HOMETOWN TEAMS
Hometown Teams consisted of several sections that explore the many roles that sports play in American society. Hometown sports are more than just games—they shape our lives and unite us and celebrate who we are as Americans. Our exhibit that ran from November 17th, 2018, to December 27th, 2018 consisted of a Smithsonian centerpiece with an accompanying assortment of local sports memorabilia.
The Smithsonian
The Smithsonian’s Hometown Teams traveling exhibition examines the many roles that sports play in American society. Hometown sports are more than just games—they shape our lives and unite us and celebrate who we are as Americans. We play on ball fields and sandlots, on courts and on the ice, in parks and playgrounds, even in the street. From pick-up games to organized leagues, millions of Americans of all ages play sports. And, if we’re not playing sports, we’re watching them. We sit in the stands and root for the local high school team, or gather on the sidelines and cheer on our sons and daughters as they take their first swing or score their first goal.
Thanks to our never-ending appetite for competition and games, Americans now have a wider selection of sports to play and watch than ever before. Football, baseball, and basketball—America’s traditional hometown sports—share
space on our calendars with soccer, hockey, tennis, running, wrestling, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, sailing, and many other sports. What has occurred in our hometowns is nothing less than a sports revolution.
Local Sports
From pick-up games to organized leagues, millions of Americans of all ages play sports. And, when not playing, they’re watching sports, sitting in the stands and rooting for the local high school team or gathering on the sidelines and cheering on sons and daughters as they take their first swing or score their first goal.
In keeping with the spirit of the exhibit, we focused on sports at Scott County’s high schools from as far back as the 1920s and 1930s. Memorabilia included athletic jerseys and jackets, photographs of early area sports teams, particularly basketball and football teams, and the history relating to the schools.
Additionally, we showcased one of Scott County's most famous sports headliners – the late Archie
Burchfield, a legendary croquet player from Stamping Ground who won numerous state and national titles as well as the title of world champion croquet player. The Kentucky Croquet Hall of Famer and Croquet Foundation of America Hall of Famer was the subject of numerous articles in such high-profile publications as People Magazine, the New Yorker, Sports Illustrated and Connoisseur and appeared on the “Pat Sajak Show,” “On the Road Again” with Charles Kuralt, “Lifestyle on Sports” and “Portrait of America.”
