen nor heard back then. So Forbes did not get to be on the deck with Shane. Ursula did, as chaperone and purveyor and conveyor of swim wisdom…
When you look back at the lives of Ursula and Forbes, the journey looks both immense, thunderously broad and yet shorter than the span it feels fair to expect.
Even so, what an adventure; what a ride! ♀️ ♂️
Merry Christmas to Ursula and all those who know her and of her through their own connection with the water
ISHOF Honoree Brian Goodell – Newly elected Mayor of Mission Viejo
It is really something when you know the mayor! Congratulations to Brian Goodell, 1976 – 400 and 1500m Olympic Champion and ISHOF Honoree, who swam (and won) the mile with the song “Radar Love” in his head. He is the newly-elected mayor of Mission Viejo. Here he is with ISHOF Honoree and proud coach Mark Schubert. (Thanks for the tidbit Eney Jones!)
To read more about ISHOF Honoree Brian Goodell, click here:
https://ishof.org/brian-goodell–(usa).html
To read more about ISHOF Honoree Mark Schubert, click here:
https://ishof.org/mark-schubert.html
Mel Marshall: “You Spend A Lot Of Days In The Dark For A Few Really Specials Days In The Light”
by CRAIG LORD – SWIMMING WORLD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
10 December 2019
For the third time in as many weeks, Mel Marshal, mentor to Adam Peaty, Luke Greenbank and other speedy swimmers, has been honoured for her work.
The Action Woman Awards celebrate what the title suggests. Marshall collected the Lifetime Achievement Award, the oddness in the accolade for a 37-year-old not escaping the notice of Clare Balding, BBC presenter and Mistress of Ceremonies as she handed over the prize.
“Mel, you’re very young to be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award… you’re only, what, 37 or something like that,” said Balding, famous beyond British shores for superb handling of a diversionary “more tea vicar?” moment in an interview with an elated Bert Le Clos back in 2012 after his ” beautiful boy” (Chad) had just claimed Olympic gold over 200m butterfly a fingertip ahead of a certain Michael Phelps (G.O.A.T).
There was no bleep to blot out Bert’s expletive of joy (before he asked ‘is this live?’). Balding steered the conversation masterfully clear of the !*$& off to calmer waters in which the sensitivities of the shire wallow.
“But,” justified Balding as the young Marshall with decades of achievement ahead of her stood before her on stage not much more than a decade beyond her own racing days, “It’s because you’ve done so much in such a short period of time.”
Or so it may seem for those who haven’t lived it. Gracious words of acceptance from Coach Marshall were followed by these gems:
“In sport you can spent a lot of days in the dark for a few really specials days in the light and so, today’s one of those days where you’re in the light, so it’s just a real honour – and thanks very much.”
Balding nails the obvious when she notes that Marshall’s relationship with her swimmers is “based on trust”, two-way trust. Says the winner of six medals for England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games:
“It’s like a marriage. We spent a lot of time together and a lot of time disliking each other… I say it’s like climbing Everest. Some days you need an oxygen mask, some days you need a tent, some days you need support and some days you just need somebody to listen to you. And we work through this challenges every single day and I’m incredibly lucky.
“When I left swimming in 2008, I wanted to work at the highest level with the best possible athletes and I really, honestly, get to live my dream every single day. They are a true privilege – and they have their moments, don’t get me wrong, but most of the time we’re all striving for the same thing and that’s a really special place to work.”
“In sport, you can spend a lot of days in the dark, for a few really special days in the light.”
“I get to live my dream every day, my athletes are a true privilege.”
An inspiring speech from @massivemel after she won the #ActionWoman Lifetime Achievement Award
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Balding raises the matter of motivating Peaty to strive for better when his best is so far ahead of the rest and Project 56 has been nailed, Tokyo defence and gold just around the corner.
Marshall, who this year lifted the UK Coaching Performance Coach of the Year Award and, for the forth time, the British Swimming Coach of the Year Award, and hopes so but scratches her ear in search of the inner voice that will deliver what she really wants to say:
“But, for me it’s in the sense of… a lot of performers don’t see their best performance because once the money comes, the car comes, all that kind of stuff, they just kind of get lost in that. But he [Peaty] hasn’t uncovered his best performance yet and he hasn’t found then best version of himself as a performer of a human being yet.
“Every single day we try to get that little but better as a person and get that little bit better as an athlete. And that’s what we’re going to try to uncover: the best version of him [Peaty].”
Kylie Masse Named Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of 2019
Being a model of consistency has made Kylie Masse one of the world’s best backstroke swimmers.
The 23-year-old, who trains at the University of Toronto, is the first Canadian to win back-to-back FINA World Championships gold medals. Since her bronze medal performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Masse has won every major 100-metre backstroke race she has entered.
Kylie Masse – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
At the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Masse defended her 100-m title while adding bronze in the 200-m backstroke. She also helped the women’s 4×100-m medley relay finish third.
Her success on the international stage has resulted in Masse being named Swimming Canada’s Female Swimmer of the Year.
It’s the third consecutive year Masse has won the award. While proud of what she’s accomplished, Masse is also focused on the future.
“It’s always an honour,” said the LaSalle, Ontario, native. “It’s important for me to be proud and be happy with my success in the past but also continue to look forward and continue to work hard and see what I can improve on.
“I think it’s only gets harder. I will continue to push myself day in and day out to continue to improve myself.”
Swimming Canada High Performance Director and National Coach John Atkinson, said Masse’s achievements put her among the world’s elite athletes. He said:
“I would describe her as one the best athletes in the world. To be a back-to-back world champion, and perform on the stage when it matters, is a testament to her abilities, commitment and dedication.”
In a sport where a fraction of a second can be the difference between elation and desolation, Masse continues to refine and enhance her stroke. A tiny tweak can have a big impact. Kylie Masse said:
“All those little things are so specific, but they can also take a lot of time off or it can add a lot time if you’re doing it poorly. There are a lot of small technical things that take a while to be consistent with and nail, so I just continue to practice those, and they become a habit.”
Talent is the foundation for any athlete, but the proper attitude is essential to help build success. Coach Linda Kiefer marvels at the positive mindset Masse brings to practice every day.
“I’m amazed by it sometimes,” said Kiefer. “I’ve seen too many athletes; they walk in and they’re not happy. She is a very happy-go-lucky person and that’s a compliment to her.
“I love that about her. It makes it a lot easier when you have an athlete that enjoys what they are doing.”
Atkinson credits Kiefer and Byron Macdonald, who also coaches Masse, for stoking her “ambition and desire to perform.”
“She’s a great racer,” said Atkinson. “You can improve technique, you can work on training, but champions have the inner ability to race when it counts. Kylie’s coaches have brought that out of her.”
Being the best at what she does makes Masse a target for other swimmers. She said:
“That’s something I had to learn to deal with,” she said. “It’s something that doesn’t come easy. I try to really focus on myself and not think about what other people are thinking or what other people saying. I bring it back to just having confidence in my training, confidence in myself and my support team around me.”
Kylie Masse – Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Masse set the 100m backstroke world record of 58.10 seconds at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest. American Kathleen Baker lowered the record to 58 seconds in July of 2018. Another American, 17-year-old Regan Smith set the mark of 57.57 seconds swimming the backstroke leg in the 4×100-m medley relay at this year’s world championships.
“I’m happy for her and it’s great that backstroke is so strong right now and so deep,” said Kylie Masse. “It’s really motivating for me and definitely pushes me to continue and try to be better.”
Kiefer said regaining the world record is on the agenda, but winning gold at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo is the main goal.
“In the Olympics, the time is not as important as getting your hand on the wall first,” said Kiefer. “You remember who wins gold, silver and bronze at any event at the Olympics, but you don’t remember how fast they swam.”
The 100-m backstroke remains Masse’s focus but her world championship bronze in the 200 shows the progress she’s made in that event.
“It’s come a long way,” she said. “I have a lot more that I want to improve on. It’s a different race than the 100-m, so it’s been a kind of trial and error. I’m happy with how it’s come along so far.”
The road to Tokyo will begin with the Olympic and Paralympic Trials in April. Having experienced the 2016 Olympics will benefit Masse as she prepares for this summer’s Games.
“I feel like I’m more mature with my swimming,” Kylie Masse said. “Just recognizing how to handle the nerves and excitement and all the attention that leads up to trials. I’ll still be nervous, and I think that’s good to be nervous.
“It’s still early. I’m just being in the present now, and really focusing on each practice and giving it my all.”
FINA Marathon Swim World Series Announces 2020 Schedule
by DANIEL D’ADDONA
10 December, 2019
As open water swimming moves toward the Olympic year, FINA has announced the calendar for the 2020 edition of the FINA Marathon Swim World Series, which includes an 11-leg competition, taking place between February and October.
The FINA Marathon Swim World Series will open on February 8, in Rosario, Argentina, and will then move on to Doha (QAT) on February 15. After a short break, the participating athletes will then proceed to the beautiful scenario of Victoria, in Seychelles, on May 3.
The competition will then visit Europe, with stops scheduled in Budapest, Hungary, on June 6, and then Setubal, Portugal, on June 13. Lac St-Jean (July 19) and Lac Mégantic (August 8), will host the Canadian legs of the circuit, before returning to the Old Continent on August 30, in Ohrid (MKD).
The last three events will be held in Asia, with Nantou (TPE) welcoming the open water stars on September 19, and Chun’An (CHN) staging the 10th race of the year on October 16. The final leg of the 2020 Series is scheduled in Hong Kong, China (HKG) on October 25.
The 2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series will distribute a total of US$ 680,000 as prize money to the best swimmers in the competition.
In the 2019 edition of the circuit, the winners of the Series were Kristof Rasovszky (HUN) among men, and Rachele Bruni (ITA) in the women’s category.
2020 FINA Marathon Swim World Series calendar:
1. Rosario (ARG) – February 8
2. Doha (QAT) – February 15
3. Victoria (SEY) – May 3
4. Budapest (HUN) – June 6
5. Setubal (POR) – June 13
6. Lac St-Jean (CAN) – July 19
7. Lac Mégantic (CAN) – August 8
8. Ohrid (MKD) – August 30
9. Nantou (TPE) – September 19
10. Chun’An (CHN) – October 16
11. Hong Kong, China (HKG) – October 25
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The ISHOF Aquatic Complex; A Birds eye view….
photos taken December 8, 2019
A very special thank you to Tyler and Terry Lee Lage who shared these great photos of ISHOF with us yesterday. They were taken with Tyler’s drone…..How fabulous are these ISHOF photos from up above?
West end of the complex
The new 50-meter pool (built in 1991)
Looking North
Happy Birthday Mike Barrowman !!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE BARROWMAN!!! ISHOF Honoree and 1992 GOLD MEDALIST in the 200 meter BREASTSTROKE………
To read more about Mike’s story visit:
https://ishof.org/mike-barrowman.html
18 Sports Halls of Fame that are actually worth visiting……
18 Sports Halls of Fame that are
actually worth visiting
Photo: Philip Lange/Shutterstock
Matthew Meltzer
Nov 15, 2019
HALLS OF FAME weren’t originally meant for sports. The country’s first hall of fame was a sculpture garden dedicated to great Americans on the University Heights campus at NYU. That was back in 1900, and it was 39 years before baseball’s hall of fame opened its doors. Since then high schools, colleges, and pro teams both major and minor league have opened their own halls of fame. As well as halls — both real and virtual — for nearly every sport you can think of.
Some of those halls, however, come with world-class museums attached too. Or at least exhibits that will teach you more than you ever knew about the sport. Here are 18 around North America you should absolutely visit.
1. National Soccer Hall of Fame — Frisco, Texas
Photo: National Soccer Hall of Fame
Part of Toyota Stadium in Frisco, one of the newer halls tells the story of how soccer became a viable pro sport in the US. Beyond simple history and artifacts from over 200 inductees, the interactive museum offers stand-up platforms where guests can test their skills against video versions of soccer legends. It’s also the first US hall to use facial recognition software, so exhibits respond to visitors as they walk through.
Admission: $15
2. International Gymnastics Hall of Fame — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma might seem an odd place to put the gymnastics hall of fame until you realize Shannon Miller, Bart Conner, and Nadia Comaneci all live there. The museum sits inside Science Museum Oklahoma, a permanent exhibition of gymnastics history and hand-drawn portraits of its 98 inductees.
Admission: $16
3. NASCAR Hall of Fame — Charlotte, North Carolina
Photo: ZikG/Shutterstock
This attachment to the Charlotte Convention Center tells the almost-unbelievable story of how a meeting at a hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, launched the most successful auto racing league in history. You’ll walk up a ramp with replica cars banked on turns from different tracks then enter the hall of its 50 inductees. There’s also an interactive section, with stock car simulators and air-powered tools so you can time yourself changing tires like a NASCAR pit crew. Word to the wise: Avoid this area when school groups are visiting.
Admission: $25
4. International Swimming Hall of Fame — Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
This building, which sits between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, is home to a massive collection of aquatic artifacts paying tribute to the best in swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronized swimming. You’ll also learn about US presidents who were also accomplished swimmers and see wraps, uniforms, and Olympic medals from the sport’s greatest athletes.
Admission: $8
5. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum — Cooperstown, New York
Photo: PurpleHousePhotos/Shutterstock
Perhaps America’s most revered hall of fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame is home to 323 inductees with names like Ruth, Mantle, Mays, and Aaron topping the list. It sits in the quaint village of Cooperstown, nestled next to a lake in the Catskill Mountains, and draws over a quarter-million visitors a year. The exhibits feature items from some of the game’s most memorable moments, alongside uniforms that date back over 100 years. And for those looking for a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia, no museum comes close.
Admission: $23
6. Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum — Wichita Falls, Texas
Just to clear up any confusion, there is also a National Wrestling Hall of Fame with locations in Waterloo, Iowa, and Stillwater, Oklahoma, dedicated to talented grapplers and world-class athletes, exactly zero of whom you’ve probably heard of. But if you wanna see the tights, costumes, and props you saw on Monday Night RAW, head to Wichita Falls to this unofficial museum, which is adorned with more pro wrestling artifacts than you’ll find in a single other place. Plus, admission costs less than lunch.
Admission: $3
7. World Golf Hall of Fame — St. Augustine, Florida
Photo: World Golf Hall of Fame
Much like the game itself, golf’s hall of fame is a serene, relaxing experience set along an idyllic lake in historic St. Augustine. Just a few miles from the PGA Tour’s headquarters in Ponte Vedra, the World Golf Hall of Fame isn’t just a museum but an entire village complete with hotels, golf courses, and the PGA Tour academy where you improve your game after being inspired by the greats.
Admission: $20.95
8. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Springfield, Massachusetts
One of the more architecturally interesting halls of fame sits in the “birthplace of basketball” just off Route 91 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The building is meant to look like a giant, light-covered basketball going into a net, and while the proportions are a little off from the real thing, it’s still a sight to behold. Inside, you’ll find the story of the game alongside exhibits on the over-400 inductees. Plus, a full-sized basketball court that plays host to high school and college competitions.
Admission: $25
9. World Chess Hall of Fame — St. Louis, Missouri
Photo: Philip Rozenski/Shutterstock
Since most Americans can’t name a single chess player after Bobby Fischer, this museum in St. Louis’s Central West End offers a lot more than a tribute to the game’s greats. You’ll also find chess-inspired art exhibits, classical music concerts, and even artist-designed mini-golf. There’s also exhibits on the game’s evolution in both the US and the world, with both American and international halls honoring its best players.
Admission: suggested donation of $3 per person
10. Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame — Colorado Springs, Colorado
A sport where animals are half the attraction seems an appropriate hall of fame to offer animal interactions. During the summer, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame brings in retired bucking broncos, and guests have the opportunity to learn the horses’ contribution to the sport. Summer also features live roping competitions and convention rodeos, adding an element of action to a museum visit. And you’ll get an education in the history of pro rodeo and its role is Western culture inside the galleries.
Admission: $8
11. Hockey Hall of Fame — Toronto, Ontario
Photo: Pe3k/Shutterstock
Unlike most sports, where a new championship trophy is minted each year, hockey has but one Stanley Cup. And it lives in this 57,000 square foot museum at Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto. In addition to seeing the Cup, you’ll also tour the great hall with tributes to its 411 inductees, as well as walk through a replica Montreal Canadiens locker room and a terrifying wall of goalie masks. You’ll also have a chance to see if you can fill Don Cherry’s shoes when you call a game at the Broadcast Zone.
Admission: $20
12. World Figure Skating Museum and Hall of Fame — Colorado Springs, Colorado
We kind of take for granted that figure skaters are able to spin themselves through thin air, do flips, and land perfectly on a razor-thin metal blade. The physics of it all is mind-blowing — and broken down for you explicitly at America’s foremost figure skating museum. You’ll also see outfits worn during Olympic and national competitions, as well as figure-skating inspired art.
Admission: $5
13. International Boxing Hall of Fame — Canastota, New York
Photo: International Boxing Hall of Fame/Facebook
For a sport that dates back centuries, boxing has a relatively new hall of fame, only opening its doors in 1989. The exhibits inside tell the long history of the sport, with gloves and apparel from the 1900s, championship belts, and trunks worn by great champions. You’ll also have the chance to watch classic fights you may have only heard about and see the actual ring from Madison Square Garden where Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier in 1971.
Admission: $13.50
14. International Volleyball Hall of Fame — Holyoke, Massachusetts
The first thing you’ll learn upon going to the volleyball hall of fame is that volleyball was, in fact, invented at a YMCA in Holyoke in 1895. You’ll see how the sport went quickly from a cold New England gym to the sands of Hawaii 20 years later, and how the game on sand surpassed its indoor predecessor in popularity. Though most of the 130 inductees aren’t names you’ll necessarily know, the museum is still a fascinating look at a game so many play but know little about.
Admission: $8
15. International Tennis Hall of Fame — Newport, Rhode Island
Photo: Joy Brown/Shutterstock
Tennis holds the distinction of being the only hall of fame set in a National Historic Landmark, the grand Newport Casino that played host to the first US Men’s National Singles Championship in 1881. The casino’s grass court still hosts matches from time to time, but the main draw is the museum, full of rackets, outfits, and other remnants from the sport’s 900-plus years. In addition to learning how the professional game has evolved from its genteel roots in the 1800s, you’ll also have a chance to get some tips on your game from a holographic Roger Federer, and whisper your way through calling a classic match.
Admission: $15
16. Pro Football Hall of Fame — Canton, Ohio
Pro football offers one of the eerier halls of fame, where its enshrinees all have bronze busts lining the main gallery, giving visitors the feeling of walking through a room of floating heads. Not weird enough for you? Head to the “Game for Life” theater where long-dead legends George Halas and Vince Lombardi give holographic presentations. That weirdness aside, the museum has an unbelievable collection of Super Bowl artifacts and is also home to the Black College Football Hall of Game.
Admission: $26
17. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame — Saratoga Springs, New York
Photo: Philip Rozenski/Shutterstock
Since the most legendary names in horse racing are, appropriately, horses, this tribute to the sport of kings in upstate New York is as much an art museum as a showcase of the athletes. Guests can wander among 70 sculptures that capture the power and beauty of thoroughbreds and transport themselves to a time when horse racing was more popular than football through an extensive photo exhibit. The physical hall of fame — where you’ll see jockey colors and plaques honoring the horses, jockeys, and trainers who ruled the track — is under renovation now but will reopen in July 2020.
Admission: $10
18. Bass Fishing Hall of Fame — Springfield, Missouri
Think you caught a pretty impressive fish on your last bass excursion in the Ozarks? See how you stack up to some of the world’s best anglers at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. This relatively new hall opened in 2017 as part of Johnny Morris’s Wonder of Wildlife, an exquisite recreation of most of the world’s landscapes and environments, complete with an aquarium that feels like walking inside a shipwreck.
Admission: $29.95
