Timing is everything. I have always felt that SportTechie’s timing was right since its launch five years ago. We report on the intersection of technology and sports, and there has been more innovation and invention to cover year after year.
From a legally blind fan being able to watch his favorite team to an art exhibit visualizing the adrenaline spikes of elite athletes, we have seen some truly remarkable stories unfold. But in my opinion, no activity in this intersection has justified the growth of the industry more than the Smithsonian Institution’s most recent endeavor.
Yes, the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum, research and education complex, is examining the impact of sports innovation in modern society.
The Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation is beginning a multiyear initiative focused on invention, sport, technology, and society. I’m honored to say that earlier this summer, it asked SportTechie to collaborate with them.
The Lemelson Center’s initiative is emblematic of the impact that technology now has on the sports business. The most renowned museum in the world has taken notice and has committed significant resources towards studying the field, with an eye towards opening an exhibit in the National Museum of American History dedicated entirely to invention, innovation, and technology in sport.
At SportTechie, we will do everything we can to make sure that happens.
That work begins with a workshop in early September where the brightest minds in sports technology and innovation, from industry executives to professors to non-profit leaders, will come together for two days to explore, share and engage. SportTechie’s coverage will be a crucial tool for this gathering, as will participation from you, our audience, in not just consuming our content, but engaging with all of us in discussion. To that end, I encourage you to contact me directly via email with ideas you believe are interesting and of importance for the Smithsonian to share with their public audience.
In conjunction with September’s workshop, I also invite the SportTechie community to join me and other workshop attendees the evening of September 7th for “Innovative Lives: Rodney Mullen and Steven Sebring 360.” Attendees will examine how Rodney Mullen, one of the most influential skateboarders in history, creates and performs innovative and technologically-advanced skateboarding tricks, and how photographer and filmmaker, Steven Sebring, documented Mullen’s innovations in his visually stunning film, Liminal. Click here for more information and to register.
Thank you for the support, and enjoy these innovative times. We are seeing remarkable advancements in sport, and I can’t wait to see what the future of sports technology holds.