Sports

Boston is a great sports town. The Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, Bruins and Revolution (soccer) have all been outstanding in recent years.  Fenway Park is only a 10-minute walk from the hospital (~5 blocks) and the TD Garden, where the Celtics and Bruins play, is a short subway ride. The Patriots and Revolution play in Foxboro, MA, which is about 20 miles south of the city.

Bob Vinci and a few other members of the BCRP gather around a table with the Stanley Cup Trophy at the center.
Bob Vinci and BCRP residents with the Stanley Cup!

 

A view from behind home plate at the Boston Red Sox game on a warm summer night with a dark sky and the lights shining overhead. Players run around the field as the game is going on, and a large crowd watches in attendance in their seats.
Fenway Park on a warm summer night as the Red Sox play a home game. The stadium is only 5-blocks from Children’s Hospital!

 

For those who prefer participatory sports, the Harvard University Athletic Facilities and Harvard Medical School Athletic Facilities are available for a fee. Harvard University offers facilities for indoor and outdoor tennis, swimming and diving, ice skating, jogging, squash, basketball, baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, rugby, volleyball, rowing, fencing and sailing, plus others, and extensive exercise and weight training. The Medical School has a gymnasium, squash courts, cardiovascular and strength training equipment and an outdoor tennis court. Groups like the Boston Ski and Sports Club organize year round sports leagues, as well as sporting trips.

Boston is a great running and biking city. There are numerous Bikeways, particularly along the Charles River and through the ‘Emerald Necklace’ string of parks, which lies just 3 blocks from the Longwood area. The same routes are popular for running. For serious runners, the famous Boston Marathon occurs each spring on Patriots Day, which is a local holiday, allowing those who wish to run, to participate. Many housestaff and faculty do.

Shaker Hills is an open golf course with visible holes! There are two holes being seen with trees on the sides, with a little pond alongside under the bright blue sky.
Shaker Hills

Golfers have many opportunities in the Boston area. There are 102 18-hole public courses within an hour of Boston including many award winning courses such as Pinehills in Plymouth, Red Tail in Devens, Shaker Hills in the town of Harvard, Shining Rock in Northbridge, Butter Brook in Westford, Stow Acres in Stow, and George Wright in Hyde Park, the latter a Boston Municipal course designed by Donald Ross that is ranked as the No. 3 Municipal Course in the USA by Golf Magazine.

 

 

On the left a resident runs the Boston Marathon with a smile on her face, and a crowd following behind her on the run. On the right there is a young child holding up a sign that says "Go Team BCH" in support of the runners from the hospital.
A resident runs along the Boston Marathon while a young child holds up a handmade sign to cheer and support members of Boston Children’s Hospital