About this Webinar

Sports have long been an essential part of community life across the country, but are not frequently interpreted outside of major sports museums and halls of fame, and too often this interpretation can be purely celebratory without deeper historic context. What about local school, company, and city teams that have brought communities together for generations? What about the hometown heroes, pioneers, and Olympians? How have sports, how and why they are played, and who plays them, changed over time in your town?

Major sports anniversaries and events provide the perfect opportunity to dive into your community’s sports history. Have you watched the Olympics grab the world’s attention and wondered how to meaningfully connect the global games with your local audience? Don’t miss an opportunity like this again! Interpreting Sports founder and CEO Kathryn Leann Harris will walk you through the steps of identifying culturally relevant sports narratives from your own community such as local teams and fandoms and how to connect these stories to larger American history themes such as women’s history, military history, technology, Indigenous history, civil rights. and more. We’ll also discuss how to responsibly connect with your community when they are engaged with great sports events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, March Madness, and more.

Interpreting Sports is a museum consulting firm that helps organizations create socially responsible and culturally responsive sports history content. They are museum professionals who work with a simple, but not small, aim: to re-center the international sports conversation around empathy, balanced humanity, and authentic connection, one interpretive project at a time. Interpreting Sports at Museums and Historic Sites (AASLH/Rowman & Littlefield, 2023) and their consulting work guide practitioners to craft sport-related projects while considering their social responsibility to sports figures' diverse backgrounds and whole humanity as well as their wider impact.

Details

DATE: August 22, 2024

TIME: 3:00 - 4:15 pm EASTERN (Remember to adjust for your time zone)

COST: $25 - Members/$45 - Non-members

ACCESS: You will be provided with instructions on how to access the live event upon registration.

Book Discount Code

Registrants for this workshop also receive a 30% discount on the AASLH book Interpreting Sports at Museums and Historic Sites at rowman.com with a promo code in their confirmation email.

Recording and Captioning

We will record this event. Captioning is provided for the live event.

Learning Outcomes

During this webinar, we will discuss:

• Finding and researching sports histories in your collection and community
• Aligning with sports calendars to engage your audience
• Crafting socially responsible and culturally responsive sports content

As as result of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Identify culturally relevant sports narratives hiding in plain sight
• Understand the importance of presenting sports history with balance and inclusivity 
• Responsibly capitalize on engaging sports moments

This webinar will not cover:

• How to work directly with sports brands or teams
• In-depth methodology for using the "Hybrid Method"
• Fostering public dialogue and discussion around contested histories

Connecting the Content 

This webinar will especially help organizations enrolled in STEPS address multiple standards under the Interpretation section of the STEPS programs.

The Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (STEPS) is a self-study, self-paced assessment tool designed specifically for small- to mid-sized history organizations, including volunteer-run institutions. Through a workbook, online resources, and an online community, organizations enrolled in STEPS review their policies and practices and benchmark themselves against national standards.

How to Register

Click here for instructions on how to register yourself or another user for this event. 

How to Register for this Event

Cancellation/Refunds for onsite workshops must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the early-bird registration deadline date will receive a full refund. Cancellations made between the early-bird deadline date and eight days prior to the workshop will be subject to a $55 processing/materials charge. No refunds will be given within seven days of the workshop date. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

Cancellations/Refunds for online professional development (webinars and online courses) must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the start date for the online course or the day of the webinar will be given a full refund. No refund will be given after the start date for the online course or on/after the day of the webinar. Registrants may transfer their registration to another person. Registrations cannot be transferred between courses or course sessions. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

If you have any questions, please contact AASLH Professional Development staff at learn@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203.