If you’re a sports fanatic, you are going to be truly spoilt for choice when you move to Texas. If there’s one thing that Texans love, it’s a friendly sports game. There are dozens of professional Texan sports teams covering all of the state’s most popular sports. If you are already a fan of American sports, you are going to love being immersed in a sports-focused culture. If sports didn’t pique your interest in your home country, moving to Texas will give you the perfect opportunity to get involved with a thriving, competitive and friendly community. Here are Santa Fe’s top seven recommendations of sports to follow when you move to Texas.
Football
Football in Texas is a very serious matter indeed and there is arguably no other state that displays as much passion and commitment to the sport. Texans will support their local teams with undying, unwavering loyalty. Texan football teams are some of the best in the country and are widely considered national American favourites. The Dallas Cowboys have won five Super Bowl titles and the Houston Texans are also a popular favourite. There are plenty of local level teams to root for and college teams from the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas State, Texas Tech and University of North Texas. Pick your allegiance and expect to be busy on Saturdays for most of the year.
Basketball
Texans aren’t just biased towards football, they also love Basketball. Texas is home to three different NBA teams, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. These three major teams have all had the glory of winning a championship. With plenty of friendly competition and national respect from other states, these basketball teams make for a thriving sports scene. If you are moving to Houston, Dallas or San Antonio, you are guaranteed to get signed up to a respective basketball team. You may never have even seen a game in your life, but you are sure to love the dynamism and team spirit of the game.
Baseball
Baseball is America’s most classic sport and in Texas you will have the benefit of living in a state with two major league teams. If you’ve never lived in America before, you are likely not to have ever come in to contact with baseball before. A live game of baseball is sure to have you sitting on the edge of your seat whilst enjoying traditional American snacks. No matter whether you choose the Houston Astros or the Texas Rangers as your team, you are guaranteed to always be entertained.
Soccer
If you’ve come from a country where soccer is incredibly popular there is no need to worry about having to give it up. In Texas, soccer is a sport that has ever-growing popularity. With two professional soccer teams on side, FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamos, you will still be able to enjoy the excitement of Major League Soccer. Texas is marked as one to watch in soccer, with a huge amount of funding being pumped into grass root level training programmes.
Hockey
Just because Texas is one of the hottest states in the country, doesn’t mean that they aren’t a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Texans take great pride in their team, the Dallas Stars, and ice hockey games are a great way to cool down in the heat of a Texan summer. Ice hockey is an incredibly fast-paced and blood pumping game, with the occasional fist fight to add to the drama. If you’re looking for fast and furious spectating, ice hockey might just be for you.
Roller Derby
Roller derby is likely to be a completely alien concept to an expatriate. This is one of the most badass sports around. Typically an all-female sport, teams from across the Lone Star state gather to compete. You are likely to have never seen roller skating like this before. If you want to support teams that dress to the nines in awesome costumes in order to wrestle, elbow and shoulder each other around the derby track, this is the sport for you. This game is fast, fierce and really quite brutal but the Texas Roller Derby is likely to be one of the most enthralling events you will ever go to.
Folf
Folf, also known as Frisbee golf or disc golf, is entirely left field, but a Texan favourite all the same. The game hasn’t exactly reached major league level yet, but there are plenty of local teams and talented individuals taking part. Disc golf essentially works on the same premise as golf, but rather than trying to get a ball in a hole, you are aiming for a Frisbee basket. There are over 40 folf courses in Texas where you can watch and root for your favourite folf players. If you are looking for a quieter sport to enjoy, you are sure to love peculiar and bizarre world of disc golf.
