Louisville, More Than Just Derby!

toobbox.com

Louisville, Kentucky is my home. I was born and raised, and have spent all of my 35 years here. When it comes to sports, we are generally known for horse racing and college athletics. We are the home of Churchill Downs, The Kentucky Derby,  UofL men's(and women's) basketball teams, and hall of fame coach Rick Pitino. With Spring officially here, Derby time is upon us! Thunder Over Louisville, one of the largest firework displays in North America, is just a few weeks away. Thunder is the official kick-off to the Kentucky Derby Festival, and that brings free concerts,  the chow wagon and big hats back to the Ville! This is an exciting time to be in Louisville, with thousands of horse racing fans ascending on our town for the two weeks leading up to the Run For The Roses. This is our "Mardi Gras", and we should be proud of it!
 I am blogging today to shed light on a few of our other great sport teams that call Louisville home this time a year. These teams and sports are a delight to watch, easy on the pocketbook, and fun for the entire family. Two of the teams, Louisville City FC and Louisville Bats, start up the new season this month, with Derby City Roller Girls already in full swing.. Read on to learn about the teams that make Louisville more than just Derby!

Louisville City FC is Louisville's professional soccer team. Founded in 2014, they play in the United Soccer League. Home games are played at Louisville Slugger Field, located close to Main St. in  downtown Louisville. I have personally not been to a game yet, but hope to change that this season. With soccer growing in popularity in the States, Louisville City FC has been a great addition to the sports landscape.  Check out the link below for schedule, tickets, and general information.
www.louisvillecityfc.com


Louisville Bats baseball team is the other team that plays at Louisville Slugger Field. They are a minor league Triple-A baseball team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds. Louisville's minor league baseball team has been around for decades, with different names and team affiliations. Since I have been young, we have had The Redbirds, River Bats, and the current Louisville Bats. I remember going to  Redbird's games as a kid, and have gone to quite a few Bats games over the years. They are a lot of fun for the entire family, and are budget friendly, with numerous promotions, including $1 Pepsi and Hot Dogs! Check out the official website for more information.
http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t416

Last, but certainly not least, is the Derby City Roller Girls, aka Louisville's other derby! This team is an all-female flat track roller derby team consisting of three squads,the All-Stars, Bourbon Brawlers, and Junior. They play home games at Champ's Rollerdrome, a skating rink located in Lyndon. If you have never been to a roller derby match, you are truly missing out and need to go to one ASAP. The matches consist of two fast-paced half's, separated by a halftime that usually involves the crowd in some sort of fun and silly way. These games are full-contact, fast, and furious, and after going to a game or two I can guarantee you will be hooked! Check out the website for schedule and information.
http://derbycityrollergirls.com/ 

Thanks for reading, see you next time!