fessional teams are called the Leones de Ponce (Ponce Lions, or Ponce Lionesses as the case may be) regardless of the sport.
The Leones de Ponce basketball team is one of the leading teams of the island winning a total of twelve championships during their tenure. The team's venue is the Juan Pach�n Vic�ns Auditorium. The baseball and volleyball teams (male and female) have also been fairly successful. The baseball team venue is the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The stadium is located next to the Juan Pach�n Vic�ns Auditorium.
In 1993 the city hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games, from November 19 through November 30. In 2007 Ponce was host to Club Atl�tico River Plate Puerto Rico football team, which plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. The league plays at the Francisco Montaner Stadium and are expected to play in the United Soccer Leagues, Division 1, in 2008, becoming the second professional soccer team in Puerto Rico to join the League. Ponce was also host to the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games. The city also hosts an annual track and field event, the Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo.
The Francisco "Pancho" Coimbre Sports Museum, named after the baseball player of the same name, was dedicated to the honor of Puerto Rico's great sports men and women. It is located on the grounds of the Charles H. Terry Athletic Park on Lolita Tizol Street, just north of the entrance to Historic Ponce at Puente de los Leones (Lions' Bridge) and the Ponce Tricentennial Park.
Recreation
The municipality is home to several parks and beaches, including both passive and active parks. Among the most popular passive parks are the Julio Enrique Monagas Family Park on Ponce By-pass Road (PR-2) at the location where the Rio Portugu�s feeds into Bucan�. The Parque Urbano Dora Colon Clavell, another passive park is in the downtown area. Active parks include the Charles H. Terry Athletic Field, and several municipal tennis courts,
