Totally Toronto: Sports
Sports
Any sports fan would agree that Toronto is one of the best places to be, if you're interested in sports. Unlike many other cities, Toronto has a wide range of sports teams, which have a large following.
Toronto has eight Professional National Sports teams:
- Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League)
- Toronto Blue Jays (Major League Baseball)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (National Hockey League)
- Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League)
- Toronto Nationals (Major League Lacrosse)
- Toronto Raptors (National Basketball Association)
- Toronto Rock (National Lacrosse League)
- Toronto FC (Major League Soccer)
Toronto Sports garners a lot of media coverage, from Toronto Sports Radio station FAN 590, which discusses Toronto Sports News, to Raptors or Leaf TV. There is a huge following for each of these sports, which is why many of the teams have their own television stations.
The Air Canada Centre is the most popular venue for sports, as it is home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, as well as the Toronto Raptors. The Rogers Centre is home to The Toronto Blue Jays, the BMO Field is home to the Toronto FC, and the Ricoh Coliseum which is home to the Toronto Marlies.
The Hockey Hall of Fame is in a historical building located in Downtown Toronto, and is a museum as well as a tribute memorial to all the great hockey players. You can purchase limited edition memorabilia, as well as anything that has to do with hockey. It first opened in 1961, and 50 years later, it has moved its location, and had a $27 million renovation, making it a great tourist attraction and place to pay homage to some of our great athletes.
Because Toronto is home to a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities, there are many other sports having their own private leagues within the city that would be more dominant in other countries. An example of this would be Cricket.
Other sports that are offered in the city of Toronto are:
- Horse Racing
- Auto Racing
- Golf
- Boxing
- Curling
- Figure Skating
- Tennis
- Badminton
- Bowling
- Dodge Ball
- Snow Boarding
- Skiing
- Swimming.
Sports seem to be a pretty important pastime in Canadian culture starting at a young age, as the majority of kids in elementary schools are a part of at least one sports team or organization, whether it be gymnastics, or karate, children are exposed and have a chance to experience different sports at a young age through little league organizations.
When in high school, it is mandatory in the curriculum to take at least one gym course, so that students can successfully graduate. This is a positive role as it keeps students active, as well as let them experience sports at an age when they would be old enough to follow the professional leagues as well.
It seems anywhere you go in Toronto or Ontario you will always be close to a community centre, park, field, lake, or river, where you can easily have access to partake in many sports. If you visit most restaurants or sports bars, you will also have access to watch many of the professional sports on TV.
Toronto is a great place to experience all types of sports because it is home to eight national teams, and there are many media outlets covering the sports, which makes them accessible to the public to hear, watch, and follow.
Sports are introduced to children at a young age to keep them active and give them the opportunity to try new things. There are many parks, community centres, as well as sports clubs that are easily accessible, and convenient for the public to take part in. Sports are a great way to exercise and keep your body fit and active and why Toronto is a great place for sports lovers.
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