Editing Wilmington, North Carolina (section)

==Sports==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Club
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Founded
! scope="col" | Titles
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Wilmington Sharks]]
| [[Coastal Plain League|CPL]], Baseball
| [[Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium]]
| 1997
| 2
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Wilmington Hammerheads FC|Wilmington Hammerheads]]{{efn|Disbanded in 2017. All operations were moved to its youth team, Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC.}}
| [[United Soccer League|USL]], Soccer
| [[Legion Stadium (North Carolina)|Legion Stadium]]
| 1996
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Wilmington Sea Dawgs]]
| [[Tobacco Road Basketball League|TRBL]], Basketball
| Wilmington YMCA
| 2006
| 0

|}
The [[Wilmington Sharks]] are a [[Coastal Plain League]] (CPL) baseball team in Wilmington that was founded in 1997 and was among the charter organizations when the CPL was formed that same year. The roster is made up of top collegiate baseball players fine-tuning their skills using wood bats to prepare for professional baseball. Their stadium is located at Buck Hardee Field at Legion Stadium.

The [[Wilmington Sea Dawgs]] are a [[Tobacco Road Basketball League]] (TRBL) team that began its inaugural season with the [[American Basketball Association (21st century)|American Basketball Association]] (ABA) in November 2006 and have also played in the [[Premier Basketball League]], and the [[Continental Basketball League]].

The [[Wilmington Hammerheads]] were a professional soccer team based in Wilmington. They were founded in 1996 and played in the [[United Soccer Leagues]] Second Division. Their stadium was [[Legion Stadium (North Carolina)|Legion Stadium]], however, [[UNCW Soccer Stadium]] for their 2017 season. After the 2009 season, the USL discontinued their relationship with the franchise owner [[Chuck Sullivan]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 6, 2009 |title=Hammerheads removed from USL: Owner has comment |url=https://www.wect.com/story/11265308/hammerheads-removed-from-usl-owner-has-comment |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=WECT |language=en}}</ref> The Hammerheads franchise returned in 2011, but was disbanded again in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smist |first=John |date=February 16, 2018 |title=Wilmington Hammerheads PDL team won't return in 2018 |url=https://www.wect.com/story/37517160/wilmington-hammerheads-pdl-team-wont-return-in-2018 |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=WECT |language=en}}</ref> Currently, the organization only manages its youth team under the name Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soccer |url=https://www.ymcasenc.org/programs/soccer/ |access-date=June 15, 2023 |website=YMCA of Southeastern North Carolina |language=en}}</ref>

The [[University of North Carolina Wilmington]] sponsors 19 intercollegiate sports and has held Division 1 membership in the [[NCAA]] since 1977. UNCW competes in the [[Colonial Athletic Association]] and has been a member since 1984.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is also home to the Seamen Ultimate Frisbee team.  The team won the National Championship in 1993 and most recently qualified for the USA Ultimate College Nationals tournament in 2014

The Cape Fear Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby club playing in USA Rugby South Division II. They were founded in 1974 and hosts the annual [[Cape Fear Sevens]] Tournament held over July 4 weekend; hosting teams from all over the world. They own their own rugby pitch located at 21st and Chestnut St.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fearrugby.com|title=Cape Fear Rugby Club – Honesti Supra Et Atque Campum}}</ref>

Off and on, from 1900 to 2001, Wilmington has been home to a professional minor league baseball team. The [[Wilmington Pirates]], a [[Cincinnati Reds]] farm team, were one of the top clubs in the [[Tobacco State League]] from 1946–50.<ref>{{Cite book| author-last=Holaday| author-first=Chris| title=The Tobacco State League; A North Carolina Baseball History, 1946–1950| location=Jefferson, N.C.| publisher=McFarland| year=2016| isbn=978-1-4766-6670-9}}</ref> Most recently the Wilmington Waves, a Class A affiliate of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], played in the South Atlantic League. Former All Star catcher [[Jason Varitek]] played for Wilmington's [[Port City Roosters]] in 1995 and 1996. In 1914 the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] held [[spring training]] in Wilmington.<ref>{{cite book |title=The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia |year=2007 |publisher=Sterling Publishing |isbn=978-1-4027-4771-7 |page=1789}}</ref>

The beach near Wilmington, NC is home to the annual O’Neil/Sweetwater Pro-Am and Music Festival, the second largest surfing contest on the East Coast.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Creek |first1=Tidal |title=Three Awesome Places to Go Surfing in Wilmington NC |url=https://www.tidalcreek.coop/three-awesome-places-to-go-surfing-in-wilmington-nc/#:~:text=1.,and%20spectators%20of%20all%20ages.&text=Professional%20surfers%20that%20have%20won,Fisher%20Heverly%2C%20and%20Avon%20Cormican. |website=Tidal Creek |access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>