The USA Badminton “Walk of Fame Plaza” is a national site in honor of badminton’s elite athletes and outstanding service contributors. The Plaza officially opened April 25, 2003, and is located in front of the Orange County Badminton Club at 1432 North Main Street in Orange, California. A monument in front of the club marks the sidewalk filled with the tiles of twenty-five people honored for their playing careers or lives of service. The monument was generously funded by the U.S. Badminton Education Foundation.
The plaza honors three areas of excellence: elite athletes, outstanding coaches, and persons who have made a significant contribution to the development of USA Badminton. Each inductee has a 12-by-12 inch black granite tile cemented into the sidewalk in front of the club, inscribed with the recipients’ name, year of induction, and area of excellence. Nominations are to be conducted every two years. In addition, a minimum of two former “Hall of Fame” inductees will be added every two years as well. The Plaza is open daily, and is visited by young and old, traveling from across the USA, Europe, and Asia. Financial support for the Plaza is derived entirely through member donations, gifts, and fund-raising events.
The idea for the plaza was created by Vicki Toutz, a former USA Badminton national elite athlete, famous for her doubles play. She was a three decades plus high school badminton coach in southern California high schools, and was the first Olympic badminton coach for USA Badminton in the 1992 Olympics held in Barcelona. She has worked as a volunteer at the perennial U.S. Open where she has served as a line judge coordinator and coordinator of the awards ceremony. Vicki received the IBF Meritorious Service Award in 1997, and was the recipient of the 2003 USAB Meritorious Service Award. She was in charge of the Liaison Officers and Interpreters at the 2005 World Championships in Anaheim, CA. Vicki has served as the Chairperson of the Selectors Committee for the Walk of Fame Plaza since its inception in 2003, and works tirelessly raising funds for the plaza.