The California Science Center will premiere GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play on May 15, 2025 – a uniquely Los Angeles exhibition that will inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities through an array of exciting and immersive activities.
Designed by the California Science Center with the generous support and active collaboration of the Walter Family Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, and LA84 Foundation, this dynamic exhibition showcases the powerful connection between science, sports and play, while celebrating the joy of the human body in motion.
Looking for more ways to have fun with your family in Los Angeles? Read our article about kid-friendly museums in Los Angeles here.
About the GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play exhibition
Open to the public admission-free, this groundbreaking exhibition will offer a wide range of hands-on activities and virtual guidance from a diverse team of well-loved Los Angeles-based mentor athletes, including:
Freddie Freeman
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman – an eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star, two-time World Series champion and 2024 World Series MVP – will break down swing mechanics in the exhibit and show visitors how to channel more force into the ball with science-based tips paired with real-time video analysis from the HitTrax training platform.
Debbie Allen
Guests are invited to participate in a virtual dance lesson led by the legendary Debbie Allen—an award-winning and internationally acclaimed choreographer, director, dancer, and founder of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy at the Rhimes Performing Arts Center, a cultural oasis located in the heart of Los Angeles. This unique experience explores the powerful connection between mind and body as participants learn how we move to a beat, sense our body’s position in space, and express emotion through dance.
Related: Guide to the CA Science Center
Rachel Garcia
Guests will test their reaction times against professional softball pitcher, Olympic medalist, World Championship medalist, and former UCLA softball team player Rachel Garcia’s blazing fast pitches and also explore the science behind grip techniques and throwing motions that create specialty pitches designed to keep batters guessing.
Jamal Hill
Visitors will join Jamal Hill, a Paralympic bronze medalist and founder of the Swim Up Hill Foundation – dedicated to teaching one million people annually how to swim – for a virtual swim session packed with safety tips and science. They’ll follow Jamal’s movements on screen and see their own avatar swim beside him.
Chris Matthews
Guests will learn from one of most sought-after basketball shooting coaches in the world. Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews set multiple collegiate shooting records and played professional basketball internationally, before working as a shooting coach with numerous NBA and WNBA athletes and brands like Nike. He will demonstrate that understanding projectile motion can boost guests’ chances of making a free throw, using instant video feedback that helps them improve the arc of the ball.
Alyssa and Gisele Thompson
Visitors will get tips and encouragement from sisters and teammates in Angel City Football Club (ACFC) Alyssa and Gisele Thompson. Both have represented the U.S. in multiple FIFA World Cups and were the first high school athletes to sign with Nike. With their guidance, visitors will experiment with physics-based tips – inspired by Newton’s Laws of Motion – to learn how to score more goals, as they discover the power of TOCA Soccer’s proven training program.
James “Dat Yoga Dude” Woods
Guests will take a virtual yoga class with James “Dat Yoga Dude” Woods for a chill introduction to the science and benefits of yoga. A leading yoga instructor with a master’s in counseling psychology, he works with educators, school districts, healthcare providers and more to combat stress and burnout and create wellness routines.
More About Game On! at the California Science Center
In addition to these virtually guided experiences, guests will be able to try a range of additional activities, including climbing, handcycling, virtual board sports like snowboarding, and an exciting behind-the-scenes look at the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) where scientists in a variety of fields investigate the ways the human body moves and interacts with the environment.
In this part of the exhibition, “Innovating for the Athlete in You,” guests will explore how data captured by Nike uses sophisticated technologies to propel innovations in sports footwear and apparel, and helps athletes reach their full potential. Guests will:
- Stand in front of an IR camera to see a heat map of their body on a monitor
- Turn on a fan to feel the permeability of different materials and discover how fabric engineering affects how it “breathes” and wicks away sweat
- Play “whack-a-sole” to explore the concept of energy return by tapping several midsole materials with a mallet
- Place their knee on an ÖSSUR blade – a prosthetic used by amputee athletes – and press against it to feel how it compresses slightly, storing potential energy, which converts into kinetic energy
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to share the expert knowledge and guidance of such loved and respected leaders in sports with our community,” said Jeffrey Rudolph, President and CEO of the California Science Center. “The experiences offered in GAME ON! will explore the intersection of science and sports and highlight our commitment to creating fun and memorable experiences that inspire science learning in everyone.”
GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play was designed by the California Science Center with the active collaboration and generous support of the Walter Family Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and LA84 Foundation, a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games. The exhibition kicks off May 15, 2025, and will remain at the Science Center at least through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The new exhibition will give guests the opportunity to explore both new and popular sports through a multitude of interactive experiences. GAME ON! will help visitors discover that understanding the scientific principles behind sports can empower their lives and elevate performance. Spanning 17,000 square feet, the groundbreaking exhibition offers hands-on activities and virtual guidance from a diverse team of well-loved Los Angeles-based mentor athletes.
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