NEW BERN NC SPORTS and RECREATION

With our very moderate weather, New Bern NC has year-round outdoor activity.  Golfing, boating, kayaking, fishing, and cycling are among the top choices here. Click on one of these links to take you to these specialized New Bern Sports pages:

• New Bern Golf: See our EXTENSIVE page on all the New Bern area Golf Courses.
  • Also read about Golf Communities in the New Bern area.
• New Bern Water Sports: Click here for info on New Bern Boating, Sailing, Paddling and Fishing
  • Click here to find a waterfront home or lot so you can practice your favorite water sport.
• Fitness Centers, Health Clubs and Gyms: Click here for our listing of fitness facilities.

New Bern NC Sports and Recreation Table of Contents

Click on a link below to jump down to more information on your favorite sport or recreational activity.

• New Bern Parks, Recreation and Playgrounds
• New Bern Swimming
• Individual and Hobby Sports in New Bern
• Kids' Sports, Recreation and Dance in New Bern
• Organized Amateur Sports Leagues in New Bern NC
• College Sports in North Carolina
• Professional and Minor League Sports in New Bern and North Carolina

PARKS, RECREATION & PLAYGROUNDS AROUND NEW BERN

We have a variety of parks in the area, including children’s playgrounds, ball fields, fishing and public boat launches- even a (Frisbee) disc golf facility. Many subdivisions have their own park or public areas. Sports leagues for children and adults, classes, even Senior Games are some of the programs available.

Read more about Craven County Parks & Recreation at www.cravencounty.com/parks/classes.cfm and City of New Bern Parks at www.ci.new-bern.nc.us/RP/index.php.

The City of New Bern and Craven County offer many sports and recreation programs for kids, adults and seniors. Visit their sites below for more information:

City of New Bern Parks and Recreation Programs, Clubs and Classes, for Kids, Adults and Seniors Special Events Page- will list race/ walks, tournaments, fishing trips, trips to see regional sporting or cultural events, local cultural events and festivals, and more.   Craven County Recreation and Parks Youth Recreational Programs Adult Programs (includes kayak lessons to tennis to dog obedience) Youth and Adult Sports Leagues   Parks and Recreation areas in other counties surrounding New Bern's Craven County: Jones County Recreation Pamlico County Recreation Onslow County Parks and Recreation Carteret County Parks and Recreation Beaufort County Parks and Leisure Services Pitt County- City of Greenville Recreation & Parks Lenoir County (City of Kinston)

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                       NEW BERN SWIMMING

PUBLIC POOL

New Bern has a new public swimming pool, with lots of small children water experiences and fun water activities. Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day --the usual schedule for school kids, this one is colorful and well organized to protect the family atmosphere.  Families and visitors will find this facility most welcome. (Located on Laurel Dr., just behind the Knights of Columbus lodge off Pinetree Dr. from MLK Jr Blvd)  

Many local communities have their own community pools, including Greenbrier, Taberna, Fairfield Harbour, and River Bend. Several private fitness centers also offer pools for their paying members. Courts Plus Fitness Center has an indoor and outdoor pool for its members. Courts Plus Fitness Center: 2911 Brunswick Avenue, New Bern, NC‎. Tel: (252) 633-2221‎. The Twin Rivers YMCA has two year-round pools. The outdoor one gets covered in the winter, and uncovered Memorial Day through Labor Day.  There are swim competitions, junior and senior, as well as aqua aerobics, therapy and open swim times and more, so check with them for pool schedules. Read about the Twin Rivers swimming facilities at this independent Swimmers Guide. YMCA Youth Sports and Services Twin Rivers YMCA, 100 YMCA Lane, New Bern (252) 638-8799. Directions: From Trent Blvd, turn on 6th Street and follow across Park Ave to the YMCA parking lot. Twin Rivers Masters Swim Team

NEW BERN INDIVIDUAL AND HOBBY SPORTS

Other available sports in New Bern NC include some of the following more popular choices:

• Golf- see our comprehensive page of area golf courses and fees.
• Tennis
• Boating (power)
• Sailing
• Paddling- Kayaking or Canoeing
• Fishing
• Roller Skating- Roller skaters or roller bladers can roll over to Rollerland at 3502 Neuse Blvd, New Bern. Tel: (252) 633-3804
• Weightlifting- See our list of New Bern Gyms and Health Clubs in New Bern.

Not available in New Bern, but in surrounding towns are the following sports:

NEW BERN SPORTS AND RECREATION FOR KIDS

For kids, there are many organized sports everything from T-ball, Babe Ruth Softball, Pop Warner football, Junior Golf program at the Emerald Golf Course.

New Bern High School's track and field program is one of the best in the nation.

Dance classes are a perennial favorite, particularly with little (and not older!) girls. Several dance studios in town offer range of dancing and recital opportunities, from ballet to tap and jazz to historic dancing, colonial style! Visit our extensive Dance Schools page for a complete listing. 

If music is your thing, there are many instrumental music opportunities here, from the Tryon Palace's Fife and Drum Corps to the Craven Community Band to church musical groups and more. To learn a new instrument or to get your "chops" in place to play better, check out our list of experienced instrumental music teachers.

There are also Art Classes for Kids at Art & Materials on Middle Street (see course schedule- scroll down the page for Children's Schedule), as well kids' sessions of make-your-own pottery at The Accidental Artist at
220 Craven Street, New Bern. Call (252) 634-3411 for info.

Karate, Fencing and Self Defense classes, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, and many other activities are offered for kids at West New Bern Recreation Center. Check out their Youth Programs, Clubs and Classes page.

ORGANIZED SPORTS LEAGUES FOR KIDS:

• The City of New Bern organizes a number of Youth Athletics leagues. Visit their Athletics pages for:

   

  • Youth Fall/Winter Leagues, including fall baseball, football, "punt, pass and kick", flag football, cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, karate, tennis and wrestling.
  • Youth Spring/Summer Leagues. Includes Tee Ball, baseball, softball, tennis, lacrosse, "Hook A Kid on Golf"- sessions for girls and for boys, Hershey's Track and Field. Also held is a Summer Sports Camp in June, with an introduction to the skills, methods and rules of different sports, including bowling, golf, tennis, swimming, and other activities.    

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR SENIORS

• Both the City of New Bern and Craven County offer recreational activities for seniors.
  • City of New Bern Adult programs, including Senior clubs and programs
  • Craven County Recreational Calendar of Adult Classes (some suitable for older seniors)

   

• The Annual Neuse River Senior Games are an opportunity to show that you "still got it" albeit in categories related to crafting and life experiences, and the like.

NEW BERN ADULT ORGANIZED SPORTS LEAGUES

COLLEGE SPORTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

College sports dominate conversations in North Carolina, as it hosts such Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses as the Tar Heels of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University Blue Devils, NC State Wolfpack and Wake Forest Demon Deacons.  With only a two-hour drive to the Triangle of Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, many New Bern residents make it to some of the NCAA games.

While not in the ACC, Nearby East Carolina University Pirates in Greenville, with its traditional strong football and baseball programs, often plays out-of-conference games against plays ACC members, leading to excited "bragging rights" games. 

UNC Wilmington, about 90 minutes southeast of New Bern, also has some sports teams as well. 

Read about the teams, games and matches at the official university athletic sites:

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Tar Heels
• Duke University: Blue Devils
• NC State University: Wolf Pack
• Wake Forest University: Demon Deacons
• East Carolina University: Pirates
• University of North Carolina at Wilmington: Seahawks

NEW BERN PROFESSIONAL AND MINOR LEAGUE SPORTS

North Carolina professional sports fans can enjoy watching the Carolina Panthers football team, Carolina Hurricanes Ice Hockey team.

There are many minor league baseball teams in North Carolina (think Bull Durham!). New Bern itself has its own New Bern River Rats of the Coastal Plain League. Attending their games has become a popular family pastime. Nearby Kinston has the Kinston Indians as well.