Sports in Pennsylvania facts for kids

Pennsylvania is a state in the United States that loves sports! It's home to many professional teams, exciting events, and cool stadiums. From football to hockey, there's a lot to cheer about here.

Top Professional Sports Teams

Pennsylvania has eight teams in the biggest professional sports leagues in the U.S. and Canada. These teams play in major cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Big Wins by Professional Teams

Pennsylvania teams have won many championships over the years! Here are some of their biggest victories:

Football Champions

• The Philadelphia Eagles won 3 NFL championships before the Super Bowl era (1948, 1949, 1960). They also won Super Bowl LII in 2017.
• The Frankford Yellow Jackets, an old NFL team from Philadelphia, won an NFL championship in 1926.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers have won an amazing 6 Super Bowl titles (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 2005, 2008).

Hockey Champions

• The Philadelphia Flyers have won the Stanley Cup twice (1974, 1975).
• The Pittsburgh Penguins have won the Stanley Cup five times (1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017).

Baseball Champions

• The old Philadelphia Athletics won 5 World Series titles (1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, 1930).
• The Philadelphia Phillies have won the World Series twice (1980, 2008).
• The Pittsburgh Pirates have won the World Series five times (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979).

Basketball Champions

• The old Philadelphia Warriors won 2 NBA Finals titles (1947, 1956).
• The Philadelphia 76ers have won 2 NBA Finals titles (1967, 1983).
• The Pittsburgh Pipers won an ABA Finals title in 1968.

Soccer Champions

• The Philadelphia Atoms won the Soccer Bowl in 1973.

Football in Pennsylvania

Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia is the home of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh is where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.

Football is super popular in Pennsylvania! It's especially big in areas like the Lehigh Valley and Western Pennsylvania. In fact, some of the earliest moments in football history happened in Western Pennsylvania. The first known professional football player, Pudge Heffelfinger, played here.

Today, football is loved at all levels: high school, college, and professional. High school games often get a lot of attention and draw huge crowds. Pennsylvania also produces many talented college and professional players every year. Western Pennsylvania is even known as the "Cradle of Quarterbacks" because so many great quarterbacks, like Dan Marino and Joe Montana, came from there.

The two professional NFL teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, are incredibly popular. Both teams started in 1933. The Steelers have fans all over the state and are one of the most popular sports teams in the world! The Eagles also have a very passionate fan base, especially in the Philadelphia area. Eagles fans are known for their dedication and for being very loud at games.

Pennsylvania also had some older NFL teams that are no longer around, like the Pottsville Maroons and the Frankford Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets even won an NFL Championship in 1926.

Baseball in Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Phillies playing at Citizens Bank Park.

Baseball is another very popular sport in Pennsylvania. The state has two major league teams: the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both teams have been around since the 1800s and have a long history of playing against each other. This rivalry was especially strong in the 1970s and 1980s.

Even though the Pirates have won more World Series titles (five), the Phillies won more recently (in 2008). Pennsylvania is the only state with two teams in the same league (the National League) but in different divisions.

Did you know that Little League Baseball started in Pennsylvania? In 1939, Carl Stotz founded Little League in Williamsport. Every year, the Little League World Series is held in South Williamsport, bringing young baseball players from all over the world together!

Minor League Baseball Teams

Pennsylvania has many minor league baseball teams, which are like stepping stones for players hoping to reach the major leagues. Some of these teams are connected to major league teams, while others are independent.

Basketball in Pennsylvania

Wells Fargo Center is home to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pennsylvania has one team in the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers. They moved to Philadelphia in 1963 and have won three NBA championships! They are one of the most successful teams in NBA history.

Philadelphia also used to have another NBA team called the Philadelphia Warriors, but they moved to San Francisco and are now known as the Golden State Warriors.

Many famous NBA players came from the Philadelphia area, including basketball legends like Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant.

Ice Hockey in Pennsylvania

PPL Center in Allentown is home to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Hockey is quite popular in Pennsylvania, partly because of the cold winters! The state is home to seven professional hockey teams, including two teams in the NHL.

One of the biggest sports rivalries in Pennsylvania is between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both teams joined the NHL in 1967, and their games are always exciting! Both the Flyers and Penguins have been very successful, winning many championships.

The Hershey Bears are a very old and famous hockey team in the AHL. They are the oldest existing AHL team and one of the oldest hockey teams outside of the NHL's "Original Six" teams.

Minor League Hockey Teams

Pennsylvania also has several minor league and junior hockey teams where players develop their skills.

Soccer in Pennsylvania

Subaru Park in Chester is the home of the Philadelphia Union.

Pennsylvania has three professional outdoor soccer teams. The Philadelphia Union plays in MLS, which is the top soccer league in the U.S. There are also two teams in the second-tier league, the USL Championship: Philadelphia Union II and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

Pennsylvania has a long history with soccer. One of the first professional American soccer leagues had a team called the "Philadelphia Phillies" (named after the baseball team!). The old Bethlehem Steel team won many championships in the early 1900s.

Minor League Soccer Teams

You can also find many minor league and amateur soccer teams across Pennsylvania.

College Sports in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to many colleges and universities with strong sports programs. There are fourteen schools in the top division of college sports, NCAA Division I.

Pennsylvania colleges have some exciting rivalries! The Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry is a big one that divides the state. In basketball, the "Philadelphia Big 5" schools play each other every year. There's also a big football rivalry in the Lehigh Valley between Lafayette and Lehigh, simply called "The Rivalry"!

Pennsylvania schools have won many national championships. Villanova has won the men's basketball championship four times (1985, 2016, 2018), and La Salle won in 1954. In football, Pittsburgh, Penn, Penn State, and Lafayette all claim national titles.

Pennsylvania Olympians

Many athletes from Pennsylvania have competed in the Olympic Games and won medals!

• John Woodruff from Connellsville won a gold medal in the 800-meters in 1936.
• Kit Klein from Harrisburg was a speed skater who won gold and bronze medals in the 1932 and 1936 Olympics.
• Roger Kingdom from Monroeville won gold medals in the 110m hurdles in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
• Kurt Angle from Mt. Lebanon won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling in 1996.
• Lauryn Williams from Rochester won a silver medal in the women's 100m track in 2004.
• Marty Nothstein from Trexlertown won a gold medal in cycling in 2000.

Bicycle Racing

Cyclists at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Pennsylvania is a great place for bicycle racing. It hosts major professional races like the "Triple Crown of Cycling" events in June. These races bring top cyclists to places like Lancaster, Reading, and Philadelphia. The Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Breinigsville is a special track for cycling events.

Motorsports

NASCAR racing at Pocono Raceway.

The famous Mario Andretti family of race car drivers is from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Pocono Raceway in Long Pond is a big track that hosts a NASCAR race weekend every July. It used to host more races, including IndyCar events.

Pennsylvania also has many dirt track racing venues and drag strips where different types of racing take place.

Horse Racing

Mohegan Pennsylvania hosts horse racing.

Horse racing has a long history in Pennsylvania, dating back to the 1600s! Even William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, was said to race his horses in Philadelphia.

Today, you can watch thoroughbred racing at tracks like Penn National Race Course and Parx Racing. Harness racing, where horses pull a driver in a cart, is offered at places like The Meadows and Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Two famous racehorses, Smarty Jones (2004 Kentucky Derby winner) and Barbaro (2006 Kentucky Derby winner), were owned by people from Pennsylvania.

Golf

Pennsylvania has hosted professional golf tournaments, including the 84 Lumber Classic. Many famous golfers are also from Pennsylvania. Arnold Palmer, one of the greatest golfers of all time, was from Latrobe. Jim Furyk, who won the U.S. Open, grew up near Lancaster.

Wrestling

Pennsylvania is known for having some of the best high school and college wrestling in the country. Many top college wrestlers come from Pennsylvania. The Penn State wrestling team has won many national championships in recent years.

Many Pennsylvania wrestlers have also competed for the U.S. in international events like the World Championships and the Olympics. Famous wrestlers from Pennsylvania include Kurt Angle, Spencer Lee, and Zain Retherford.

Other Popular Sports

Pennsylvania is home to many other exciting sports and athletes:

• Boxing: Famous boxers like Joe Frazier and Bernard Hopkins are from Pennsylvania.
• Tennis: The state has produced great tennis players like Bill Tilden.
• Track and Field: Pennsylvania has a strong tradition in track and field, with events like the Penn Relays.
• Swimming: Famous swimmers like Johnny Weissmuller (who also played Tarzan in movies!) and Brendan Hansen are from Pennsylvania.
• Rugby League: Teams like the Bucks County Sharks and Philadelphia Fight play in the top rugby league in the U.S.
• Ultimate Disc: The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds and Philadelphia Phoenix compete in the American Ultimate Disc League.

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