Site Inspection: San Antonio

Site InSpection: San Antonio San Antonio, a major sporting and tourism center, is equipped to handle just about any youth sporting event. The second largest city in Texas brims with first-rate facilities, has an active sports commission and offers plenty of things to see and do. The Alamo, SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas are just some of the attractions that appeal to traveling groups.

San Antonio is home to a wide variety of attractions and facilities that will appeal to athletes of all ages. San Antonio Sports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is a great way to find information on all sports-related topics ranging from programs that help promote a healthy lifestyle in youths to major sporting events, both current and future, going on in San Antonio. The commission has helped the city solidify itself as a premier sports destination and is sure to be helpful to organizations hoping to make San Antonio their next stop for sports.

Contact: San Antonio Sports: (210) 820-2100, www.sanantoniosports.org

Places to PlayRegional Soccer Complex: Set to open in the fall, this park (in the former Longhorn Quarry) will have 14 fully lit full-sized fields, concessions, vending machines and two playground areas. In addition to the soccer park will be the special needs park, Morgan’s Wonderland. The 25-acre special needs park will have an eight-acre lake; a gymnasium for basketball, volleyball and tennis; catch-and-release fishing; train rides; an amphitheater; ball field; water play area; go-cart race track; music garden and a 2,000-square-foot

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indoor small event and play area.

Baseball complexes: In partnership with the AA professional baseball team, the San Antonio Missions, Missions Baseball Academy will soon offer five full-sized baseball fields, batting cages and concessions. Also adding new baseball complexes are the McAllister Little League, which is redeveloping its four existing fields and adding six youth baseball fields, and the Southeast Skyline Pony League, which is developing a seven-field complex with seating and concessions.

Palo Alto College Natatorium: This Olympic-sized pool has eight lanes, two 1-meter and two 3-meter springboards and 5, 7.5 and 10-meter platforms. The natatorium measures 73 meters x 25 yards with two moveable bulkheads, seats 2,400, and has locker rooms and a timing booth.

Alamodome: Many major sporting events have been hosted at the Alamodome, including the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Final Four Tournament. The Alamodome seats 65,000 and has been designed to meet the requirements of the National Football League, allowing it to host NFL and NCAA Division I football games. It is currently the home of the Alamo Bowl and Dallas Cowboys’ training camp, and is the site of the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four Tournament (April 4 and 6). The Alamodome also hosts local events such as the Streetball Slam, a basketball tournament open to men and women ages 14 and up.

Ice and Golf Center at Northwoods: This center holds golf and hockey tournaments, such as the annual Alamo City Classic adult hockey tournament. The center also offers hockey programs to youths and adults as well as summer camps. It also has two miniature golf courses, open skating and an arcade. Skating lessons are available, and skates can be rented.

San Antonio Mileage Distances: Oklahoma City: 422 miles New Orleans: 507 miles Little Rock: 515 miles Jackson, Miss: 533 miles Wichita: 576 miles Santa Fe: 612 miles Springfield, Mo: 614 miles Albuquerque: 618 miles Mobile: 630 miles Flight times to San Antonio: Houston: 1 hour Atlanta: 2 hours 26 minutes Chicago: 2 hours 40 minutes Denver: 2 hours 8 minutes Newark: 3 hours 45 minutes Los Angeles: 3 hours

St. Mary’s University: St Mary’s University has several facilities, including the 135,000 square-foot Bill Greehey Arena, which holds 3,800; Rattler Field, which holds 500 and is home to the school’s softball team; St. Mary’s Soccer Field; and V.J. Keefe Memoral Stadium, where the school’s baseball team plays and can accommodate professional baseball. The athletic department offers expert instruction in baseball, basketball, soccer and softball in day, half-day and overnight camps for youths ages 6-18 during the summer.

Contact: San Antonio Sports: (210) 820-2100, www.sanantoniosports.org

Fan Friendly Six Flags Fiesta Texas: There are plenty of thrills for students at this Six Flags park. One of the biggest attractions is Superman: Krypton Coaster, which sends riders 16 stories high and reaches speeds up to 70 miles per hour. There is also a water park with rides like Tornado, which drops riders seven stories into a 60-story-tall, 132-foot-long water funnel, as well as live entertainment day and night.

AT&T Center: Students looking to catch some professional basketball action should visit the AT&T Center, home to the four-time NBA world champion San Antonio Spurs and the San Antonio Rampage hockey team, a member of the American Hockey League.

The Alamo: This historical attraction is the most famous spot in Texas. The Alamo is the site where 189 defenders fell in 1836 after attacks by Mexican General Santa Ana's army. Also known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo was the city’s first mission. The only remaining remnants of the Alamo are the chapel and The Long Barracks. A museum and library near the Alamo highlight the history of the Alamo.

SeaWorld San Antonio: This SeaWorld is the largest marine life adventure park in the world. Many exhibits and shows allow visitors to see Shamu, dolphins, sharks, sea lions and other types of animals. There is also a water park with slides and pools, plus a roller coaster park with rides like The Great White, which sends riders at speeds up to 50 miles per hour. Guided tours and interactive programs with the animals are available as well as a wide variety of restaurants including the opportunity to “Dine with Shamu,” where guests eat dinner next to Shamu’s pool.

San Antonio River Walk: Located next to the San Antonio River, pathways connect visitors to the heart of San Antonio, where they will find shops, restaurants, hotels and museums, with history and architecture all around. Boat rides and river taxis are available, allowing visitors to see every part of the city’s top destination. The River Walk will soon extend to reach more museums and historical districts, making it the place to be in San Antonio.

Contact: San Antonio Sports: (210) 820-2100, www.sanantoniosports.org

F UN F ACTS •

San Antonio is the United States’ seventh largest city, but only the second largest in Texas.

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The Martin Luther King March and Rally in San Antonio is the largest consistent people’s march in the country.

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A group of Canary Islanders were the original settlers of the area in 1731, and many of their direct descendants still live in San Antonio today. These islanders established the first civil government in Texas.

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According to legend, the American cowboy was born in San Antonio because it was there that Mexican techniques of cattle herding were taught to Texans.

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San Antonio is home to the Alamo, Texas’ most popular attraction.

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The Fairmont Hotel, built in 1906, is the Guinness Book of World Records’ heaviest building ever moved intact. It took $650,000 and four days to move it from one side of the city to the other.

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San Antonio served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints football team during the 2005 season when Hurricane Katrina flooded their hometown.

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During the Civil War, San Antonio was not a Confederate city as the large number of Germans that settled there were actually supporters of the Union.

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The San Antonio Missions National Park is the largest conglomeration of Spanish Missions in North America.