Downtown I Greater Baltimore
800 Bayard Street, 21223; 410-245-0613 or 410-244-0833
The Carroll Park Bike and Skate Facility is home to several extreme sports, including biking and skateboarding. The season begins in April and is open from dusk to dawn seven days a week. Free and open to the public, youth can register to compete in monthly contests.
Upton Boxing Center; 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, 21217; 443-984-2588
The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Park offers a youth boxing program for adults and youth 8 years old and up at the new Upton Boxing Center. Training includes proper exercises for warm-up, movement and stance, and shadow boxing. Youth will learn basic boxing routines, ring sparring, and more. Some youth will compete in boxing shows and the Silver and Golden Glove Championships. Fitness and self-defense classes are also offered in addition to after-school programming that runs 3–6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The facility is open to the public 5–9 p.m.
1400 Coppermine Terrace, 21209; 410-337-7781
Gerstung Inter-Sport is an international organization that offers a variety of instruction in physical education. The Baltimore headquarters is a 42,000 square-foot facility that offers courses in gymnastics, youth fitness, dance, and adventure sports. Play gym and movement courses for are available for children as young as 12 months old, and dance classes are available for children 4 years old and up with options to learn, tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop styles. Introductory gymnastics courses for boys and girls are available for children beginning at 6 years old and move through intermediate and advanced levels of training.
7 West Aylesbury Road, Suite A, Timonium; 21093; 410-252-3374
Rebounders Gymnastics has been voted “Best Place for Kids Activities” for two years in a row by Towson Magazine. The gym offers a variety of gymnastics instruction, including parent–child programs (for children 16 months–3 years old), preschool programs (for children 3–5 years old), recreational classes (for children 5–7 years old), dance programs, and competitive teams. Rebounders also houses the I Can Do It Too sensory/motor/gymnastics program for children of all ages who have minimal to severe physical, mental, emotional, and sensory challenges.
1405 Tangier Drive, Suite D, 21220; 410-335-7788
Ultimate Gymnastics is a new facility in White Marsh owned an operated by Abdul Mammeri, a collegiate gymnast, winner of the 1995 African All-Around Men’s Gymnastics Championship, and renowned coach in the Maryland area. Located just three miles from White Marsh Mall and The Avenue at White Marsh, the facility offers a variety of gymnastics instruction for children and adults. For the youngest children, the gym offers Parent & Tot classes (for children of walking age up to 2.5 years old) and preschool programs (for children 2.5–5 years old). Both recreational and competitive gymnastics are offered, and some children may be able to enter the boys and girls pre-teams (for children 4–6 years old). By invitation, older children who are 6–18 years old may join the competitive teams, which compete at the USA Gymnastics level. Competitive teams can require 4–18 hours of practice each week, in addition to local and long distance travel on the weekends.
6101 Hillen Road, 21239; 443-984-4075
Owned and managed by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, the Mount Pleasant Ice Arena in north Baltimore is a year-round facility providing and housing multiple programs for children, adults, and families. The rink’s skating school is a member of the United States Figure Skating Association and offers the Basic Skills curriculum for group instruction. Open to children 4 years old and up, classes are grouped by age and experience, teaching the fundamentals of ice skating, which are the building blocks for ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, and recreational skating. The youth and adult performance troupes, Grape Youth and FineWine, are managed through Mount Pleasant, and the 85- by 200-foot rink is also utilized by several high schools for practices, games by local boys’ and girls’ private hockey leagues, and as a club for figure skating (see Sports > Sports Programming > Baltimore Youth Hockey and Baltimore Figure Skating Club). On weekends from 3–5 p.m., families can take advantage of the rink’s public sessions, which can make an enjoyable day outing. Skate rentals, group rates, and birthday parties are also offered.
410-252-8534 or 410-435-3824
Utilizing the Mount Pleasant Ice Arena in north Baltimore, the Baltimore Figure Skating Club offers group ice-skating lessons, provides private lessons for more experienced competitive skaters, and allows sessions for adult ice skating enthusiasts committed to health and fitness. The club is a member of United States Figure Skating, the official governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States, and its instructors are members of the Professional Skaters Association, the governing body of ice skating professionals. Practice sessions for freestyle and ice dance programs run in the fall, winter, and spring. The club sponsors a number of test sessions throughout the skating season that give skaters the opportunity to demonstrate their skills before certified judges who determine qualification for USFS-sanctioned competition. It also sponsors the annual Chesapeake Open skating competition and various holiday party events. For further information and to download a membership application, please visit the Baltimore Figure Skating Club website.
3301 Waterview Avenue, 21202; 410-355-5649
The Baltimore Rowing Club is a nonprofit organization located in the Cherry Hill area just south of Federal Hill, promoting the sport of rowing to all ages and all ability levels. The club provides sustainable programs for a diverse membership and strives to be a leader in the sport of rowing, promoting its competitive pursuits. The club offers seven-week novice classes in the spring, summer, and fall; open and competitive sculling and sweep programs; and a coxswain program. The Baltimore Rowing Club also offers a competitive level program for student athletes who are 12 years old and up who do not have a rowing program associated with their high school. The team travels throughout the mid-Atlantic to compete in a number of regattas against high schools and other clubs.
4300 West Bay Avenue, 21225; 410-396-5782
The Myers Soccer Pavilion, located in the Brooklyn neighborhood of South Baltimore, features an 85- by 190-foot artificial turf field with dasher boards, Plexiglas, and netting. The facility runs three major soccer programs for young children and youth, in addition to drop-in play games and Baltimore Blast soccer clinics. The Meyers Tot program teaches 3–5-year-old children basic soccer skills that include dribbling and shooting the ball. The Just for Fun leagues accepts children 5 years old and up and groups the players into teams according to age (5–7, 8–13, and 14 years old and up). The teams will pay once a week for eight to 10 weeks and will receive a T-shirt, metal, and a certificate for participation. Outside existing teams from all over Baltimore and surrounding areas can join of the Metro Soccer League, which is offered year-round.
443-984-4077 or 410-396-7016
The Department of Recreation and Park’s Track and Field Program offers clinics, developmental and competitive meets, and participation in local, regional, and national competitions. The program is open to youth 7–18 years old. For schedules and associated costs, please call the number above.