PHOENIX — Call-and-response chants of “Girl” and “Power” filled the gym as dozens of girls from Maryland School celebrated the re-opening of the Washington Activity Center on Wednesday in west Phoenix.
The NCAA Women’s Final Four Legacy Project is already having an impact on the Valley.
“This is more than just an aesthetic upgrade. It is a commitment to doing better for the next generation,” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said at a news conference to commemorate the re-opening of the center. “Activity centers like this are an integral part of building strong and private communities – communities that are built to last.”
The Legacy Project is an initiative in every NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four host city to revitalize a local community space. These community spaces are selected specifically in historically underserved areas, according to a media guide distributed by the Phoenix Final Four Local Organizing Committee. This allows the NCAA and Final Four host cities to have a lasting impact in the selected communities.
With this in mind, the renovations are not about simply beautifying an existing space; they reimagine and revitalize the space. By not only upgrading current features but also adding new amenities, the Legacy Project is able to address numerous community needs.
The Washington Activity Center upgrades include a renovated indoor basketball court, new wireless scoreboards, computer lounges, a mural by a local artist and many other improvements.
The vision that the NCAA Women’s Final Four Legacy Project had for a lasting community at the Washington Activity Center is clear. It is not just a place where participants can be active or play sports. It is also a site where children can use a computer lab and learn technological literacy, do their homework or collaborate on a variety of projects.
“There’s a win for every member in that community,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said.
The Legacy Project, while making all sorts of improvements, fundamentally believes in the transformative impact of sports, specifically basketball.
A new computer lab may be pivotal to a community, but without some of the other improvements, its impact might be muted. A freshly renovated basketball court might be just the attraction to get community members to the Washington Activity Center, where they might stay and use the computer lab.
“We firmly believe that sports is a way that we can leave a lasting legacy, but sports is also a platform of means by which we bring community together,” NCAA vice president of women’s basketball Lynn Holzman said.
At times, the Legacy Project is not even about the tangible benefits that the partner communities feel, but about how these improvements make the community feel.
“This space isn’t just about sport, it’s about access, confidence, and opportunity,” said Stacie June Shelton, Global Head of Education & Advocacy for the Dove Self-Esteem Project.
In the past, this community may not have had the access and opportunity to practice and play in a brand new gym. Now, they have a facility to themselves where they can foster confidence and a sense of belonging.
“And when we invest in community spaces like the Washington Activity Center, we’re investing in the next generation of leaders for Arizona,” Hobbs said.
That is the lasting impact of this project and other similar projects before it.
“We’ve had the pleasure of hosting the men’s Final Four twice. In 2017, the men’s Final Four beautified Harmon Park just outside of our downtown,” Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority president and CEO Tom Sadler said. “In 2024, the men’s Final Four invested in Eastlake Park, just east of our downtown, and today, the momentum touches the Washington Activity Center.”
These projects highlight the NCAA’s ongoing commitment to serving the community in which they play, but they are only a small part of the larger vision of community improvement and the impact of sports in Phoenix.
ASTA has extensive experience with similar projects across the Phoenix area.
“Since ASTA’s inception in 2001, we have funded over $39 million to 700 projects throughout Maricopa County,” Sadler said.
The scale of these community investments is immense, as they display the NCAA and ASTA’s belief that sports can have a lasting impact on underserved communities.
That lasting impact can now be felt at the Washington Activity Center.
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