Sports in Fort Wayne, Indiana facts for kids

Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a city with a rich history in sports! Many famous teams have called Fort Wayne home, including the Fort Wayne Pistons (who later moved to Detroit and became the NBA's Detroit Pistons), the Fort Wayne Daisies from a special women's baseball league, and the Fort Wayne Kekiongas, one of the very first professional baseball teams.

Sports History in Fort Wayne

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (top) and Parkview Field (bottom).

Fort Wayne has seen many exciting "firsts" in sports. Imagine this: on June 2, 1883, Fort Wayne hosted one of the very first baseball games ever played under lights! This was a big deal for sports at night.

The city is also known as the birthplace of the NBA. In 1949, the owner of the Fort Wayne Pistons, Fred Zollner, helped bring together two different basketball leagues right from his kitchen table. This meeting created the NBA we know today! Also, a famous player named Wilt Chamberlain made history here. On March 10, 1961, he was the first NBA player to score 3,000 points in one season while playing at the Memorial Coliseum.

Fort Wayne has hosted some major basketball events. The city held two NBA Finals games in 1955 and 1956. It was also the third city ever to host the NBA All-Star Game in 1953. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has been a popular spot for college sports too. It hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Volleyball Championship in 2000. It also welcomed the Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournaments in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

One of the most unique games in NBA history happened here. On November 22, 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons played the Minneapolis Lakers. The Pistons won 19 to 18. This was the lowest-scoring game ever in NBA history!

Fort Wayne was also home to the Fort Wayne Kekiongas, a team from the National Association. This was the very first professional baseball league. The Kekiongas were one of the original teams in 1871. They even played and won the first game in that league! However, they stopped playing partway through that first season.

A local baseball league called the Wildcat Baseball League was started in April 1960. Dale McMillen created it as another option for kids who wanted to play baseball. In 2007, Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal called Fort Wayne the "Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports." This shows how much the city loves its teams!

Current Sports Teams

Fort Wayne is still a busy place for sports! Here are some of the professional and college teams playing in the city today.

Former Sports Teams

Many teams have played in Fort Wayne over the years. Some moved, and some stopped playing. Here's a look at some of the professional teams that used to call Fort Wayne home.

Famous Athletes from Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne has been the hometown or training ground for many talented athletes who went on to play professionally or compete in the Olympics. These include baseball players like Eric Wedge, who also managed in Major League Baseball, and basketball stars such as Brad Miller. The city has also produced football greats like Rod Woodson, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Olympic swimmers like Matt Vogel and Sharon Wichman, who won gold medals, also have ties to Fort Wayne. These athletes show the strong sports spirit of the city!

Manager of the Cleveland Indians from 2003 to 2009, Fort Wayne native Eric Wedge.

Pro Football Hall of Famer, native Rod Woodson.