DALLAS — What do a duck, a Bachelor alum and a big red oversized Cowboy hat have in common? They can all be found at Tourney Town at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center in Downtown Dallas, which is being held in celebration of the city hosting the Women’s Final Four.
Tourney Town kicked off Thursday, March 30 and will last through April 2.
It is just one of several free family-friendly events being hosted around the city this week in honor of the college basketball tournament being in town.
Tourney Town is described by the NCAA as the "epicenter" of the Women's Final Four, and it features games, contests, giveaways, team displays, photo ops and more.
For a former basketball player like myself, it's a place where you can see if you still "got it."
Alas, it turns out my knees were not prepared for all of the basketball skills tests that are set up at different booths hosted by Final Four sponsors.
One example: I took to the Aflac station (yes, the insurance company) to take part in their activities first. Their offerings included a dribble challenge, a passing challenge and some good ol' trash talking as I tried to shoot a small basketball through... a windmill?
Oh, and don't forget the mascot -- the duck!
If you're familiar with ABC's 'The Bachelor' franchise, you may recognize one of the hosts of the Nissan booth: Matt James was the MC for the shooting contest hosted there called "Buzzer Beater."
You can also try to bust a couple of moves through another dribble and shot course at the Coca-Cola station. My efforts there earned this big prize featured below:
Tourney Town boasts a full roster of attractions throughout the building. Coming up on Saturday, April 1, is a massive game of knock out, a musical basketball event and and basketball "match 'em all" competition.
Click here for more information on the competitive offerings.
Beyond the Baseline
Beyond the booths where you and your can test your basketball skills, Tourney Town also gives a voice to leaders in the sports world and offers a stage where several panels are taking place through an initiative called "Beyond the Baseline."
Thursday night's panel was called "Championing Diversity in Dallas." The featured speakers were Iris Diaz with the Dallas Mavericks, Monica Paul with the Dallas Sports Commission, Al Montoya with the Dallas Stars, Whitney Faulkner with the Dallas Cowboys and Jen Hunter with the Big 12 Conference.
The panel not only touched on how important diversity is in the sports industry, but also how events like Tourney Town help create community among children and young adults -- especially in a growing sports city like Dallas.
"Having that here in Dallas, and events like this that are free..." Faulkner said. "They can come here and participate and be a part of the experience. It's so important."
This weekend, all eyes will be on Dallas as the city gets thrust into the spotlight by hosting all three Division championships in women's basketball.
Hunter spoke on how special and life-changing the opportunity can be to see the love for women's sports in the city.
"Our ticket sales right now are exceeding the Men's [Final Four in Houston]," Hunter said. "This is our time."
If you have a sports loving child or love sports yourself, visit one of these free events and show love to the college sports stars gracing Dallas and fighting for a place at the top.
"At the end of the day, when you can see you're making a difference in the lives of young people, it's great waking up every day," Paul said.
Tourney Town schedule:
- Thursday, March 30 -- 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Friday, March 31 -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, April 1 -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, April 2 -- 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more Final Four events taking place across Dallas throughout the weekend, click here.