Many in the sports world relate Georgia to some of the most ultimate and humiliating chokes known to athletics. For example, after leading in the post-season against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves blew the last game with a 13-1 loss. However, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame honors them many accomplishments Georgia’s athletic record.
The revving of the engine, ducking of a right jab, making of the winning basket at the buzzer, peddling of a bicycle to the finish line, or pounding of the pavement in a 5K run— all these activities are celebrated at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Established in 1956 by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, the Georgia Prep Sports Hall of Fame had a mission:
…to promote and improve athletics in the state; to foster a high standard of ethics and sportsmanship; to encourage closer cooperation and better understanding among coaches, administrators, and the public; and to foster the professional development of coaches.
New Georgia Encyclopedia
When the museum became known simply as the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, collegiate and professional athletics qualified for induction alongside high school athletics. Today, it is the largest state sports hall of fame in the United States.
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is the largest state sports hall of fame in the nation, boasting 43,000 square feet. Exhibits include artifacts, trophies, and interpretive history displays relating to the legacy of sports in Georgia.
Because the Hall of Fame was intended to be a permanent mantle of Georgia’s sporting accomplishments, it was centrally located to Macon, GA in 1997. The Georgia Sport Hall of Fame’s construction would take two years to complete, and its grand opening day was on April 24, 1999. Today, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame offers a variety of interactive displays and exhibits that shine a spotlight on Georgia’s sporting accomplishments that shine brighter than Georgia’s athletic chokes.
The Hall of Fame and Museum exhibits the stories of Georgia’s athletes, which demonstrate examples of triumph over adversity, the will to excel, and the wealth of talent and character that Georgia possesses.
New Georgia Encyclopedia
For each annual induction, the over ninety committee members across 12 committee boards will narrow down 120 nominees. How many are inducted? Seven. The honor of being one of seven put in the Georgia Hall of Fame is an honor higher than any other that Georgia, as a state, can offer.
Have you had a chance to visit the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame? Who would your seven picks for induction be? Let us know in the comments below!
PHOTO CREDIT: Georgia New Encyclopedia
