Get Running Shoes Ready

Spring is the perfect time for outdoor activities here on the Gulf Coast. If you like to participate rather than watch athletic events, then you need to check out two huge events making their way to the area in April.

We are excited about the Color Run adding red, yellow, green, blue and purple to Orange Beach on April 5^th at the Wharf. Participants will be sprayed head to toe with colors at each kilometer as they head towards the finish line. The Color Run is untimed and called the “Happiest 5k on the Planet” for a reason. Afterwards, there is a huge post-race party for all with lots of music and dancing. There is no way you’ll leave without a huge smile on your face! Sign up today!

The Mullet Man Triathlon is a great addition to the Annual Interstate Mullet Toss. The event will take place on April 19^th at the Flora-Bama Lounge. Participants will take on a 17 mile bike ride, a 4.2 mile run, plus a ½ mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico.  This event will include a great course, awards, as well as a post-race party with tons of food and fun. Be sure to secure your spot today!

Plan Your Fall Event this Spring

Are you a sports event planner with an event coming up in the fall? We know that lots of things go into the planning process and it can be a bit overwhelming. The most important thing is to reserve a venue this spring and what better place than one on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast? The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission has well-maintained facilities for just about every sport out there including golf, tennis, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, track and field, swimming and fishing. 

In Gulf Shores, there are both unique and well-maintained sites. First up is Johnnie Sims Park, which includes two youth baseball fields, one high school baseball field, one softball field for both youth and high school, two outdoor basketball courts and a skate park. Next, we have the George C. Meyer Tennis Center with twelve hard surface tennis courts. There is also the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. This facility includes a multi-use field house, a football field, a baseball field, a soccer field, a track and six softball fields. Indoor gymnasiums can be found at the Bodenhamer Center and the local high school.  

In Orange Beach, there is the Orange Beach Sportsplex which hosts five softball fields, five baseball fields and two soccer/football fields. This venue has played host to the Southeastern Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament. There is a junior Olympic size pool at the Aquatic Center and eight medium speed hard courts at the Tennis Center.

While you are here, check out restaurants that can hold team dinners during your fall trip. You can also look at different accommodations to get a feel of where the most convenient lodging would be for you and your team. There is plenty to see and do while visiting this beautiful area.

Whatever the sport, The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission is ready to help facilitate a tour for you. Contact Michelle Russ, Sports & Events Sales Manager at 1-800-982-8562 for further information.

Sports Fun on Spring Break

Calling all sports fanatics! Gulf Shores and Orange Beach both have a jam-packed schedule this spring to that will have everyone cheering. Spring Break is the ideal time to come to the Alabama Gulf Coast area! Warm temperatures and gulf breezes means it is time to take advantage of our gorgeous white sandy beaches. It is also time for some spring sports!

 It looks like we are off to a running start this Spring Break season with the Flora-Bama's 1st Annual Beach Run/Walk for America's Warriors. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. The start and end point will be at the Flora-Bama. All 5k runners/walkers will be headed into Alabama while all 1/2 marathon runners/walkers will be headed into Florida. Register today!

If you prefer to be a spectator, we’ve got lots of spring sports coming your way! You can get your kicks at the 2014 Orange Beach Soccer Shootout. On March 22 and 23, over 165 teams head to the Alabama Gulf Coast will compete in the competition. 

Swing by the Gulf Shores Sportsplex March 24-27 as high school baseball teams compete in Gulf Coast Classic II. Nothing like a baseball game to make you realize that spring has sprung! 

Check out our complete event schedule!

 

Enjoy more Gulf Golf - Check Out our Upcoming Golf Tournament

In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, residents and tourists alike are able to play golf all year long (with the exception of the recent freeze, of course). For golf enthusiasts, it doesn’t get much better than a golf tournament. Golfers love the chance to show off their skills to the crowd and fellow players; observers enjoy the showcase of competition. So when is the next opportunity to see all the action on the greens in the area?

Well, a little birdie told us that there is a golf tournament in Gulf Shores that is just around the corner. It is scheduled to take place at the Gulf Shores Golf Club on Monday, February 17, 2014. Be sure to plan on swinging by and supporting your favorite golfer when the competition starts heating up at the 2014 Gulf Shores High School Golf Battle on the Beach Golf Tourney.

The New Year Brings Plenty of Sports to the Gulf!

Welcome to 2014! A new year can mean so many things—a new start, new goals, and down here in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach it means a whole new year of exciting sporting events!

February alone sees a variety of Gulf Coast sports, from basketball and baseball to a golf tournament and even a cheerleading competition. Kicking things off on February 8^th is the HoopPlay Tournament 4 GM Guarantee—a basketball event taking place at Gulf Shores High School and Middle School. Also taking place in February are the Cheertech Orange Beach Nationals (February 15^th), the USSSA President’s Day Challenge Baseball Tournament (February 15^th), the GSHS Golf Battle on the Beach event (February 17^th), and the Island Cup Soccer Tournament (February 21^st – 22^nd).

Want a reason to visit Gulf Shores & Orange Beach next month and participate in an event? The 2014 Sweetheart 5k and Half Marathon is scheduled for February 15^th. You have some choices with this event: the half marathon, Sweetheart Run, one-mile fun run, or the 5k Walk/Run. Follow it up with food, live music, and an awards ceremony at the post-race party at The Hangout.

It’s going to be a great year for sports!

Ringing in the New Year with a Hot List of Gulf Sporting Events

And just like that, 2013 is coming to an end. It’s been a great year in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, and the sports were no exception. The Gulf Coast saw everything from baseball, softball, and soccer tournaments to beach volleyball competitions to marathons and triathlons. The AHSAA made a couple appearances in the form of softball and track championships, as did the NAIA with softball and soccer. It was a good year for Gulf Coast sports.

Now we move on to 2014. The sports events continue on, beginning with the HoopPlay Winter Tip Off Basketball Tournament on January 4^th at Gulf Shores High School and Middle School; the event returns about a month later (February 8^th) at the same location. Then in mid-February things really get busy—the Sweetheart 5k and Half Marathon on February 15^th, the Cheertech Orange Beach Nationals (also on February 15^th), and the GSHS Golf Battle on the Beach (February 17^th) are just a few events taking place in February. Softball, soccer, volleyball, and another half marathon are also scheduled for February.

It’s going to be another great year of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach sports. Start making plans now—pick your event, pick your accommodations, and make a sports vacation out of it.

Baseball in December on the Gulf Coast—Really!

Just when you thought baseball had called it quits for the year, it pops up again in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach. It’s the USSSA Fall Alabama State Baseball Tournament, and it’s taking place at the Orange Beach Sportsplex December 13^th and 14^th—definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area!

It’s easy to see why Gulf Shores & Orange Beach would be a top pick for a late-fall baseball/softball event. The weather is mild and far from freezing, the white-sand beaches are beautiful and inviting, and the variety of baseball and softball facilities is plentiful.

Gulf Shores alone has several baseball and softball facilities, including three baseball fields and one softball field at Johnnie Sims Park, and one baseball field and six softball fields at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. Head on over to the Orange Beach Sportsplex and you’ll find five more softball fields and five baseball fields. Several local high schools and middle schools also have fields available for use.

And we’ve only mentioned baseball and softball fields—facilities are also available for soccer, football, tennis, and various other sports. Add in the Gulf beaches and array of accommodations and it’s hard to think of a reason not to plan a sporting event in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach.