philadelphia pickup sports

Playing sports isn’t about physical exercise, although there’s plenty of that. It’s not about a championship or finally beating that rival team; it’s not even about perfecting your game or achieving your dream stats. 

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All of these aspects are just the cherries on top. Athletes of all ages find themselves drawn back to a game again and again because sports show us something: the power of community play. 

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Sports strengthen our communities by offering us a glimpse of what we could achieve together. That’s why eseo is committed to connecting you with the best Philadelphia pickup sports and resources in your area. 

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Regardless of your age, skill level or preferred sport, we’ve found something for you. 

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Keep reading to learn how to get in on a pickup game near you, as well as how to find groups, clubs and other sports resources.  

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Find Local Sports Groups in Philadelphia

Without the resources of a school or university, it can be difficult to find the resources you need to keep playing the sports you love. Even with a school system’s resources, finding accessible, inclusive sports opportunities for the avid player can be a challenge. Luckily, there are many platforms that assist Philadelphia players, coaches and fans by connecting them with local sports groups. 

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OpenSports — a multi-city sports management platform designed to support leagues, tournaments and pickup games. The OpenSports mobile app includes a variety of features, including communication abilities, a game scheduler, league setup options, a payment splitter and standings. 

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Meetup — a social platform designed to help users engage with their community, meet new people, find support and engage in social activities, including hobbies, music, parenting groups and more. Users can search within the Meetup website to find a variety of sports events, leagues and pickup games. 

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Heyday Athletic — an adult sports resource that provides leagues, tournaments and other sporting events for 24 different social sports. Focused primarily on league play, Heyday Athletic matches adults with teams and facilitates games and matches. 

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ShowUpandPlay — an amateur co-ed sports platform that helps players find games, leagues, clubs and facilities for a variety of sports. ShowUpandPlay also lists some pickup game options, directing users back to Meetup for details. 

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eseo — a local sports resource and connection platform designed to help players, fans and  coaches find a community for Philadelphia pickup sports in their neighborhood. Regardless of skill level or sport, eseo connects users with the resources they need to play, coach and engage with their local sports community. 

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Philadelphia Parks & Rec — a government directory of various city facilities and parks and recreation events. The Philadelphia Parks & Rec department emphasizes children, youth and family activities, but also includes some recreation programs for older adults. Although it includes some sports leagues resources, Philadelphia Parks & Rec is not focused primarily on sports events. 

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Social media groups — groups detailing local sports events, leagues and pickup games on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Meetup, LinkedIn, foursquare, reddit and more. 

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If you’re a player who can’t make regular league play, don’t worry — there are still plenty of Philadelphia pickup sports waiting for you. At eseo, we specialize in connecting players, parents, coaches and fans with a variety of game options in their neighborhoods. Keep reading to find pickup games and league options for a variety of team sports across Philadelphia.

Pickup Soccer: Philadelphia

Tired of scouring the internet for “Philly pickup soccer near me”? These resources can help get you started.

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• Casa Pickup Soccer. Casa offers quality, affordable, organized soccer pickup games for amateur soccer players of varying skill levels in the Philadelphia, Boston and South Jersey areas. In addition to players, they also assist people in becoming game organizers.  
• Starfinder Pickup Soccer. The Starfinder Foundation assists underserved youth in the Greater Philadelphia area with soccer opportunities, educational resources and social engagement. In addition to league play and tournaments, they offer a robust soccer pickup game schedule. 
• Philadelphia Falcons Pickup Soccer. The Philadelphia Falcons is an inclusive soccer organization that caters to LGBTQ+ players. They organize pickup soccer games once a week for players of all skill levels, members and non-members. 

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Philadelphia Softball Leagues

There’s no other feeling like stepping out on the ball diamond under the big lights. Whether fastpitch or slowpitch is your speed, Philadelphia has a league for you.

• Philadelphia Adult Softball League. This inclusive organization offers four mixed-gender slowpitch softball leagues in West Philadelphia, open to all adults ages 18 and older. All games are held at Mill Creek Playground, and a portion of league fees go to support a number of non-profit organizations. 
• Philadelphia Spirit Fastpitch Softball. This nonprofit organization facilitates league play for female youth. It divides fastpitch players into six teams and provides them with league play, tournaments and training resources. 
• City of Brotherly Love Softball League. This slowpitch softball league caters to LGBTQIA+ adults and allies of all abilities. It is the longest running LGBTQ sports organization in Philadelphia, and it offers players 30 different teams during summer and fall. It’s also one of the most affordable softball leagues in the Greater Philadelphia area. 

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Philadelphia Pickup Basketball

Searching for “Philly pickup basketball near me” but not finding the right results? Philadelphia pickup sports can feel hard to track down, despite happening in gyms, clubs, rec centers and outdoor parks all over the city. If you’re having trouble getting started, check out these locations with reputations for having competitive pickup games. 

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• Palumbo Park, Playground and Rec Center. Located in South Philly’s Bella Vista neighborhood, Palumbo offers outdoor and indoor courts that usually draw a crowd. 
• Schuylkill River Park. This park offers clean outdoor basketball courts in the historic Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. With lots of parking space, tennis courts and a dog park, this is a popular destination for many pickup players. 
• Christian Street YMCA. This YMCA location has some of the best basketball courts in the city. If you’re interested in competitive pickup play, this is a great location.

Philadelphia Flag Football League

Ready to relive your football days with a little less pain? Sign up for one of Philadelphia’s flag football leagues and enjoy that familiar rush of energy as you reach for the goal line. 

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• Flag Football America - Philadelphia League. This competitive co-ed league abides by national rules and regulations and organizes seasonal league games, statistics, awards and playoffs. The league provides referees, flags, fields and footballs and offers team memberships for adults and youth. 
• Heyday Athletic Philadelphia Flag Football Leagues. This organization offers both co-ed and men’s flag football leagues and allows individuals, small groups and full teams to sign up. 

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Philadelphia Youth Flag Football

Keeping your kids engaged in healthy team sports is difficult if you don’t know where to turn. Instead of Googling, “sports for kids near me” or “sports activities for kids near me,” check out these youth flag football groups: 

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• Under the Lights Flag Football - South Philly. An exclusive youth flag football partner of Under Armour, Under the Lights is a league for boys and girls from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Each team has a nine-game season and divisional playoffs with a shot at a championship. This league runs on volunteer coaches, so if you’re a former player looking to give back, this is a great opportunity. 
• NFL Flag Philly. NFL Flag is the largest, most recognized flag football organization in the world. This Philly youth league offers flag football for kids ages 8-13 and includes camps, clinics, league games, travel teams and position training. 
• I-9 Sports Philadelphia. A multi-sport provider of high-quality youth sports programs, I-9 Sports is an ideal organization for wanting to learn the basics of flag football or compete against peers. Flag football teams play one game a week during the season, and they practice directly before the game, which means less commute time for busy parents. 

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Philly Kickball Leagues and Kickball Games

Kickball is a classic social sport that most of us learned to love in childhood. If you’re ready to engage with your community in a fun, energetic game of kickball, consider joining a Philadelphia league or finding a pickup game. 

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• Philly Kickball League. If you’re looking for a group of coeds to relax and have fun with, this is your league. Games take place every Sunday from 3-7pm at Starr Garden in Philadelphia. It operates as a non-profit, putting all fees back into the league. 
• Stonewall Sports - Kickball League. This league offers players the options between joining an intermediate/competitive team and a social team. It’s open to all adults who are 21 and older. 
• Manayunk Sport and Social Club.     Manayunk is an adult recreational sport organization geared primarily     towards softball and kickball. It emphasizes fun and discipline among its     coed membership and organizes clinics, league play and events.

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Running Groups in Philly

Running is an excellent exercise for maintaining physical and mental health. Many people enjoy running to clear their minds and prefer to do it alone. However, some runners enjoy the enthusiasm and commitment of running with a group. 

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• Philly Runners. This coed club is based in Center City and is open to runners of all skill levels and ages. There are no fees to join the club — simply show up and run. Runs are never canceled, even for snow, but there’s no need to RSVP. Just check the club’s website, see where this week’s runs are and join when you can. 
• Philadelphia Runner Track Club. Branded as “Philadelphia’s fastest running club,” this club’s mission is to nurture the development of post-collegiate runners in their pursuit of personal goals, championships and even Olympic dreams. Serious runners engage in both individuals and team races. 
• Black Girls Run! This group’s goal is to provide black women with the motivation and resources to pursue an active lifestyle through running. It organizes running groups by location, encourages members to start their own chapters and hosts national meetups. 

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Philadelphia Open Gyms

An open gym, one that opens the floor up to unstructured activity time, allows people to dip their toes in the water of community athletics without requiring a commitment. Open gyms provide communities with an essential service, and Philadelphia has many. 

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• Jewish Community Center (JJC). The JJC has open gym hours where basketball players can show up for pickup games or reserve courts in advance. 
• Crane Chinatown Community Center. This community center offered the densely populated Chinatown area with the first community and recreation center it’s had in decades. New basketball courts and an open gym make it a popular pickup game destination. 
• City Athletics Community Partners. City Athletics is a family-run, nonprofit facility in the Nicetown-Tioga area geared at improving the lives of Philadelphia youth through sports.  It offers low-to-no cost sports programming and allows community members to rent out the gymnasium. 

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Philly Sports and Social Clubs

If you’re interested in reliable access to a sports facility, you may want to consider joining one of the many high-quality Philly sport and social clubs. Parents — don’t worry about rushing to your phone to look up “kids sports near me,” because we’ve already outlined some of the best clubs below. 

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• The Sporting Club at the Bellevue. Renovations are underway to transform this sports and social club that will redefine luxury fitness and wellness in Philadelphia. Located on Broad Street the new opening is eagerly anticipated and coming soon.
• City Fitness. Founded in 2007, this club now has six locations in Philadelphia and services more than 16,000 members. Philadelphia athletes will appreciate its mission to make Philly the most vibrant city in the United States. 
• ‍Greater Philadelphia YMCA. Philadelphia has 15 different YMCA locations, and each facility offers a range of amenities to members. Some locations include fitness rooms, swimming pools, gymnasiums, racquetball courts and more. Additionally, YMCA offers community programs, premium childcare and youth camps. 

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Play Pickup Sports in Philly

Whether you’re excited to improve your game, get your kids involved or coach a team of your own, you’ll need the right resources to get started. eseo facilitates community play by providing its users with the best resources for Philadelphia pickup sports, leagues, groups, clubs and more. Visit our website to explore our platform and learn how we use it to bring communities together, for the love of the game.