Editing Sarasota County, Florida (section)

==Sports and recreation==

Sarasota County is home to [[Ed Smith Stadium]], where the [[Baltimore Orioles]] currently have spring training. The Orioles also have minor league facilities at Twin Lakes Park. In January 2017, the Braves announced a formal agreement to move their Spring Training home to [[North Port, Florida|North Port]].<ref name="SHT2">{{cite news |first=Zack |last=Murdock |url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170117/atlanta-braves-pick-sarasota-county-for-spring-training |title=Atlanta Braves pick Sarasota County for spring training |newspaper=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |date=January 17, 2017 |access-date=February 27, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228172916/http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170117/atlanta-braves-pick-sarasota-county-for-spring-training |archive-date=February 28, 2017 }}</ref> [[CoolToday Park]] opened on March 24, 2019.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.scgov.net/Home/ShowDocument?id=29887 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Atlanta Braves Extend Spring Training Agreement with ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex through April, 2019 |publisher=Atlanta Braves Baseball Club |location=Atlanta, Georgia |date=January 31, 2018 |access-date=December 4, 2018}}</ref><ref name="firstgame">{{cite news |title=Braves' Gausman takes 'another step' toward 'being ready'|first=Tim |last=Tucker |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/braves-gausman-takes-another-step-toward-being-ready/XcXjFwCmJHYSTppEHzgXKO/ |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=March 24, 2019 |access-date=March 24, 2019}}</ref>

Sarasota County is home to the [[Sarasota Paradise]], a soccer team established in 2023, competing in [[USL League Two]]. The team played its first two seasons at Cleland Stadium at Ihrig Field at Sarasota High. In its 2024 Season the Sarasota Paradise took home a Division championship<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/07/16/sarasota-paradise-win-division-clinch-postseason-berth/ | title=Sarasota Paradise win division, clinch postseason berth | date=July 16, 2024 }}</ref> and qualified for playoffs for the first time in the team's history on July 15th, 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sarasotaparadise.us/clubhistory/ | title=Club History }}</ref> The City of Sarasota recognized August 19th, 2024 as Sarasota Paradise Day to commemorate the achievement.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.srqmagazine.com/srq-daily/2024-08-27/24856_City-of-Sarasota-Officially-Declares-August-19-as-Sarasota-Paradise-Day | title=City of Sarasota Officially Declares August 19 as Sarasota Paradise Day - SRQ Daily Aug 27, 2024 }}</ref>

Sarasota County is also home to [[Nathan Benderson Park]]. The facility has played host to the 2017 World Rowing Championships and subsequent World Rowing events in 2018 and 2019. It has also been the host of the 2016 Olympic Time Trials - Rowing and will host the delayed 2020 Olympic rowing time trials. NBP has also been the site of multiple NCAA national rowing championship regattas, the USRowing Youth National Championships, and other rowing regattas and dragon boat festivals since 2011. The park will host the 2021 U.S. Dragon Boat Federation National Championships and the 2022 International Dragon Boat Federation Club Crew World Championships, after holding the 2014 International Breast Cancer Paddlers Commission world regatta.<ref>{{cite news |title=From pasture to sandpit to a world-class venue: Nathan Benderson Park history |url=http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170816/from-pasture-to-sandpit-to-world-class-venue-nathan-benderson-park-history |work=[[Sarasota Herald-Tribune]] |access-date=September 30, 2017 |date=August 16, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=Robert |title=Nathan Benderson Park: A Classic Reclamation Project |url= http://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2016/october/nathan-benderson-park-a-classic-reclamation-project/ |publisher=[[National Recreation and Park Association]] |access-date=September 30, 2017 |date=October 1, 2016}}</ref>

Nathan Benderson Park is also the site of Olympic qualifying events in triathlon and paratriathlon, with several ITU Triathlon World Cup and Americas Triathlon Cup events over the years. Numerous community running and walking events, music and food festivals and other community events are held in the park, including the annual NBP Fireworks On The Lake, held every July 3, and NBP Trick Or Treat On The Lake, held the last week of October.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}