Sports teams you may not have known were out there!
Atlanta is well-known for its major league teams that often garner most of the sports spotlight. But the local athletic scene is also home to leagues that play regularly while flying under the radar of major media attention. Expand your sports experience with a visit to these competitions.
INTENNSE
Imagine Wimbledon, with its hushed crowds and elegantly attired attendees. Then forget all that. Intennse Atlanta tosses traditional etiquette rules and plays fast-paced, high-energy tennis matches.
“The crowd is expected to behave like regular sports fans,” says CEO Charles Allen. “They can yell and scream as they please. That’s a big difference from traditional tennis.”
Games are played on a specially designed single court that puts fans close to the action. Teams play timed 30-minute matches to rack up as many points as possible. Players only get one serve, and coaches can make live substitutions while shouting directions from the sidelines. “Players and coaches are free to talk during and between points,” Allen says. “You might even see a coach go out there and body slam a player.”
This year marked Intennse’s inaugural season that ran from June through August. Home games take place at the Intennse Arena in Decatur.
ATLANTA DRIVE
Like your golf with a side of virtual reality? This team golf event, which debuted this year, delivers just that. It’s part of Tomorrow’s Golf League, launched by golf greats Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to combine expert play with cutting-edge technology. Pairs of PGA golfers compete on a specifically designed, indoor platform by driving onto a virtual fairway and putting on a rotating green that emulates the rises and rolls of a real course. The set is located at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, but fans can watch the action live on ESPN. Atlanta’s team, assembled based on availability and interest, included Patrick Cantlay, Lucas Glover, Billy Horschel and Justin Thomas, who took the 2025 championship title.
ATLANTA OLD WHITE RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
The name of this 51-year-old sporting club refers to the jerseys. According to board Chair Dominic Duffy, the club was founded in Buckhead by a transplant from the New York Old Blue team, and his goal was to create the semblance of longevity, despite not having the funds to buy colored jerseys. “It’s a name we’ve had to live with, but one we’re proud of,” Duffy says.
Today, about 100 men and women amateur members make up a diverse roster for a game that Duffy describes as “faster and quicker than soccer.” The club meets for weekly practice sessions and plays Saturdays at their own facility off of Cascade Road near I-285. Players compete in Division II of a national organization designed for collegiate and club teams. This year, Old White won the national division title.
ATLANTA VIBE
Part of the Pro Volleyball Federation, the Atlanta Vibe features women players at the top of their game who have been recruited from colleges and international clubs. Starting in January, the team plays 28 indoor games away and at home at Gas South Arena in Duluth. The Vibe debuted in January 2024 with a contest against the Omaha Supernovas that set an attendance record for women’s professional volleyball. That year, the team was also the regular season champions but lost the run for the top title in the semifinals.
provolleyball.com/teams/atlanta-vibe
ATLANTA GLADIATORS
Still miss the long-gone Atlanta Flames, Knights and Thrashers?
The Gladiators pro ice hockey team offers the same skating thrills from Duluth’s Gas South Arena. The team dates back to 1995 when it was the Mobile Mysticks in Alabama before moving to Georgia in 2003 and becoming the Gwinnett Gladiators. In 2015, the name changed to better reflect the link to the metro area. The team, which plays in the South Division of the AA-level East Coast Hockey League, made the playoffs in 2018 and 2022, and has built a reputation for community engagement that supports area charities and organizations. One of the hallmark annual events is the Teddy Bear Toss where fans throw stuffed animals on the ice after the first goal, and the toys are then donated to local children’s hospitals and charities.
