Grand Opening of Renovated Mini-pitch to Kick Off Opening Weekend Festivities at Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience
Indy Eleven is excited to team up with The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to unveil the updated Indy Eleven Soccer Experience at the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience, part of the museum’s Outdoor Sports Opening Weekend this Saturday, March 18.
Indy Eleven will kick off two days of special activities, prizes, photo opportunities, and guest appearances at the Sports Legends Experience with Saturday’s 11:11 a.m. Opening Ceremony for the rebranded soccer experience, featuring the chance for kids to play alongside players from the Eleven’s men’s and women’s teams until 1:00 p.m.
“Our entire organization is thrilled to help The Children’s Museum open up the Sports Legends Experience for its 2023 season, featuring a new way for families from near and far to make a connection with Indiana’s only professional soccer team,” said Indy Eleven President & CEO Greg Stremlaw.
Saturday’s activities at the Sports Legends Experience will also include the Grand Opening of two more exhibits – the USA Track & Field RunJumpThrow Experience at 1:00 p.m., and the Tony Stewart Foundation Accessibility Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pedal Car Racetrack at 3:00 p.m.
Access to the Riley Children’s Health Sports Legends Experience is included with museum general admission and membership. Click here for more details on the full 2023 Opening Weekend calendar, including five additional events on Sunday. Click here to purchase tickets to The Children’s Museum in advance.
The updating of the Sports Legends Experience’s soccer exhibit is just part of a long-term partnership agreement between Indiana’s Team and the world’s largest children’s museum that began last summer. Updates to the Indy Eleven Soccer Experience include a newly installed turf surface for the mini-pitch featuring the club’s iconic crest and club marks displayed on new and updated exhibit equipment and signage.
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! As part of Indy Eleven’s activation of the field, Indiana’s Team will host a minimum of one youth soccer camp annually and numerous player appearances throughout the men’s and women’s seasons in United Soccer League (USL) play.
The partnership also includes a year-round presence inside The Children’s Museum, including Indy Eleven game-worn and other commemorative memorabilia being displayed in the Sports Experience’s locker room exhibit area, where it will sit proudly alongside items from other popular sports teams from across the Hoosier State. In addition, Indy Eleven merchandise, including items featuring the team’s loveable English Mastiff mascot Zeke, will be made available for purchase inside The Children Museum of Indianapolis Store.
The partnership will also feature cross-promotional opportunities, including exclusive offers for general and special event admission at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Indy Eleven games held at IUPUI Carroll Stadium – and eventually at Eleven Park upon its projected opening in 2025.
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 or The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, visit childrensmuseum.org/sports-experience and childrensmuseum.org respectively.