Explore the Science Behind Your Favorite Sport!
Do you know the proper trajectory it takes to make a three-point basket? How should the face of a tennis racquet be angled to achieve the shot you want? The answers to these questions and many more are waiting for you at Team Up! Explore Science & Sports. This exciting hands-on exhibition will give you an in-depth look at the many scientific principles of athletics.
Visitors are invited to check out the fun and fascination that are involved in becoming a winning athlete. Snowboard or play soccer in the virtual reality exhibit. Measure the speed of your best pitch in the radar-equipped pitching booth!
Try on gear from your favorite sport in our Locker Room. See if you can feel a ball and match which sport it goes with in Name that Ball. Different sports require athletes to wear different kinds of shoes. Some need smooth soles to glide across a floor while others need shoes that can grip the floor or grass. Try to match shoe soles with the correct sport in Sole of the Game. At Ricochet Racquet, change the angle of a racquet to find its "sweet spot"
Discover how important science is in the everyday sports world and the important roles played by geometry, physics, force and friction.
Discovery Center gratefully acknowledges the following contributors to Team Up!
National Science Foundation and the "Public Museum Capital Grants Program" – Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois State Museum