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Sport Stories

Sport Stories

About Sport Stories

A production of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (RACVB), Sport Stories is the community's premier celebration of the most successful athletes and sports professionals who are native to the region. This educational luncheon is a platform for the area's sports heroes to give back by sharing their success stories - a narrative that stretches from their childhood days playing at parks and playgrounds in the Rockford area to athletics and life achievement globally.

The 2018 Sport Stories keynote featured Nicole Briscoe, an ESPN SportsCenter anchor and Roscoe native. The 1998 Hononegah High School graduate has a storied track record in sports media, including present-day lead duties as host of the Indianapolis 500 on ABC and expansive racing broadcast experience on national radio and television. In addition to her Sport Stories keynote, Briscoe served as the panel moderator of the story vignettes segment featuring Jody Deery (Rockford Speedway), Kenny Gould (1988 Team USA Olympic boxing bronze medalist, Rockford native) and Darin Monroe (Rock Valley College 5-time defending NJCAA championship head softball coach) as guest panelists.

As part of the 2018 event, the inaugural RACVB Sports Tourism Champion award went to Rockford Raptors FC for its significant contributions to the industry in Rockford. The annual honor is awarded by the RACVB to a local organization, club team or person that embodies significant sports tourism achievement in the Rockford area and beyond.

Sport Stories 2017

As part of the Bring Your Game 2 Rockford (BYG2RKFD) campaign, RACVB launched Sport Stories in 2017 when Rockton native Corey Anderson led the keynote presentation. A top-10 Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender in the light heavyweight division, Anderson was later joined on a panel alongside rising Team USA Boxing star Angel Martinez, four-time junior college national champion coach Misty Opat, and Toronto Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet - all of who have deep roots to the region.