Living In USA

Newcomers to the United States often find it difficult to participate in the particular sports they enjoy. Actually, it need not be so. Almost all sports are available everywhere, even in a crowded city such as New York. One of the first places to investigate if you are interested in swimming, tennis, badminton, gym classes, modern dance, or any indoor sports is the nearest Jewish Community Center, YMCA, or YWCA. Most of these are well equipped and provide excellent facilities for reasonable fees. There are fancier and more expensive facilities for all such sports as well, often at clubs or hotels. Also, don't forget that any good bookstore has books on virtually every kind of sporting or recreational (including travel) activity by locality. Some colleges and universities also sell memberships to their indoor sports facilities, which are often of excellent quality.

Swimming
Many swimming pools are open to the public. In addition to those run by the YWCA or YMCA, others are operated by the cities or towns themselves or by hotels or swimming schools. When weather permits, there are often public pools and beaches available within a reasonable distance. Usually these can be reached by public transport — either bus or train — as well as by private car. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Swimming" or "Sports."

Other Sports
Read the newspapers or look in the telephone book under the name of whatever sport interests you: ski clubs; walking clubs; fencing, gymnastics, judo, karate, and aerobics classes; ice skating; squash and racquetball clubs; bicycle clubs; bowling clubs; riding groups; and bird-watching clubs. Golf and tennis are very popular. In addition to private clubs, nearly all cities maintain numerous tennis courts and golf courses, which are open to the public for a fee. Soccer (football) has gained popularity in recent years, especially in programs for children. Cricket, however, is still very hard to find, although not impossible. Ask your local Department of Parks and Recreation for booklets describing its sports facilities or visit the Chamber of Commerce or the Visitors Center.

Those who like baseball need only drift around the parks. Many games will be going on. Employees often form softball or baseball teams connected with different departments and have a full schedule of games. Usually they need, and welcome, additional players. Roller-skating, Frisbee throwing, and kite flying are all popular, especially in parks; one can also find paths for biking, jogging, or walking in these areas. However, it is not wise to visit many parks after dark.

Spectator Sports
Many Americans prefer to watch sports rather than to participate in them. American football, basketball, and hockey all have devoted fans, but baseball is considered the national sport. Soccer has also gained a growing audience in this country.

In addition to the endless seasons of professional sporting events, there are often second-tier events such as minor league baseball, where smaller cities pit their teams against one another. College and even high school sports are enormously popular spectator opportunities as well.

Camping and Hiking
In most locations you will find excellent camping facilities in both state and national parks as well as in nearby private campgrounds.

You can get free booklets and maps describing public camping facilities and park areas by writing to both the individual state parks department and the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. When you write, state your specific interests. Information centers along major highways or in towns also offer booklets or maps of both public and private camping and recreational vehicle facilities. Each state also has a Visitors' Bureau, which you can call or write to request information on recreational opportunities there.

All over the United States, there are thousands of miles of walking trails, all kinds of lodges and huts for hikers, and a great many campsites where you can pitch tents and find water, but you need to know where to find them in order to avoid overcrowded highways and too many people. You need to make reservations months ahead in the most popular public parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. However, millions of acres of national forest land are available for hiking and camping without prior permission. A parking permit is usually all that is required. Compared with hiking trails in Europe, most of ours remain blissfully uncrowded. For the national parks, check out the highly informational Website at www.nps.gov/, and for the national forests, see www.fs.fed.us/.

Fishing and Hunting
The state and national booklets mentioned above also include information on fishing and hunting. Both activities are highly regulated with regard to location, season, equipment, species, and the number of catches or kills you can make. Check local regulations to avoid problems. Many fishing areas are "catch and release" only. You can always find fellow enthusiasts in your own locality. Talk to your colleagues, read the sports columns in the newspapers, or chat with salespeople in the sporting goods stores. Through such contacts you can find out what clubs there are in the vicinity and then ask about the possibility of joining one. Public-owned facilities are sometimes crowded; joining a group or club gives you access to more private waters and woods. Most clubs have reasonably open membership rules and would welcome your inquiry. They range in price from moderate to high; the lower the price, the more welcoming they are in general, but also the more crowded. The expensive clubs are, of course, likely to be the most exclusive.

If you are a deep-sea fishing enthusiast, there are boats and captains ready to take you out at almost any marina or port. Prices per day are high, but if you form a group and go together, you can divide the cost among many of you.

Bird Watching
Those interested in birds should look up the nearest Audubon Society in the telephone book and ask about groups, activities, or sanctuaries in the area. The local library is another good source of information.