Sports in New Haven, Connecticut facts for kids
New Haven, Connecticut, has a long and exciting history of sports! Many different teams and athletes have called this city home, from school teams to professional players. Let's explore some of the cool sports stories from New Haven.
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Hockey in New Haven
New Haven has always been known for its super passionate hockey fans! They especially loved cheering for their teams at the Coliseum. These fans were famous for being very loud and supportive, making it exciting for the home team and a bit tough for the visiting teams to play. Even though they were loud, it was always a safe and fun place to watch a game.
Baseball in New Haven
New Haven's very first professional baseball team was the New Haven Elm Citys. They played way back in 1875! While some people debate if they were a "major league" team, they were definitely an important part of New Haven's early baseball history.
Over the years, New Haven has hosted many minor league baseball teams. These are teams where players often start their careers before moving on to the big leagues.
West Haven Yankees
One famous team was the West Haven Yankees, who played from 1972 to 1979. Many players who later became stars for the New York Yankees played here, like Ron Guidry. The West Haven Yankees were really good, winning their league championship four times!
New Haven Ravens
Baseball came back to New Haven in 1994 with the New Haven Ravens. They also played at Yale Field, just like the Yankees. The Ravens were very popular at first and even hosted a big All-Star game in 1998. In 2000, they won their league championship, which was a huge win for the city! The Ravens later moved to New Hampshire in 2003.
Little League Success
In 1974, a Little League team from New Haven made it all the way to the 1974 Little League World Series, showing that even young athletes in New Haven can achieve great things!
Football in New Haven
New Haven is home to the Yale Bowl, a huge stadium that can hold over 64,000 people! It's one of the biggest stadiums in New England. The Yale Bowl is famous for hosting "The Game," a historic football rivalry between Yale University and Harvard University.
Basketball in New Haven
New Haven has also had a few minor league basketball teams. In 1937, the city had a team called the New Haven Jewels. Later, in 1965, the New Haven Elms played in the city. These teams brought exciting basketball action to New Haven for several years.
Soccer in New Haven
Soccer has a long history in New Haven too! One of the oldest professional soccer teams in the area was the Ansonia F.C., which started playing in 1887. More recently, the city welcomed the Elm City Express in 2017, which plays in the National Premier Soccer League. New Haven is also home to many college soccer teams, including those from Yale University.
Other Sports and Events
New Haven is a city that loves all kinds of sports!
Running Races
The New Haven Road Race is a very popular event that has been held every year since 1978. Thousands of runners participate in this race, which is even part of a national championship! Other fun races in New Haven include the WPLR ShamRock & Roll 5K in March and The Christopher Martins Christmas Run for Children 5K in December.
Softball
New Haven was once home to a professional softball team called the New England Pilgrims. They played in the late 1970s and early 1980s, bringing exciting slo-pitch softball games to the area.
Rugby
New Haven has both rugby union and rugby league teams: the New Haven Old Black RFC and the New Haven Warriors. Both teams play at "The Boulevard." The rugby union team even won a national title in 2002! The rugby league team plays in the top league in the USA and was champion in 2008.
Cycling
New Haven has a very active cycling community. Groups like ElmCityCycling organize bike rides several times a week, making it easy for people to enjoy cycling together.
Golf
If you like golf, New Haven has two public golf courses: The Course at Yale and Alling Memorial Golf Course. There are many more courses in the surrounding area too!
Tournaments and Championships Hosted
New Haven has been chosen to host some really big sports events!
Tennis
The Connecticut Tennis Center in New Haven hosts a major professional tennis tournament every August. Famous tennis stars like Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, and Steffi Graf have played and won here. The main stadium is one of the largest tennis venues in the world!
Special Olympics
From July 1 to 9, 1995, New Haven had the honor of hosting the 1995 Special Olympics World Summer Games. This was a huge event where athletes with intellectual disabilities from all over the world came to compete. Then-President Bill Clinton even spoke at the opening ceremony at Yale Bowl!
