National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum
Baltimore Blast ’ s Juan Pereira
Full-Court Press :
Ways to Watch Sports in Baltimore
Today , the Birds remain as sacred to Baltimoreans as crabs and crushes , but the city ’ s love for sports goes beyond baseball and football . Professional basketball waned in popularity after 1973 , when the Bullets left Baltimore to eventually become the Washington Wizards , but the city continued to rally around high school teams . The Dunbar High School 1982-1983 team is considered by many to be the best high school basketball team of all time , and four players went on to achieve NCAA and NBA fame — David Wingate , Muggsy Bogues , Reggie Williams and All- Star Reggie Lewis .
Now , the sport is on the rise again thanks to the relocation of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association ( CIAA ) Men ’ s and Women ’ s Basketball Tournament to Baltimore from Charlotte , NC . Beyond basketball , the tournament celebrates Black culture and traditions , and many families and college groups host reunions during the week-long event . This year ’ s tournament also had the distinction of being the first event held at the newly renovated CFG Arena . Beyond the arena , it ’ s common mon to see pick-up basketball games being played at local parks around the city , including Patterson Park , whose court recently got a makeover after local artist Jordan Lawson painted a row home mural over it .
Lacrosse , the official team sport of Maryland , has been wildly popular in Baltimore since Johns Hopkins University repped the country in the 1928 Olympics . Here , you ’ ll find the headquarters for USA Lacrosse , the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum and US Lacrosse Magazine , and we recently hosted LaxCon and the World Lacrosse Championship .
Less known is our city ’ s soccer success , but our Major Indoor Soccer League team , the Baltimore Blast , has won 10 MISL championships and produced dozens of Hall of Fame players . We ’ re also home to a women ’ s tackle football team , the Baltimore Nighthawks . As part of the Women ’ s Football Alliance , the team aims to provide a safe environment for women to practice the values of discipline , teamwork and dedication that are intrinsic to
the sport while proving that they can hold their own on the field .
Charm City ’ s not only for team sports . From the Maryland Cycling Classic to the Baltimore Running Festival to the PGA Tour BMW Championship and Maryland Gymnastics , there are ample opportunities here to cheer on the top athletes in your favorite sport .
That goes for more niche sports , too . Did you know Maryland ’ s official state sport is jousting ? A number of tournaments take place across the state each year . Fencing has had a presence in Baltimore since 1812 and continues to grow thanks to clubs in the area such as the Chesapeake Fencing Club and the Academies of Fencing in Baltimore . And Charm City Roller Derby has three intraleague teams that compete regionally , nationally and internationally .
MIKAYLA MELLIS
BALTIMORE . ORG 35