SportsFigures facts for kids
SportsFigures was a cool American TV show made for middle and high school students. It was produced by ESPN and aired on ESPN2 from 1995 to 2007. The show used exciting sports examples to teach about science, especially physics, and math. Famous sports stars would join the hosts to figure out how amazing sports moments happen. For example, they might ask: Why does a curveball really curve? What's the best way to jump on a snowboard? Or, how can you have an ice skating rink in a warm place like Southern California?
The idea for SportsFigures came from George Bodenheimer, who was a big leader at ESPN.
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About the Show
The show first aired in 1995. Over the years, it created 84 half-hour episodes, covering more than 160 different topics! Many famous sports celebrities appeared on the show. These included Tiger Woods, Tony Hawk, Derek Jeter, Jeff Gordon, Jeanette Lee (known as The Black Widow), Amanda Beard, Julie Foudy, Bob Burnquist, Vince Carter, Barry Larkin, Kenyon Martin, Lynn St. James, Reggie Jackson, Dave Mirra, Troy Glaus, Dan O'Brien, Benny Carter, Janet Evans, Chanda Rubin, Mike Richter, Pam McGee, and Sascha Cohen. The show stopped making new episodes in 2007, but it continued to be shown in reruns until 2010.
How the Show Was Made
The first episode of SportsFigures was filmed on November 15, 1994, at a high school basketball court in Ardsley, New York. This first show looked at how statistics could help predict if a basketball shot would go in.
Many talented people helped create SportsFigures. A. Dean Bell wrote and directed many episodes. Other directors included Eric Rosenthal and Kim Nye Zeiss. Holly Faison was also a key part of the team, starting as an associate producer and later becoming an executive producer with Bell.
From 1999 to 2007, Bell and Faison's company, Factory Films Inc., produced the show with ESPN. Science expert Arthur Eisenkraft also helped make sure the science was correct. The show first aired on ESPN2 and later on ESPN Classic as reruns.
SportsFigures was also part of something called Cable in the Classroom. This program showed educational TV shows without commercials late at night. Schools could record these shows and use them in classes. Free guides and lesson plans were also given to teachers. In 1999, ESPN even gave away 18,000 sets of SportsFigures episodes to high schools across the USA. Today, you can still find parts of the show on YouTube, and teachers still use it in schools.
Who Hosted the Show?
The very first host of SportsFigures was Richard Rusczyk, who was also an educational consultant for the show. After him, comedian and actor Kevin Flynn and actress Marissa Copeland took over for the 1996 season. Copeland then shared hosting duties with comedian Jacqui Malouf and actor Greg Abbey until the show ended in 2007.
Awards and Honors
SportsFigures won many awards for being a great educational show:
- 2008 NY Region Emmy Award – Educational Series
- 2007 Hugo Award (Chicago Int’l Film Festival) - Silver Plaque
- 2006 Hugo Awards (Chicago Int’l Film Festival) – Certificate of Merit
- 2005 Clarion Award – Best Children's Program Age 11 and Up
- 2003 Clarion Award – Best Children's Program Age 11 and Up
- 2000 Clarion Award - Best Children's Program Age 11 and Up
- 1999 Clarion Award – Best Children's Program Age 11 and Up
- 2007 Parents' Choice Award – Recommended
- 2006 Parents' Choice Award – Silver Honors
- 2003 Parents' Choice Awards – Silver Honors
- 2002 Parents' Choice Awards – Silver Honors
- 2001 Parents' Choice Awards – Recommended
- 2000 Parents' Choice Awards – Silver Honors
- 1998 Parents’ Choice Awards – Approved
- 1997 Parents’ Choice Awards - Silver Honors
- 2006 Telly Award – Bronze, Children's Programming
- 2000 Telly Award – Bronze, Informational Programming
- 1999 Telly Award – Bronze, Children's Programming
- 1999 Telly Award – Bronze, Informational Programming
- 1999 National Educational Media Network – Silver Apple Award
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