Living in Arizona is Perfect for the Sports-Lover

If you love sports, you will definitely love living in Arizona. The spectators’ list goes on and on and includes professional teams like the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and more, in addition to plenty of college teams including the University of Arizona Wildcats, the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. There’s also a whole roster of community college teams, but if actively participating is more your style, there are tons of recreational leagues looking for ‘weekend warriors’ and regular team members.

Let’s start with the pros. The Arizona Cardinals (NFL) football team takes to the gridiron every year in the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, while the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) play at Jobing.com arena, which is also in Glendale near the Cardinals’ facility. Downtown Phoenix is host to the US Airways Center, home of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns, and Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. Other professional teams that call the Phoenix area home are the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL.

Getting back to baseball, every March the Phoenix area hosts numerous Major League Baseball teams for their annual Spring Training ritual. Thousands upon thousands of fans flock to the Valley of the Sun to watch professional teams play in smaller, more intimate stadiums where being close to the action is definitely the name of the game.

Moving to college sports, the Arizona State University Sun Devils in Tempe have a wide variety of sports options for both students and fans, from men’s football, baseball, basketball and cross-country to women’s softball, track and field, swimming and gymnastics. In Tucson, the University of Arizona Wildcats boasts athletic opportunities such as football, soccer, basketball, swimming and golf. Up north in Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University’s Lumberjacks also enjoy a full roster of sports choices.

High schools across the state offer multiple opportunities for students to participate in athletics, and most campuses have their own sports fields and/or stadiums adjacent to the main school buildings; on game-nights, the stands are often packed with friends, family members and local media.

If you would rather play sports than watch, you’re in luck because Arizona is home to at least 300-plus golf courses, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, fun-filled swimming facilities and a plethora of recreational leagues for the young and not-so-young alike. As you can see, it is easy, healthy and fun to stay active in sports-rich Arizona.

Arizona's Home to Numerous Annual Events

Arizona is a land of plenty – plenty to see, plenty to do and plenty to enjoy…year-round. From rodeos to car shows, county fairs to Native American events, it is safe to say you will never be bored with all the things to do in Arizona.

For example, every January, hundreds of collectible cars and thousands of visitors flock to Scottsdale for the Barrett-Jackson car auction. Early spring is also the setting for the PGA’s Waste Management Open golf tournament, which will forever be known by locals as “The Phoenix Open” – although it takes place in Scottsdale. In southern Arizona’s hub-city of Tucson, the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase is an annual event typically held in late January or early February. This popular event brings in people from all over the world to admire the impressive collections on display and maybe even purchase some new treasures for their own.

In February, the medieval Renaissance Festival comes to Gold Canyon, east of Phoenix. Located on a 30-acre site, the Festival’s entertainment includes a plethora of wandering knights, damsels and court jesters, along with jousting competitions, trained falcon displays and theatrical performances on one of many stages.

In March, Major League Baseball Spring Training hits town when the “boys of summer” take to baseball diamonds all across the Valley of the Sun; it’s a great way for families to watch their favorite baseball teams in comfortable yet intimate stadiums for much less than “big league” prices. Out Chandler way, on the eastern edge of the Phoenix metro area, March means it’s time for the annual Ostrich Festival. This large bird is an honored guest at this family-friendly event, host to ostrich races (yes, really!), a parade and a petting zoo for kids.

As the weather warms up, many residents head up to Arizona’s cooler northern climes around Sedona, Payson, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. From May to October, the Flagstaff Community Market features fresh produce and other locally made/grown items, while Sedona is a fabulous place to enjoy art festivals and craft shows pretty much any time of the year.

Once fall rolls around, thousands attend the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix, home to traditional displays, animals and carnival rides. In late November and December, numerous communities across Arizona host holiday events, complete with tens of thousands of twinkling lights accented with intricate decorations. Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix, is well-known for its Festival of Lights that involves millions of white lights adorning dozens of trees, saguaro and other native cacti. If you’re looking for something a little different, Downtown Chandler usually assembles a towering Christmas tree made of wild-west tumbleweeds…we kid you not.