CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER ANNOUNCES MENTOR ATHLETES FOR THE UPCOMING EXHIBITION - GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play

WORLD PREMIERE AT THE CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER, MAY 15, 2025

Link to athlete headshots here.

LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Science Center today announced the mentor athletes featured by video in the upcoming GAME ON! Science, Sports & Play, a dynamic new exhibition developed with the generous support and active collaboration of the Walter Family Foundation, Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, and LA84 Foundation, opening May 15, 2025. This uniquely Los Angeles exhibition will inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, genders, and abilities through an array of exciting and immersive activities that showcase the powerful connection between science, sports and play, while celebrating the joy of the human body in motion.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

About the California Science Center
The California Science Center is a dynamic destination where families, adults, and children can explore the wonders of science through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, innovative programs, and awe-inspiring large-format movies. The California Science Center and IMAX Theater are located in historic Exposition Park just west of the Harbor (110) Freeway at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission to the Science Center is FREE. The California Science Center is proud to be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). Visit https://californiasciencecenter.org for more information.

About the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) tackles the most pressing problems facing Los Angeles with a mission to improve education, health care, homelessness, and social justice for all Angelenos. Reimagined in 2013, LADF has since raised over $204 million. Under its new strategic plan, "Lasting Impact for Los Angeles," LADF is amplifying best practices, scaling solutions, growing its capacity and refining its work with investments exceeding $63.5 million in its programs and grants to local organizations. To date, LADF has positively impacted over 11 million youth. LADF is the proud recipient of ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award, Beyond Sport's Sport for Reduced Racial Inequalities Collective Impact Award, and the Aspen Institute Project Play Champion. To learn more, visit Dodgers.com/LADF and follow @dodgersfoundation.

About the LA84 Foundation
The LA84 Foundation is a national leader in support of sports in positive youth development. As a legacy of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, for over four decades LA84 has supported thousands of organizations in Southern California by awarding grants, funded infrastructure projects in communities, trained coaches and commissioned research. The LA84 Foundation addresses critical issues by elevating involvement in sports and play as a pathway to lifelong well-being for youth. Visit la84.org, and follow @LA84Foundation.

Media Contacts: 

Kristina Kurasz Cutting, Director of Communications, California Science Center [email protected], 213-744-7446 

Sophie Jefferies, Communications Manager, California Science Center, [email protected], 213-744-7491

SOURCE California Science Center Foundation