Rocky Top Sports World is excited to host one of the biggest events in girls basketball! This summer, the AAU 5th Grade Girls Basketball National Championship will take place at our 80-acre sports campus in Gatlinburg, TN. This tournament will bring the best 5th grade girls basketball teams in the United States to the Smokies for six days of spirited competition and fun. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this eagerly anticipated event.

Few people have had as profound an impact on college basketball as Pat Summitt and Jim Valvano. These legendary coaches were renowned not only for their success on the court but also for their inspirational leadership and unrelenting positivity. In the coming months, Rocky Top Sports World and the Girls Basketball Association (GBA) will host two youth basketball tournaments that will honor Summitt and Valvano while raising money for their respective foundations.

Continue Reading

The Thanksgiving Bowl is one of Gatlinburg’s most treasured annual traditions! Now entering its 46th year, this popular football tournament is expecting a huge turnout for 2017. Rocky Top Sports World has put together a convenient guide to everything you need to know about the Gatlinburg Thanksgiving Bowl.

This fall, Rocky Top Sports World will host two awesome basketball play days at our sports campus in Gatlinburg, TN. “Middle School Mania” and “Rumble at the Rock” are perfect for middle school and high school basketball teams that are looking for some extra practice before the season kicks off. Read on to find out everything you need to know about these hotly anticipated events.

When you’re in the middle of a big game, the last thing you want to be thinking about is your rumbling stomach! To keep visions of pizza and pasta from dancing in your head, we recommend doing some snacking before your next sports tournament. In addition to keeping you focused, the right snacks can provide much-needed boosts of energy that can help you play at your full capacity. Rocky Top Sports World has put together a list of five of our favorite high-energy snacks for young athletes.

If your high school volleyball team is looking for some pre-season practice this summer, you will love Attack at the Rock! This special volleyball play day at Rocky Top Sports World is a great opportunity for your team to shake off the cobwebs before school starts up again. Attack at the Rock is expected to attract some of the most competitive high school teams from around the Southeast. Read on to find out all the details for this eagerly anticipated event.

One of Rocky Top Sports World’s most popular football camps is returning this June! Legendary University of Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer will lead a three-day camp for youth football teams and players from across the nation. Last year’s inaugural Hall of Fame camp was a huge success, and we expect this year to be even bigger and better. Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming camp.

Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts across the globe. Originating in South Korea, this fighting style is known for its head-height kicks and lightning fast moves. Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we love to host taekwondo tournaments at our 86,000 square foot indoor complex! To prepare for our latest taekwondo event, we have put together five interesting facts about the history of taekwondo:

Winter is one of the very best times to visit Gatlinburg, TN! During the holiday season and the first few months of the new year, our Smoky Mountain city is transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with dazzling Christmas lights and (if we’re lucky) snowcapped peaks. Rocky Top Sports World is hosting some great tournaments this winter, so you can enjoy everything Gatlinburg has to offer while you’re in town for an athletic event. Read on for a quick look at all of the winter fun happening in the Smokies this year.

Is your youth volleyball team looking for some additional practice this season? The Spike-O-Rama Volleyball Play Day is the perfect opportunity for some fun competition outside of your league’s schedule. Held at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg, TN, this one day event will bring together some of the best middle school age and high school age volleyball teams in the Southeast. Read on to learn everything you need to know about this highly anticipated play day in the Smokies.

For many families, watching or playing football on Thanksgiving is as important a part of the holiday as turkey and stuffing! Have you ever wondered why Thanksgiving football became an American tradition? Rocky Top Sports World did a little research to bring you the answer to this question.

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, fall is one of our favorite times of the year! With cool, comfortable weather, the autumn climate in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains is ideal for outdoor activities. Of course, Gatlinburg is also famous for its beautiful fall foliage. With over 100 species of trees in the Smokies, the area offers some of the most spectacular red, orange, and yellow leaves in North America.

Ever since the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 1934, football has been forever linked with the holiday. Here in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, we have our very own Turkey Day tradition: the Gatlinburg Thanksgiving Bowl. Established in 1972, this annual tournament is a hugely popular event with locals and visitors alike. Formerly held at Gatlinburg Pittman High School and later Mills Park, the Thanksgiving Bowl has been hosted by Rocky Top Sports World since 2014. Read on to learn everything you need to know about one of our favorite autumn tournaments.

This Labor Day Weekend, Rocky Top Sports World will host one of our largest soccer tournaments to date! The Gatlinburg Labor Day Invitational is a two day competition open to youth soccer teams from across the United States. Catering to all levels of play, this exciting Gatlinburg soccer tournament is the perfect way to kick off a three day weekend in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains. Read on for everything you need to know about this eagerly anticipated event.

Does your cheer squad have what it takes to be #1? This November, cheerleading teams from around the nation will come to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the popular Battle in Rocky Top Cheer Competition. This excellent event is sponsored by the Battle in Rocky Top National Championship Youth Football Tournament, which will be held over the same weekend. Read on for everything you need to know about the premiere cheer competition in Gatlinburg TN.