Five Fun Gay Sports in Florida

Gay sports leagues have served to unite people in Florida and around the world for decades, and many Floridians have competed at the international level in the sports that they love. In addition to allowing gay athletes, professional or amateur, to practice their favorite sports, gay sports leagues bring like-minded people together and creates a sense of camaraderie, teamwork, and loyalty.

In this year's sports issue, I'm giving you the rundown on five sports in Florida, namely their organized gay folllowings. Softball, flag football, bowling, tennis, and polo...there are so many options to choose from! You can sit and watch sports at a bar, which can definitely be enjoyable, but you can also get out there and participate yourself! You can find out how to do just that in the sections for each sport below.

GAY SOFTBALL

Softball was one of the first sports to field organized gay and lesbian teams in the United States. In 1977, the North American Gay Amateur Athletic Alliance (NAGAAA) was created, giving many people the first chance to compete on gay-friendly sports teams and to play with and against like-minded people.

South Florida is represented in softball by the South Florida Amateur Athletic Association (SFAAA). In the 2016 spring season, twenty-seven different teams competed in divisions from "Masters" to the "D Division". The SFAAA plays gay softball in the fall and in the spring, and welcomes any new players or teams to sign up via their website at sfaaasoftball.com. The SFAAA can trace its roots back to 1994, when the first gay softball league in South Florida (the South Florida Softball League) was founded.

The SFAAA hosts the Hurricane Showdown tournament, which will be held this year from November 25-27. Registration is open now; go to hurricaneshowdown.net for more information. Also, the SFAAA will be having their fall recruitment drive on Saturday, August 6 at 10 a.m. at Mills Pond Park. You'll get another chance to meet players in-person at their NAGAAA World Series sendoff party (Saturday, August 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Scandals Saloon), and be sure to follow their progress at the NAGAAA World Series, which will be held in Austin, Texas from August 15-20.

GAY FLAG FOOTBALL

South Florida is home to the South Florida Flag Football League (SFFFL), which emphasizes co-ed competition. The SFFFL organizes a tournament in which teams from around the country are welcome to participate, called the Florida Sunshine Cup, which will take place across two days, February 11-12, 2017, at Central Broward Regional Parks and Stadium (3700 NW 11th Pl., Lauderhill). For more information on both the SFFFL and the Sunshine Cup, visit sfffl.com/tournaments. The fall season begins on August 6 and will play through to January 14 at Wimberly Fields (4000 NE 3rd Ave., Oakland Park). Want to learn more? Visit sfffl.com/leagues.

GAY BOWLING

Gay bowling is represented nationally by the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO), which started with leagues in six cities in 1980 and has since grown worldwide. As of 2016, there are five gay bowling teams located in South Florida, all of which bowl in Wilton Manors. Some of the major gay bowling tournaments in Florida coming up are the River City Invitational Open Tournament (RIOT) in Jacksonville, coming up this October; and the Fort Lauderdale Invitational Regional Tournament (FLIRT), held every January (next year's specific dates are January 13-15, 2017).

For more information on how you can attend RIOT and FLIRT, visit riotrivercity.com and flirtbowl.com, respectively. Don't miss out on a chance to support FLIRT; their handicap doubles event, which will raise money to support South Florida's trip to next year's IGBO tournament in Albuquerque, will be held at Sawgrass Lanes on Saturday, September 17. To find a gay bowling league near you, visit igbo.org/leagues.

GAY TENNIS

The Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA) has been the international organization promoting gay tennis and presenting international tennis tournaments for nearly three decades. In South Florida, there are two gay tennis clubs: the South Florida Tennis Club and the Miami Mavericks. The teams date from 1987 and 1989, respectively.

Notable South Florida gay tennis tournaments include the Miami Art Deco Open in January, the Clay Court Classic in February, and the Miami Flamingo Open in May. In addition, the GLTA World Tour Championships are coming to the Sunshine State: Orlando will play host to the world finals from February 22-24, 2017.

Players are welcomed from every age and skill set, both young and old and beginner to open-level. For more information on these teams and tournaments, visit glta.net.

GAY POLO

Polo enthusiasts from across Florida are welcomed to join the Gay Polo League (GPL), which organizes a Gay Polo Week which coincides with the International Gay Polo Tournament at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. The event has been going on for seven years now and is very popular with locals and tourists alike. The GPL would like to announce the dates for 2017's Gay Polo Week, so mark it on your calendars now: April 6-9. If you'd like to join the Gay Polo League, visit gaypolo.com.