Author Archives: Shane Mailman

My name is Andrew Stockmann and I am an Emerging Professional in ISHA. I wanted to introduce myself and my new project, Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast!

Probably like many of you in ISHA, I have always been fascinated with the history of sports. Growing up, our family vacations were usually centered around visiting MLB stadiums and any surrounding sports museums. As a result, I’ve visited several large, nationally-recognized museums in large cities and smaller, more niche museums across the country. That love of sports led to me studying Sport Management at Wichita State University with the goal of a career in the sport industry. I graduated from WSU in the summer of 2020 and currently work for FarmHouse Fraternity as an Assistant Director.

While at Wichita State, I had the opportunity to attend the 2019 International Sports Heritage Association conference as an Emerging Professional, where I learned about the sports heritage industry. Attending the ISHA conference helped solidify sports heritage as the segment of the sport industry I wanted to pursue for my career. I thoroughly enjoyed networking with sport museum professionals, learning about topics such as preservation and outreach, and exploring the new Wichita baseball stadium!

I decided to start a sports museum podcast to continue to network within the industry and provide exciting content to sports history fans like myself. On Hallowed Ground, I bring listeners in-depth interviews with the men and women behind-the-scenes of sports heritage organizations, those who work in programming, curation, and membership development, to name a few. Episode One was with Ricardo Rodriguez from the Baseball Heritage Museum in Cleveland, OH, and Episode Two was with Justine Kaempfer, ISHA Board member and Museum Programs Assistant at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in Green Bay, WI. More episodes are on the way!

I plan to release episodes bi-weekly, and I hope the podcast can be mutually beneficial, helping me and my listeners gain insight into sports heritage while also providing exposure to each museum. The podcast has been downloaded in eight countries!

You can find the podcast by searching “Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast” on most podcast apps. Here are some direct links to the podcast on Apple, Google, and Spotify.

You can email me any questions or let me know if you’d like to be a guest on the podcast at [email protected] or interact on our social media pages: @HGPod on Twitter and hallowedgroundpod on Instagram. I’m super excited about this new project and my continued membership in ISHA!

Join our Hot Topic on April 29th at 2 pm EST.

This month’s ISHA Hot Topic will focus on how a Sports Hall of Fame can broaden its appeal, attract visitors, and add value to their area and community.

Creating interest to attract visitors to your sports venue is critically important.  Particularly if you are not a nationally recognized sports entity.

In the summer of 2021, the Mason County Sports Hall of Fame took major rebranding efforts to broaden their appeal to their community, and seasonal tourist, with a $140,000.00 renovation of their area Hall of Fame by redirecting their emphasis to reflect “Beyond the Game:  The Value of Sports!”.

Their Vision statement of “Recognize outstanding athletes & contributors.  Share memories, preserve legacies, instill life lessons, and add value to the community in unique ways”, is presented in their completely renovated facility.

The focus of honoring athletes, and preserving legacy is centered around the importance sports play in establishing the foundation for a satisfying life, and the life lessons learned from athletic participation.

Register Here

Toronto Blue Jays – Player’s Development Complex – Dunedin, FL

When Xibitz was awarded the contract to work with RISE, a full service project management company, for a project with the Toronto Blue Jays/ Player Development Complex, our custom fabrication team began a productive and successful relationship that created a welcoming environment for the team at their complex in Dunedin, FL, near Tampa. The complex included the following:

Reception Area

• Logo Feature Wall

• Locker Room Entry and Locker Room

• Lenticular Wall

• Weight Room

• Major League Dining Room

• Minor League Dining Room

The entire project was fabricated in our Grand Rapids, MI shop and then shipped to Dunedin, Florida, met by our installation crew. We worked closely with RISE and the Blue Jays and after months of collaboration and teamwork, the new complex is ready for players and coaches.

Scope of Services:
Budget Estimating
Cost Estimating
Project Team Development
Project Management
Scheduling Management
Contractor Coordination
Facility Interface Coordination
Material Samples
Construction Drawings
Graphic Production Files
Production
Installation

Fifty years ago, our home-grown golfing legends Marlene Streit, Ada Mackenzie, George Lyon, Sandy Somerville, George Cumming, and Charles Murray were celebrated as the inaugural honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Their collective accomplishments and impact on the game endures and now it is time to ensure their outstanding contributions are remembered for future generations.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2021, we will be featuring the best 50 moments in Canadian golf history.  The general public will vote on their favourite 10 moments to create a top 10 moments list that will be unveiled during our gala.

A virtual gala to celebrate the 50th anniversary will take place on Tuesday, June 8, 2021

This February, the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum presented by Dinsmore celebrates Black History Month in many ways, including telling the story of the Cincinnati Tigers, guiding guests on a tour of African American history through the Museum, and focusing on the stories and achievements of former Reds.

Beginning Monday, February 1, each museum visitor will get a card featuring the Cincinnati Tigers’ lineup and story. Founded in the 1930s, the Cincinnati Tigers became perhaps the best and most well-known of the Negro League teams that called Cincinnati home. They joined the new Negro American League in 1937, drawing crowds to home games at Crosley Field, which was the home of the Cincinnati Reds at that time. They also wore Reds road uniforms from previous seasons. Despite their success on the field and at the gate, the Tigers history came to an end following the 1937 season. Museum visitors can learn more about this team in the Pursuit of a Dream exhibit, presented by African-American Capital Enterprises.

In addition to this exhibit and giveaway card, the Hall will feature an updated version of its Black History Month self-guided tour. Museum visitors can pick up a brochure at the front desk and take this tour through the building, learning about artifacts and achievements related to African American Reds players and more. Artifacts corresponding to the tour are highlighted with a special marker so visitors know where to look for more information on these special pieces of Reds history.

In years past, the Hall’s Education and Programming Manager, Ken Freeman, has visited local schools to present an outreach program discussing on African American history related to Reds baseball. Due to COVID-19, these programs will be virtual in 2021, allowing the Hall to potentially educate even more students about these significant milestones and achievements. Additionally, the Hall’s social media channels will focus on the contributions of African American Reds and supporting artifacts.

Finally, the Hall is working on updating video interviews with key African American Reds Hall of Famers and other former players. These conversations will be used online and in exhibits to tell the players’ stories of overcoming challenges and achieving greatness with the Cincinnati Reds.

The Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (SSHF) rang in the New Year by unveiling our newest virtual tour. Prairie Pride: A History of Saskatchewan Football debuted in September and now our newest featured exhibit is also available to explore online. 

The exhibit is supplemented with additional videos, stories, and links for the immersive virtual tour. This is the second virtual tour that the SSHF has created with the expertise of local partners White Rabbit VR. With a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the province, the SSHF decided to close to the public indefinitely. This virtual tour allows us to share our new exhibit virtually and will endure after the exhibit closes. 

Upon re-opening our doors in the fall, not only did the SSHF have a new exhibit on display, but our renovations had also been completed. Along with new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint, our third gallery is now our Honoured Members Gallery and features depictions of each of our 527 inducted athletes, builders, and teams grouped by year of induction. Our new STEM Interactive Gallery sponsored by SaskTel brings the relationship between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and sport to life through interactive displays. 

 While the pandemic has not allowed for typical programming, our Education Coordinator Vickie Krauss has begun hosting “virtual field trips” where she tours a classroom through the Hall of Fame. This has allowed Vickie to do tours with multiple classes at the same time and supports the educational programming and curriculum that is on our web site. Experiments related to our new STEM Gallery have also been added to the education page on our web site. 

The SSHF also debuted the first virtual Women in Sport panel discussion video featuring SSHF inductee and Canadian Olympian Catriona Le May Doan. 

 

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (CSHoF) is looking at Covid-19 as an opportunity to widen our digital activations in order to stay connected with our community.

Our Education Department has developed three NEW types of curriculum-aligned, virtual field trips! All synchronous virtual education programs are compatible with Zoom!

Artefact Talks – Virtual, curriculum-aligned education programs delivered in real-time! With Q&A engagement and panoramic WebRotate 360® software showcasing one-of-a-kind artefacts these inquiry-based education programs simulate an in-person field trip experience from the safety and comfort of the classroom.  Learn More >>

Beyond the Win: Hall of Famers on Tour – The virtual adaptation connects Hall of Famers with students across Canada. During these virtual presentations, Hall of Famers share their personal stories in real-time, showcasing important values, like perseverance, ethics and resiliency, inspiring character in our youth. Learn More >>

Innovation Exploration: Asynchronous Virtual Scavenger Hunts – Educational recorded activities that provide students with new insights into innovations and adaptations that have transformed sports, making them a great option for teachers seeking a dynamic and flexible in-class or at-home activity. Learn More >>

 Our Marketing Department has been hard at work creating new digital initiatives to allow us to stay connected to Canadians across the country!

#MyCanadianMoment – 15 Hall of Famers, 1 Class of 2020/21 Inductee and 33 other notable Canadian personalities shared their favourite Canadian sporting moments, stories that make them proud to be Canadian. All Canadians were encouraged to share their stories using #MyCanadianMoment.  See the videos here >>

#WeWillDoBetter – Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is committed to “doing better” to support the current anti-racism awareness movement. In partnership with TSN, we have created eight vignettes, short curated documentaries featuring Black Hall of Famers. The first vignette launched on November 25. Learn More >>

Our Curatorial Department has been working hard on a digital exhibit that shares the truths and experiences of the 14 Indigenous Hall of Famers inducted into CSHoF (the exhibit is planned to launch in May 2021). 

The Indigenous Sport Heroes Digital Exhibit – The Indigenous Sport Heroes Education Experience will share the journeys of the 14 Indigenous Hall of Famers inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. This multi-media exhibit will be a new asynchronous virtual experience in which students have control over both what they learn and how they learn.

It is a new year and a new role for me in ISHA!  I first would like to thank Bryan Morry for his outstanding leadership in the role of President of ISHA.  As we continue to navigate the COVID environment I look at our ISHA community as a guidance and support system for like minded halls and museums.  

A few of my goals during my tenure are to ensure that we offer pertinent information and training to all members.  There is strength in numbers, and it is always a benefit to talk with fellow members about the challenges and successes of our organizations.  The ISHA website provides a great list of white pages for member organizations to utilize and an opportunity to share their own documents.  Also, you can request additional information or ask a question to fellow members through the listserv. 

My second goal is to make sure that we know our members and that we enjoy our time together as we celebrate and promote sports heritage.  I think you will find a great outreach of communication this year from the organization and through your board buddies.

My third goal is to maintain and increase our membership base.  It is important to retain our current members through renewal and look for other organizations as potential members.   

My final goal is for our time together to be fun.  I have been fortunate to build great friendships , allies, and resources in my time with ISHA.  It has been an experience well worth the cost of the membership not only for me, but for my organization.  

I am always a phone call or email away and look forward to getting to know many of you in the coming year and growing our organization.

Dana Hart

ISHA President