recreational team sports

What drives you to play team sports? If it’s the fierce competition, league tournaments or achievements, you may benefit from joining a competitive sports league. However, if you’re motivated by fun, social participation or physical fitness, recreational team sports may be a better option. Recreational team sports can provide the benefits of team play without the strenuous physical and mental demands of a competitive league. 

At eseo, we know that athletes play team sports for a variety of reasons. Whether you’re motivated by making friends, maintaining health or winning a championship, you deserve the resources to make it happen. Keep reading to learn about recreational team sports opportunities in Philadelphia and start playing the games you love. 

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Play Sports for Fun

Ready to get out and play sports for fun? eseo is here to connect you with the best recreational team sports opportunities in Philadelphia, from laid-back leagues to pickup games and open facilities. 

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Basketball

Palumbo Recreation Center — a popular location for pickup basketball games located just south of Center City. Like many recreation centers across Philadelphia, Palumbo offers public indoor and outdoor basketball courts for pickup games and organized play. 

Phield House Indoor Sports Facility — a large indoor sports complex located in the Callowhill neighborhood near Center City. The facility offers recreational basketball leagues for players of all genders and skill-levels, as well as open gym time for pickup games.

Heyday Athletic (formerly Philadelphia Sports League) — one of the largest social sports organizations in the country. Heyday provides recreational sports leagues for many different sports, including basketball. Games take place at various locations. 

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Soccer

Edgely Field — a public athletic field located in East Fairmount Park. Maintained by the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Edgely Field is a popular destination for pickup soccer games, recreational and competitive league play. 

Casa Soccer League — a non-profit organization run by players, for players, that delivers high quality, affordable soccer for all. Casa provides year-round organized soccer throughout Philadelphia for all men, women, and non-binary persons - with leagues for every skill level. 

Tri-County Women’s Soccer League — a women’s amateur soccer league dedicated to creating a fun, active environment for players of all skill-levels. Teams play at a variety of fields across Philadelphia. 

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Tennis

Chamounix Tennis Courts — well-maintained tennis courts located in Fairmount Park. The public courts offer opportunities for tennis players to organize meetups and arrange recreational matches. Tennis players interested in organized league play can partner with the Friends of Chamounix Tennis Courts.

Schuylkill River Park — a recreational center located near Fitler Square that provides 2 hard tennis courts. Tennis players can show up and play or take advantage of the Schuylkill Recreational Center’s many tennis program offerings. 

Germantown Cricket Club — Philadelphia’s premier tennis club, offering 46 indoor and outdoor tennis courts. Located in the Germantown neighborhood of North Philadelphia, this club is perfect for recreational players looking for an exclusive venue.

Field Hockey

Philadelphia Field Hockey Association — a recreational field hockey club for women who are not currently playing in highschool or college. The league divides players into approximately 30 teams on three divisions of varying skill levels, and they play at many locations across Philly. 

PlayMore Sport & Social Club — a large recreational sports organization offering league and pickup play. PlayMore offers indoor and outdoor field hockey opportunities for both girls and women at various locations across Philadelphia.  

The Proving Grounds — a state-of-the-art multi-sport facility that offers field rentals for hockey players, as well as recreational field hockey league opportunities for adults. Located just northwest of Philadelphia in Conshohocken, PA, Proving Grounds is a great option for players who’ll trade a longer commute for high-quality turf fields. 

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Kickball

Manayunk Sport & Social — a club focused on recreational adult sports leagues, especially kickball and softball. Located in Philadelphia’s Manayunk neighborhood. 

Philly Kickball League — a laid-back, co-ed kickball league since 2006. The nonprofit league hosts weekly games at Starr Garden, just north of Philly’s Queen Village neighborhood. 

Hancock Playground — a park and recreation center near Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood. A popular park for pickup kickball games, Hancock is an ideal location for an individual or group of friends to join a game. 

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Softball

Philadelphia Adult League Softball — a recreational, co-ed softball league for adults of all genders. The league’s four slowpitch softball teams play at Mill Creek Playground in West Philadelphia

City of Brotherly Love Softball League — a slowpitch softball league offering recreational and competitive play to LGBTQIA+ athletes and allies. Open to players of all skill-levels and abilities, this league organizes over 30 teams and hosts clinics and social events. Teams play at the fields in Fairmount Park. 

Men’s Arc Softball — an amateur men’s softball league that plays at Palumbo Recreation Center. Eight league teams play during the spring and summer. 

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Ultimate Frisbee

Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance — a nonprofit ultimate frisbee organization that runs dozens of recreational and competitive leagues, including the Philly Fall Casual League. They hold games at multiple locations. 

Penn Park Ultimate Frisbee Meetup — a public ultimate frisbee group that meets for pickup games multiple days each week at Penn Park. 

Edgely Ultimate Frisbee Field — a frisbee field located in the northern corner of Fairmount Park’s Edgely Ultimate Fields. Edgely Ultimate Frisbee Field is free and open to the public, as well as available for organized league play. 

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Volleyball

Philadelphia Volleyball — a recreational pickup volleyball club. The club organizes indoor, grass and beach volleyball games for adults of all genders at a variety of locations across Philadelphia. 

Phield House — a large indoor sports complex located in Philly’s Callowhill neighborhood. Phield House provides high-quality indoor volleyball courts for pickup games and league play. 

Buckley Green — simple outdoor volleyball courts located at Drexel University. Volleyball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

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Starting a Recreational Sports Team

Can’t find a recreational sports team in your neighborhood? The good news is that you can start your own. With so many parks and recreation centers available throughout Philadelphia, there’s no lack of free public spaces. Getting started by following these easy steps: 

1. Pick your sport.  
2. Decide on your season of play. 
3. Choose a season-appropriate type of venue for practice and games.
4. Search the Philadelphia Parks & Rec website for a court, field, gym or other facility in your neighborhood.
5. Connect with players in your community and find additional venues on eseo’s website. 
6. Assemble your team. 
7. Schedule practices and inter-team pickup play. 
8. List your practice and game times on local online forums and social media. 
9. Contact city sports organizations for opportunities to register your team. 
10. Play against other recreational sports teams across Philadelphia. 

If your recreational sports team really takes off, try forming a league with multiple teams. When it comes to organized community sports, the sky’s the limit! 

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Find a Recreational Sports Team

If you’re interested in playing on a recreational sports team, Philadelphia offers many excellent options in every sport. However, you’re not limited to existing options — you can always start your own recreational sports team or pickup game. All you need is a passion for the game and a love for community play; you can fill in the rest of the details along the way. eseo is here to help you on your journey — visit our website to find an active sports community of players, coaches and fans, as well as other resources to help get you started.