Sports
Youth Sports
The Valley of the Sun offers lots of opportunity for young athletes and families to get involved in youth sports. Whether your interest is in hiking, bird watching, baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, football, aquatics, there is something for you. Click here to learn about current events, team or league play, getting involved and more.
Professional Sports
Phoenix offers world class sports entertainment, drawing spectators and fans from all over.
- The Arizona Diamondbacks, who beat the New York Yankees in the 2001 World series, play in Chase Field Ballpark (formerly Bank One Ballpark) which is a retractable-roof stadium with a natural grass playing surface and even boasts a signature swimming pool. It is fully air conditioned and seats 49,000. Since it opened on March 31, 1998, 15 million fans have enjoyed baseball out of the Phoenix summer heat.
- The Phoenix Suns play basketball in the US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) which opened in the fall of 1992. Since that time they have sold out 19,000 seats every year.
- The Arizona Cardinals can boast being the oldest continuously operating sports franchise dating from 1898 and representing the youngest team in 2001. They play in the University of Phoenix Stadium which sits on 25 acres in Glendale. The stadium, designed by renown architect Peter Eisenman, opened in August, 2006. It has a retractable roof and 63,400 permanent seats and can expand to 73,000 seats. The exterior skin represents a barrel cactus. The roof is made of translucent "Bird-Air" which allows for an open airy feeling even when the roof is closed.
- The Phoenix Coyotes ice hockey team was purchased in 2001 by hockey great Wayne Gretzky and developer Steve Ellman. Gretzky took over as the managing partner and on August 5, 2005, Wayne Gretzky was named head coach. On May 31, 2006, the Cyotes extended Gretzky's contract as head coach for another 5 years. The Phoenix Cyotes play in Jobing.com Arena which is adjacent to the University of Phoenix Stadium.
