Why do sports mean to Americans? Find out from real people like you. 

The Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution is currently traveling an exhibition called "Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America." It examines the many roles that sports play in American society. Hometown sports are more than just games—they shape our lives and unite us and celebrate who we are as Americans. We play on ball fields and sandlots, on courts and on ice, in parks and playgrounds, even in the street. From pick-up games to organized leagues, millions of Americans of all ages play sports.

As the exhibition travels, the Smithsonian gathers stories from regular people about local sports history and traditions. Some of those personal anecdotes are included in this tour.

This story collecting initiative is part of the "Stories from Main Street" project--an effort to gather stories about small-town life across the United States. This content is also included in the "Be Here: Main Street" project. "Be Here: Main Street" is a program created by the MuseWeb Foundation, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and powered by izi.TRAVEL. #bHereMainSt

The tour covers the following locations: Green Bay, Wisconsin; Charleston, South Carolina; Las Animas, Colorado; Jamestown, Tennessee; Cozad, Nebraska.