From left are Brandon Kresca, TVHS Principal, Rita Price Simpson, Jack Simpson, Meredith Brouyette and Anne Secrest.

AKRON — The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation unveiled a newly-refinished gym floor the afternoon of Thursday, July 25, 2019 honoring local sports broadcaster legend Rita Price Simpson.  

Rita has been the voice and loyal supporter of student athletes at Tippecanoe Valley for generations. Her dedication to the school district, our families, Valley community and especially the youth in our community demonstrates what it means to be a part of the Valley Family.  

In the spring of 2019, two former standout Tippecanoe Valley athletes, Meredith Brouyette and Anne Secrest advocated to the board of school trustees to consider naming the newly refinished floor to honor Rita. 

The letter said, “Rita has impacted the lives of almost everyone who has stepped foot in the TVHS gym. Athletes that play or have played in our gym know how special a pre or post-game interview with Rita is. Not to mention, her knowledge of all things Valley athletics is unmatched; there are very few fans of Tippecanoe Valley sports as devout as she. As a recent inductee into the Sportscasters Hall of Fame, her accomplishments and accolades speak for themselves. She is very successful in her field of work, and we are very blessed to have someone so invested in the people in our community as she is. 

Rita Price-Simpson has set an example to everyone as to what it looks like to have years of hard work and passion for what is important pay off greatly. While I’m sure she would say that it was never about the awards, her success more than qualifies her to become the face and name of the Tippecanoe Valley gymnasium. The lives of the people she has touched in that gym are as numerous as the games she has called. In our opinion, she is the perfect person to represent Tippecanoe Valley Athletics.”

The “Rita Price Simpson Court” will have a public dedication at the Tippecanoe Valley Boys’ Basketball game at TVHS on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019. 

Rita has worked in broadcasting more than 60 years and has won numerous awards including 

induction to the Indiana Sportswriters & Sportscasters Hall of Fame, ISSA’s Marv Bates Award as Sportscaster of the Year, member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, Indiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Kosciusko County Basketball Hall of Fame, Indiana Commission for Women – Indiana Torchbearer Award and the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Service Award.  The WRSW studio was also named in her honor on her 75th birthday in 2017.