The reason why i love almaden spirit athletics is because they have coaches who are supportive and…read morebelieves in you no matter what. im on team crystal and this gym during a performance they will cheer you on or support you. im in a class and when i first join a year and 2 months i already almost have the skills that i need. im grateful for this gym because i was in a very toxic dance company and now im here cheering. thank u asa truly and the athletes , coaches .

my child goes here and I agree with her the coaches are amazing and kind and so are the athletes If…read moreyou are looking for an amazing cheer gym come to ASA

Coach Gabe brings passion that is real, powerful, and contagious. We were on Coach Gabe's NJB…read morebasketball team for 3rd and 4th graders and this was our son's first time playing with NJB. He had played two seasons with Upward and was ready to move on to a more competitive league. Our son had to learn all the rules and playing his position. We started taking him to Coach Gabe's Rise Above training and our son quickly developed into a very strong player. He actually made the All Star Team. In addition, Coach Gabe took our NJB team to Championship and we won, plus we were the only undefeated team in the league. The incredible growth and improvement in playing the game of basketball individually and as a team was evident, and incredible and just amazing to watch. Our son will continue to play with Rise Above.

Coach Gabe is one of a kind! He worked with my daughter and not only did her skills improve but so…read moredid her confidence. He's really good with the kids and has exceptional coaching skills. We felt very lucky we discovered him. I highly recommend Coach Gabe!

The damn (ex) boyfriend!…read more In a two-day 16hr training session of 24 ladies 25-65 yrs, we heard time after time about how the girls got into cycling through the boyfriend, who, steered them all over the place - into the wrong seat, bad pedals, improper shoes, the wrong bike and insufficient education. The "Girls Got Skills" training with VeloGirls (Lorrie Lown) is designed to demystify cycling and break all the bad habits the boys teach us. After crashing, thrashing and bashing many of the ladies found their way to this course and left with so much confidence that "boy beater" should be the 'graduation' status. It's a course for all levels, yes even the experienced riders came back to basics. Lorri has is all set up with lessons, practice, pacing, food, fun and plenty of challenge - which we appreciated. The coaches and mentors were great supporters. Bummer is... I waited too long to hop on the Velogirls' train. It's the best way to ride safe, happy and fun in the Bay Area. Keep a look out for all kinds of rides, training/educational programs and good fun with the girls. Oh, and there is a co-ed singles ride every month too.

Velo Girls ROCKS!!!! I moved back home to the bay recently and felt like I didn't know anyone after…read morebeing away for a couple years... I picked up cycling - since that's what you do if you live in Palo Alto - and contacted the Velo Girls cycling club to find other women to ride with at my level. I have had an amazing experience with the group, everyone is so supportive a welcoming and we really have fun together! Lorri, the founder of the group is great and very knowledgeable - she has taught a ton of people to ride and has excellent communication skills that translate valuable information to even the most novice riders. More to love: 1) The club works as a valuable support network - members can reach out to one another to ask questions about anything cycling related and get answers from people with a lot of experience. I've also been able to schedule my own informal ride through the group email and meet other riders at my level. 2) They have scheduled rides (almost every day) all over the bay for road, mountain and cyclocross riders. 3) Lorri offers personal instruction --- including a race development program 4) They offer some free workshops that focus on things like basic bike handling skills and maintenance. 5) It's only $45/ year to join!

Awesome program and coaches. I've seen the students build confidence and make improvements all…read morearound. I definitely recommend anyone and everyone who wants to sign their kids up for this program!

Coach Mack is a wonderful human who cares deeply about the young men and women he coaches. While…read moreentering club basketball can be intimidating to folks given the higher level of competition vs. recreation leagues, Coach Mack has a gift for bringing out the best in people. This is my son's second season with Born 2 Ball and have seen vast improvements in his fundamental basketball skills, overall confidence and his cardio fitness. I highly encourage prospective families to participate in a skills or practice session to get a feel for the program.

Posted hours on Yelp and at the gate says open on Sunday at 11AM. My son has a game and could use…read morethe rounds at the cages before it. Schedule is tight to get rounds in and get to the game at the prescribed time. 11:10 and no one is here. Don't post the hours if you're not open.

This place is a hidden gem and I do mean hidden; it's all the way behind Fry's Electronics closest…read moreto the VTA Light Rail tracks. Plenty of parking and come right after work 5:00/5:30pm on Mondays for free range of any batting cage! I love how this place didn't even bat an eye (pun intended) at a pregnant woman wanting to whack a few slow pitch softballs to blow off some steam. Of course, I had the doc's permission, so it's was a perfect experience. Buy $15 of tokens on the debit card, borrow a bat at the desk and helmet from the back wall, you're good to go! I would recommend hand sanitizer before and after, as well as bringing a baseball cap to wear underneath the helmets if you borrow one - note: helmets are required and it doesn't matter if you're doing slow pitch or fast pitch or if your younger or older - helmets for all.

THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE TRYOUT PROCESS ONLY: this was our…read morefirst time going through this process for a U12 player and selecting a club can be confusing. There's variety of schedules, tournaments, leagues (NCVA, AAU, Inter club, etc), coaches, and costs across all options. The good news is there's TON of options in the South Bay. The bad news is that ALL of them require a level of commitment that you have to be ready for. For us, this commitment came in the form of money, and giving up certain family activities to make room for a somewhat demanding schedule that you can't really miss days for (most clubs practice 2-3 a week and include a weekend day). The tryout process at Stingray was fun and quite methodical. Of all the places we tried, this club did an "Athleticism test" to check height, speed, reach (over the net) and general physical abilities in relation to the sport. They offer 2 levels: Power and Premier. Power is where the better players go and the tournament schedule includes a bigger regional event at the end of the season. Season goes from December to May. Highly recommended if your girl has intermediate or basic skills and wants to improve her game without stress. Seems well priced compared to other clubs around. The tryout process started with a friendly greeting at the check in table where someone explained the welcome process. Then they gave you a numbered shirt with a number and someone took a picture of the player+number for their records. Tryout consisted of general skill assessment as well as a couple of informal games towards the end. They seemed to have divided the girls into best skills, intermediate skills, smaller kids. I counted about 36-38 girls for 2 teams of 12 each. Within an hour of finishing up the process, we got an email with an "offer". The email got two links; one to accept and one to reject. The offer is basically an announcement to you of which team your daughter made with a 48hour period to think about it and decide. You then have to accept or reject the offer. If you accept, your spot in the team is reserved, but if you reject, you give up your spot so that someone in the waiting list gets an opportunity to participate. I got 2 calls from their team. Their head coach called me the next day to make sure I got the email. That was nice. Then in the afternoon I got a call from the director to discuss next steps,cost, etc. Also nice... no other club did this. Location is centric for people who live in San Jose / Campbell / Cupertino Area. Overall, my daughter had lots of fun and enjoyed her time during tryouts. The coaches here seem dedicated, fun, caring, and passionate about the sport. I strongly recommend to try multiple clubs so you get a better sense of the differences in levels, coaches, facilities, schedule, etc. Good luck!

Worst volleyball club, coaches have their own favorites players. They won't reach you or enhance…read moreyour skills. Don't waste your money

Recently joined as a member and always pleased that the gym is always clean and doesn't have that…read moremusty sweaty smell. It's super spacious inside and plenty of parking near the gym. I do appreciate that most of the machines has a working TV screen. The restrooms and locker area are very clean as well. Some of the machines have gotten some wear and tear like the weights with ripped arm rests. There's also many times where there's not a person at the front counter. Do want to try their classes next time and appreciate they have Pilates reformer classes.

(I have decided to leave the name of the individual that I interacted with tonight out because they…read moreare young and inexperienced) I was at the gym tonight during PEAK hours. I think I got there around 6 PM. There was a line 3 deep waiting for two fly machines. There was an individual that was actually putting their phone down on the fly machine and then walking over to the barbells across the gym, doing a set and then coming back to the fly machine and doing a set. The three of us were looking at each other like does the world revolve around this person? Clearly the answer was no. I asked this person what they were doing...and they said I'm supersetting. So I asked this person, how long were they going to superset? They said, I'll be here a long time. Really? Not during Peak hours. Sorry. When I went to change the weight on the fly machine, they got in my face and "management" and I do use that term loosely, intervened. Rather than telling this person that it was PEAK hours, and there was a line 3 deep waiting for the fly machine, he asked the other person on the fly machine how many sets they had left? Then he turned to me as well as the two other people that were patiently waiting and said..."he's almost done, perhaps you can wait"? So let me paraphrase this for all of you. During PEAK hours when there is a line of paying customers waiting for a machine, it's OK to save it while you go off and do a totally different exercise...again, while we all wait patiently for a customer that has zero respect for their peers. Ok. Got it. To "management"... and you know who you are. You're talking to a guy that's owned two really large software companies. You'd know who they are. I say that not to impress you, but I say that because I have a little experience in "management". It's a really hard job. It requires you to make very tough decisions that are sometimes not favorable. But some people are not cut out for management. I don't think that's you. Next time make the right decision. The tough decision. I think you've got it in you. Besides, I'd rather not head over to Planet Fitness...wink-wink.

I have two teenage daughters and they both are part of Mandala Beach Volleyball Club. We had been…read morelooking for a beach volleyball club in the South Bay that would provide great training with experienced coaches. When Mandala started in 2022 and noted that they would have Coach Jeff Alzina as part of their coaching staff, we were thrilled. My daughters have both worked with Coach Alzina and find him to be an amazing coach and extremely inspirational. All the coaches at Mandala are phenomenal and really understand the fundamentals of beach volleyball and have lots of experience with the sport. My daughters have learned a lot from Coach Alzina and all the Mandala coaches. The coaches will also coach you at beach tournaments, giving you great advice during the tournaments, which has helped my girls succeed and win at tournaments. Mandala offers a friendly and welcoming environment and my daughters are so happy to be a part of it.

This is an amazing beach volleyball club! My daughter has been part of the club since its inception…read moreand LOVES it. The club is very well run. It is super flexible in terms of commitment level options and very convenient locations/times. The coaching is fantastic and their focus on skill development is evident. The club has attracted top talent from all over the Bay. My daughter is happy to be part of such a competitive club. She has tried other clubs in the area but this one is like no other!

My son has been part of the LGU community for 4 years now, both through the recreational league and…read moresummer camps and we continue to have an excellent experience. I recently saw the review around discrimination and was very surprised to read about this experience. Being around this club for so many years, seeing the dense diversity throughout the club and specifically on our teams, I have only witnessed staff and coaches approach all players with equal respect and coaching across the board. This club has continuously shown a desire to grow its programs and develop players to their highest potential, while also focusing on the foundation of enjoying the game and learning long lasting life skills. We continue to look forward to each season with LGU and can't wait to get our younger sons involved in the coming years as well!

I saw the negative review about discriminating behavior and I can tell you that has NOT been our…read moreexperience at all. My daughter has been part of the LGU competitive program for several years now and I can confidently say it stands out as a truly inclusive and development-focused environment for players of all backgrounds. From day one, the program has demonstrated a commitment to equity, respect, and opportunity for every participant, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background. Coaches and staff foster a culture where diversity is celebrated, and each player is valued not just for their skill, but for who they are. Our teams consistently were (and are) comprised of individuals of all colors and ethnicities and they have been celebrated and cultivated as the best, top players on our team. I've always felt the focus has been on finding the most talented girls with the best skill set for the team. LGU has created a close knit family environment and is working toward making the club a stronger and more desirable destination. I am excited about the move to ECNL and I have universally felt the goal is to grow the club and make it better without regard for race. Staff has also always treated us with respect and attention to strengthening player's skills looking toward supporting their long term goals. I have never witnessed dismissive behavior from club staff directed at certain ethnic groups. I don't know anyone on our team that has felt otherwise and I love their community.

I am so disappointed with this league. Their website is not user friendly in finding out much about…read morethe youth basketball program. Emails are not sent out consistently to former players, so myself and others have missed the registration completely. When calling them, Kathy is very nice:) To top it off, when I finally got to the registration and wait list page...the links don't work!!!!! Omg! I am going to go somewhere else where they are more competent on how to run a youth sports program. This is church, so this may not be a priority, and it shows.

My 3 grandchildren, 2 boys and a girl have been playing basketball at Calvary church for the past 5…read moreyears. This is a first rate organization for the kids. Uniforms, league refs in pin stripe shirts, and an incredible friendliness highlight this effort. I am so very committed to spreading the good word about this league. All the kids play in every game and are taught sportsmanship and good on court etiquette, yet the play remains competitive. Our family is so thankful to the Church for putting this on in their first rate gym. Oh, and you don't have to be a Church member or even a Christian to play. Just sign up and suit up the kids and don't forget your camera!