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For immediate release
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (March 18, 2023)
Season Six kicks off today with USA Olympic Track and Field stars, Indy Eleven professional soccer players and a big assist from the Tony Stewart Foundation to have new cars that fit every size and ability at the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
SCHEDULE:
*Please note we may wait to open the outdoor sports park until 11 a.m. if we need to clear ice. All times are still correct, we just may hold the Colts, IMS and Pacers activities indoors until 11 a.m. based on weather.
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Indianapolis Colts and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will each have tables with giveaways while supplies last.
10-10:30 a.m.
Indiana Pacers’ Boomer will make an appearance.
10:30 a.m.
Visit the Indiana Pacers’ Pacemates
11:00 a.m.
Indy Eleven professional soccer players will be on site to meet and greet 'Legends-in-Training’ and will hold their official ‘opening ceremony’ at 11:11 a.m. with players, mascot and flag Runners (EMCEE: Scott Allen). Prizes include vuvuzelas/rubber chickens to the first 200 people.
1 p.m
USA Track and Field (USATF) / Hershey RunJumpThrow Experience We will begin with an Olympic Torch Relay (using a real Olympic Torch that is not lit). Olympians will start things off and will be followed by local USATF track club kids. The relay will end in a reveal of the new USATF RunJumpThrow experience. The athletes will also be available for a brief meet and greet opportunity with fans. American flags and wristbands will be given away while supplies last. A few select kids will demonstrate/compete in the Run, Jump & Throw elements and there will be a giant USATF photo opportunity.
3 p.m.
The Tony Stewart Foundation will be on hand for the Inaugural Wheelchair Race on the miniature Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart Foundation Executive Director (Erica Raiser) will make opening remarks to celebrate the foundation’s gift and how they’re making the track more accessible. Tony Stewart Foundation kids will participate in an inaugural race around the newly accessible track.
Tony Stewart Foundation
Legendary race car driver Tony Stewart won just about every racing series there is. It started in a go-kart when he was just eight-years-old. “I was so excited to be the "kid on the block" that got to go racing with my family,” said Stewart. “All of my buddies thought it was cool that I raced on Saturday nights, and then we all rode our bikes together on Sunday.” Stewart has ribbons, medals and trophies from hundreds, if not thousands, of competitions. Still, he wants more, “I want kids of all ages and abilities to experience the joy and excitement I’ve had on the track. Through the foundation, we are working hard to accelerate change for kids, injured motor sport drivers and animals for 20 years now. We are so excited to provide all children and their families with the opportunity to feel the exhilaration of racing and enjoy the sport I love,” said Stewart
NEW this year, thanks to the Tony Stewart Foundation, are special pedal cars. There will no longer be a height requirement to pedal a car around the track because new miniature speedsters are geared toward little legends-in-training so they can easily reach the pedals. There is also a handcycle option that can attach to most wheelchairs. Finally, new ‘bumper guides’ help create a lane for wheelchair users who can choose to race their own set of wheels around the track. “Safety is a paramount goal of ours – to make sure families enjoy sports in a safe and fun way together. The barriers allow drivers of all ages and abilities to race. By separating the lanes, we can let racers in wheelchairs zoom around out track. This system will also give full control back to the drivers as the steering is 100% on the driver, which makes for an even more exciting experience,” said Caleb Bailey, director, Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience. *Everyone is required to wear close-toed shoes as a safety precaution.
USA Track and Field (USATF)
The Hershey/USATF RunJumpThrow Experience is a NEW permanent addition to the 7.5-acre outdoor sports park. The experience will give children and their grownups a chance to learn new skills and have a lot of fun running, jumping and throwing! Families will be able to run a 50m dash and compare their time to, Olympian and USATF Legend, Wilma Rudolph, sprint down the runway, leap into a long jump pit and step into the ring and throw a shot put! RunJumpThrow consistently provides meaningful opportunities for kids to get excited about physical activity,” said USATF CEO Max Siegel. “A fun and positive introduction to the basics can be a catalyst in developing a lifelong love of sport, which is why we’re thrilled to unveil a permanent Hershey/USATF RunJumpThrow Experience at the Children’s Museum.”
Indy Eleven
“Soccer’s massive popularity with children and families makes this a perfect opportunity for Indy Eleven to associate our brand with the sport to museum visitors on a local, national, and even international level. We are also proud to design the partnership in a way where together we can give back to our community through camps and other opportunities that will make the sport more accessible for area children,” said Indy Eleven President & CEO Greg Stremlaw. Jennifer Pace Robinson couldn’t agree more, “Health and fitness are so important for developing children who are often inspired by athletes and teams around the state. Having Indy Eleven players and coaches visit the museum and interact with families will be a wonderful experience for all to enjoy and will create amazing memories along the way.”
The mini-pitch area features ample practice space and multiple goals of varying sizes where kids can learn soccer fundamentals and work on dribbling, passing, and shooting skills as they get one step closer to becoming the next stars of the Boys and Girls in Blue (Indy Eleven)!
Old favorites such as the football crash pads and tackling dummies as well as basketball goals of multiple heights, hockey, golf, baseball and tennis will also be ready to go.
Accessibility
At The Children’s Museum, it is important that everyone have the opportunity to play and learn through sports participation. All of the coaches at the sports park are trained daily to accommodate the needs of all museum visitors. There is an increase in the amount of accessible equipment throughout the park, which includes sports-specific wheelchairs that are free for any museum visitor who would like to use one, accessible racing lanes, and coaches who know basic American Sign Language.
To ensure every visitor gets an opportunity to play and has a positive experience doing so, The Children’s Museum partners with the Positive Coaching Alliance. The training ensures visitors know that effort is what matters most and that mistakes are all a part of the learning process. It is also important to note that here, smiles are more important than points on the board because when the goal is fun, everybody wins!
Coming in May
Mark your calendar for May 29, 2023 for an exciting, high octane day filled with racing themed activities including a baby race (crawling) and take photos with real race cars! The Children’s Museum hopes families enjoy more than just new equipment, “We want to give everyone the thrill of racing regardless of size or abilities,” said Jennifer Pace Robinson. Providing these kinds of accessible experiences, helps give children and their grown-ups a sense of empowerment and opportunity to control the fast track in ways not everyone has been able to do in the past.” Pace Robinson realizes that not everyone will become a race car driver; but The Children’s Museum is driven to help kids and families experience the thrill of racing.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is proud to partner with Riley Children’s Health, Old National Bank, Ice Miller LLP and The Heritage Group.
About Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience
The Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience is an immersive learning experience that allows children and families to participate in health and fitness activities through sports as they are inspired by some of the greatest athletes of all time. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis partnered with experts from Riley Children’s at Indiana University Health, which operates the only nationally ranked children’s hospital in Indiana, to bring this experience to life. For more information about Riley Children’s Sports Legends Experience, visit www.childrensmuseum.org/sports-experience.
About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Instagram @childrensmuseum, YouTube.com/IndyTCM, and Facebook.
