Hoosier Sportstown?

Indianapolis takes SI honors for Indiana

By Andrew Schulman

Often referred to as the “Amateur Sports Capital of the World,” Indianapolis has a quite a sports reputation to maintain. In addition to being home to the NCAA and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the city boasts a far-reaching Parks and Recreation Department that serves as the point of entry for local youth to begin a lifelong journey of playing sports.

“Our main mission is to serve the youth of Marion County,” said Jennifer Voreis, Administrator for Sports and Special Facilities at Indy Parks and Recreation. “We live in an area where sports are a part of everyday life and we want to give our residents –- both children and adults –- the opportunity to get involved and take advantage of what we have here.”

To that end, Indy Parks has developed partnerships with local schools, youth sports organizations, and even a city in Canada to foster an environment in which sports and recreation play a key role in the development of area children and adolescents:

• Indy Parks has partnered with local schools to build and maintain swimming pools, parkland and ball fields on school grounds. This arrangement benefits students and non-students alike as these facilities are open to the public during non-school hours and the summer.

• The organization’s work with more than 30 local youth organizations helps provide instruction and skills in a wide range of sports including baseball, football and hockey.

• The city’s relationship with Scarborough, Ontario, has resulted in the creation of the Indianapolis-Scarborough Peace Games, an annual sports competition and cultural exchange program that is currently in its 32nd year.

The Peace Games, in particular, illustrate how Indy Parks and Recreation uses athletics to help expose area youth to a wide variety of experiences, and also how sports in Indianapolis are truly a family affair.

“The Peace Games provide our children, many for the first time, with extensive travel experience beyond the state and country,” said Voreis. “And parents who participated in the Games in the '70s are now involving their children.”

But one cannot discuss sports in Indiana without mentioning basketball. From the legendary state basketball tournaments to the revered Indiana University Hoosiers, many kids get their hoops indoctrination in places like Indy’s youth leagues.

Said Voreis: “Basketball is still king in Indiana, and we have instructional programs that start at age 3. At that point, the focus is activity and teaching basic skills, but the sessions mostly consist of kids running around and bumping into each other –- they’re pretty funny.”

While fun is the name of the game, it’s clear that Indianapolis takes its sports seriously. Indy Parks and Recreation is there to provide the facilities and programming to hold up its end of the bargain and help keep the city’s reputation as an amateur sports mecca intact.