The International Women’s Baseball Center (IWBC) plans to build an Indoor/Outdoor Museum at Beyer Stadium Park, home to the Rockford Peaches, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Right across the street from the proposed museum will be an Activity Center where there will be endless opportunities for area youth, teens, and neighbors. The IWBC Museum and Activity Center plan is going through a zoning approval process and we are looking for as many supporters as possible to emphasize the importance of having this one-of-a-kind destination.

The International Women’s Baseball Center Museum and Activity Center will:

~ Recognize women’s accomplishments both on and off the field. This is the first and only museum of its kind that honors girls and women in baseball. The museum will house the Women’s Baseball Hall of Fame and an outdoor plaza with 9 memorials honoring a person or group who played an important role in the history of girls and women in baseball. Honorees to date announced include Penny Marshall and African-American women in baseball.

~ Engage youth, teens, and neighbors by providing resources, programs, careers, and mentors. The activity center will provide a hands-on learning environment with indoor batting and pitching cages, along with open space for neighborhood use. IWBC will work in conjunction with the Blackhawk Boys & Girls Club and Booker Washington Center to provide sporting opportunities and programming. Area high school and college baseball teams can also use the warmup space. Neighborhood youth and teens will have unique opportunities to learn the game and the many career paths connected to the game.

~ Preserve history and share the past with the next generation. IWBC will work to attain National Registry of Historic Places status for Beyer Stadium ticket booth and original steps. The restored stadium will also remain. Rockford’s sports history and the athletes who achieved great success at the stadium will also be remembered in new ways.

~ Provide tourism and economic development opportunities thanks to a multi-phased $10 million investment

In 1943, the Rockford Peaches took the field at Beyer Stadium, not knowing that they were changing the world of sports. This was made famous in the movie "A League of Their Own" and the first pylon honored Penny Marshall, the director of the movie. Women all across the world have had a long history in baseball and deserve to be recognized. Their stories need to be told and girls today need to know what these pioneers accomplished for the love of the game. Support a place of their own!

iPetitions offers a "contribution" opportunity which goes directly to iPetitions. If you'd like to donate to the International Womens Baseball Center, click on the hyperlink http://www.internationalwomensbaseballcenter.org/d....

IWBC Mission

Education is the cornerstone of our mission to protect, preserve, and promote all aspects of women's baseball, both on and off the field. We strive to inspire the next generation of players by helping them realize their dreams not only of participating in the sport, but also of passing on all they will learn and achieve for generations to come.