The Culture
Celebrating Passion and Success
The Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame was founded for one purpose, to celebrate the heart and soul of Ukrainian culture through sport.
Ukrainians are passionate about their culture. The Ukrainian Diaspora community spans the globe, with cultural pride still bringing people together even when generations removed from Ukraina.
Nothing brings out that passion more than sports. The Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame recognizes that, and celebrates the accomplishments of so many great Ukrainians and people of Ukrainian descent from all over the world! What is better than bringing it all together in one place!
of Sport
Bringing It All Together
We focus on celebrating timeless moments in sports and successful careers and we look for opportunities to celebrating the culture as well. We are able to connect it all back to the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee and various Committees of Sport as well! As a Sports Museum and a Hall of Fame, we can bring together the best of Ukrainian sport.
That said, we look to create a lasting legacy. To accomplish that, we need support from people who are dedicated to doing the same.
With the right people and resources, we seek to provide the best possible environment to proudly honor, display, and present the passion and achievement of Ukrainian sport, and to bring together generations to come!
Connecting
Celebrating the Achievements
The Ukrainian Sports Museum celebrates and commemorates many great sports figures. From Superbowl Champs like Mike Ditka, to Stanley Cup Champions like Ken Daneyko, Mike Bossy, Orest Kindrachuk, and World Boxing Champions like the Klitschko brothers, there is much to celebrate!
With thousands of pieces of various sports equipment, trophies and awards, memorabilia, pins, medals, uniforms, pads, skates, gloves, photos, and much more, it is not possible to display and celebrate what we have been granted, gifted, and loaned over the years. We need to grow!
Good cultural roots provide the strength needed for long term success. We never tire of hearing the stories of growing up under the roof of a strong Ukrainian mother, of learning hard work from a tireless Ukrainian father, or of hearing the stories of courage and hardship to survive World Wars, and recognize that sport is a privilege to be treasured and the opportunity to play sport is truly appreciated.
to People
Bringing Us All Together
Ukrainian icons such as Heavyweight Boxing Champions Vladimir and Vitali Klitschko, as well as people of Ukrainian heritage such as Wayne Gretzky, have achieved the pinnacle of their sport. Chuck Wepner, the Bayonne Bleeder, in his fight with all-time great boxing legend Mohammed Ali, inspired Sylvester Stallone to create Rocky Balboa. And he said he learned toughness from his Ukrainian mother!
We hope that recognizing the success of Ukrainian and Ukrainian Diaspora athletes from around the world can create a legacy of success to inspire future generations to strive. But it takes more than “stuff” to make it happen. It takes people who share the passion to make that happen, and as well as the resources.
Celebrating
The Hall of Fame
Since the Inaugural Class of 2016, over 200 Inductees have been celebrated at our Hall of Fame Induction Events. These events bring our community together to support, honor, and share in the cultural heartbeat of the event.
Inductees come from several of categories: Professionals, Olympic and World Championships, Amateur Athletes, Builders, and Legacy. Players, Teams, Coaches, Supporters, and Foundations have been honored over the years across a myriad of sports, and from all across the globe.
Keynote Speakers such as Kenny Daneyko, Eugene Melnyk, Wayne Babych, and Orest Kindrachuk, have added their voices and personal stories to the many others who have attended our celebrations. With each attending Inductee or a representative sharing a few thoughts, words, and insights, wonderful Ukrainian food is further seasoned with laughs, sighs, and more than a few eyes get blurred by heartfelt and sincere tears of joy. Travelers from across North America, and even from Ukraine have attended in person. Many who are unable to travel have still shared stories and wisdom by video and the magic of technology.
Professional Athlete Inductees represent the worlds of Boxing, Hockey, Soccer, Baseball, Golf, Sailing, American Football, Canadian Football, Australian Football, Body Building, Professional Wrestling, and Women’s Hockey.
Olympic and World Championships inductees represent Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Gymnastics, Skiing, Biathlon, Boxing, Handball, Soccer, Volleyball, Cycling, Paralympics, Wrestling, Curling, and more.
the Story
Meeting the Inductees
Amateur Athletes represent everyone from the grass roots local legends up through national champions in various countries, touching on collegiate all stars and more in between. They represent Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Curling, Powerlifting, Chess, Skiing, Track and Field, Swimming, Boxing, Water Skiing, and more sports than we have room to mention.
We recognize Builders as the foundation of the Ukrainian sports community. These are people who have dedicated often decades of their lives in service to the organizations and clubs where so many of the athletes got their starts. They are the coaches who led teams to national prominence, the event organizers and motivaters whose pride in their community kept the Blue and Yellow flag proudly at the forefront, even during times when Ukraine itself wasn’t independent. Some lead Ukrainian Olympic programs, and
others provide key leadership in the Diaspora Sports World.
The Legacy Inductees have provided support, historically, to the clubs, athletes, and events, and have served as the glue for generations of athletes. Though many never take the field, they are essential.
Looking to
Mission and Motivation
he Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit 501c3 approved association dedicated to honoring those individuals, teams, events, organizations and venues prominent in the history of Ukrainian athletics. The Hall/Museum recognizes the timeless intertwining of sport into the fabric of everyday life. With this as a credo the Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is devoted to honoring those persons, places, organizations and events that have made outstanding contributions through inspiring achievement in both professional and amateur sports while forever enriching the memories of fans.
- As its mission, the Hall is committed to:
- Through enshrinement, honoring, those individuals who had exceptional careers as players, participants, coaches, managers, owners, sports clubs, builders and supporters.
- Memorializing athletic venues of historical importance.
- Honoring organizations prominent in the Diaspora for contributions to professional or amateur sports.
- Identifying those long-standing establishments that have served to enhance the sporting experience for fans.
- Commemorating defining moments in the history of Ukrainian Sport.
- Acquisition, primarily through donation and bequest, of artifacts, memorabilia, works of art, literature, photographs and related materials that focus on the history of Ukrainian Sport.
- Public edification by establishing a permanent Hall of Fame and Museum.
- Promoting education and training through scholarships, grants and internships to student athletes.
- Establishing Youth Sports and academies.
- Permanent historical archive of Ukrainian Sports.
the Future
Making a Difference
Our work doesn’t just stop at our walls. We have helped promote movies, and have helped connect movie producers to many of the former and current players they wanted to interview. With our friend, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, we have created a presence in the Ukrainian community in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area. We serve as a model for a Sports Hall of Fame that Ukraine is currently putting together! We have helped knit communities from both coasts of the US and Canada, as well as throughout the world. And we want to grow, and to do even more. But for that to happen, we need your help.
- Our goals include:
- Securing a larger footprint for displaying artifacts
- Hosting meet and greets, movie and sports event viewings
- Creating more vibrant displays
- Establishing a meditation and memorial garden
- Increase staffing and hours
- Provide a portable display and education vehicle
- Dedicate resources to research and procurement
- Commit more time and energy to preservation and archiving.
To achieve our vision will take sponsorship and financing beyond what we currently have available.
Our obligation is to preserve the successes, achievements, and hard work of those that came before us so that those who come after can learn and grow. We are tasked with leaving a legacy.
Please consider being a part of that legacy through donation, sponsorship, or by leaving a legacy of your own to the Ukrainian Sports Museum and Hall of Fame. Please contact us for more information on how to do so.
Ukrainian Sports Museum
and
Hall of Fame
Museum Proudly Located Within:
Tryzub Ukrainian American Sports Center One Lower State Road
North Wales, PA 19454
Mailing Address:
Attn: Myron Bytz 36 Mountainside Road Randolph, NJ 07869 (973) 544-8744
Board Members
Myron Bytz, Chris Bytz, Teo Bodnar, Bohdan Porytko, & Roman Bulawski
