History of sports in Mobile, Alabama facts for kids

Mobile, Alabama is a city where lots of exciting sports events happen! It's also home to many talented athletes and different sports teams.

Cool Sports Events

Azalea Trail Run

Every spring, Mobile hosts the Azalea Trail Run. This event includes a 10-kilometer (about 6.2 miles) race and a shorter 2-mile fun run. Runners enjoy a scenic route through the historic streets of downtown Mobile.

GMAC Bowl

The GMAC Bowl was a special college football game played every year in Mobile. It was a "bowl game," which means it was a big game played after the regular season. The game took place at Ladd Peebles Stadium. It usually featured a team from Conference USA playing against a team from either the Mid-American Conference or the Western Athletic Conference.

Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl is another exciting college football game held each year in Mobile. This game is special because it features the best college players who are finishing their time in college. These players hope to be chosen by teams in the NFL (professional football). The Senior Bowl has been played at Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium since 1951.

Hockey

Mobile Mysticks

The Mobile Mysticks were a hockey team that played in Mobile for seven seasons, from 1995 to 2002. They were part of the East Coast Hockey League and played their games at the Mobile Civic Center. The Mysticks were a good team, winning about 33 games each season and making it to the playoffs five times. After the 2002 season, the team stopped playing in Mobile and later became the Gwinnett Gladiators.

Jason Elders holds the record for scoring the most goals for the Mysticks. He was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the ECHL All-Star game in 1999. Jason Clarke holds the ECHL record for the most penalty minutes. One player, Dave Van Drunen, even played one game in the NHL for the Ottawa Senators.

College Sports

Mobile is home to several college sports teams. The South Alabama Jaguars are a big part of college sports here. They are a member of the NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. They also play in the Sun Belt Conference. The University of South Alabama started its football team in 2009. Their men's basketball team has played in the important NCAA Tournament seven times!

Other colleges in Mobile, like Spring Hill College and the University of Mobile, compete in the NAIA.

Mobile is also famous for tennis! The national tennis championships for both men's and women's NAIA teams are held here. Mobile has the largest outdoor public tennis facility in the world, with more than 50 tennis courts!

Soccer

Mobile Revelers (soccer)

The Mobile Revelers (soccer) were an American soccer team that played from 1995 to 1997 in the USISL Pro League.

AFC Mobile

AFC Mobile is an American soccer team that started playing in the Gulf Coast Premier League in 2017.