Let’s hear it for the home team.
For both participants and spectators, sports are an important part of Greater St. Cloud.
As soon as their little legs can hold them up, children can try their hand at just about any activity they desire. A great place to start is the St. Cloud Area YMCA, which offers programming in basketball, soccer, volleyball, flag football and T-ball, in addition to rock climbing, Tae Kwon Do and swimming lessons inside The Y’s state-of-the-art aquatic facility. The Becker Community Center has similar offerings for all ages, including aquatics and fitness classes.
Central MN Youth Soccer and St. Cloud Area Youth Basketball provides year-round programs, including competitive traveling teams. North Crest Kids Activity Center has trained thousands of gymnasts and dancers for almost 30 years. Start Brazilian Jiujitsu also has martial arts classes for kids.
Adults can also get involved with a variety of leagues around the area. During the summer, golf, tennis and pickleball are popular choices. Many area bars like Upper Deck in Sartell and Duck’s Sports Bar organize softball, sand volleyball, bean bag, pool and dart leagues. Hit the asphalt with St. Cloud River Runners or a strike at Great River Bowl. Speaking of strike, America’s favorite pastime is also cherished in central Minnesota. Cold Spring Springers, Sauk Rapids Cyclones, St. Joseph Joes and the Sartell Muskies are just a few of the local amateur baseball clubs. Additionally, District 742 coordinates year-round activities and enrichment classes for all ages and abilities.
Spectators can experience the buzz of small-town college football at Clemens Stadium, which attracts hundreds of thousands of students, alumni and football fans every fall to watch the SJU Johnnies compete for another national title. In the winter, hockey enthusiasts love the energetic atmosphere at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, where the Division I – SCSU Huskies face off against national opponents. Warmer months invite the entire community out to Joe Faber Field to take in a St. Cloud Rox Baseball game. There is no shortage of ways to play and watch sports in Greater St. Cloud!