Wonderful program! I honestly did not think that my two year old was old enough to play soccer. But…read moreI stopped at these folks tent at the Martinez Halloween event and was surprised to learn that they had a program close to us. We signed up for the class with Coach Matt at PH park/ Larkey Park and I have to tell you, it's been a game changer. The first lesson, my daughter had never kicked a soccer ball and had no interest. Today, we wrapped up the season and LOVES it. She talks about soccer and Coach Matt all the time and now kicks her soccer ball in the backyard. The impact has been great in just a few short weeks and we are so excited to sign up for the next season. P.s. this is not a team with soccer games. It's the basics teaching kids to kick, go around cones, make goals, listen to instructions and have fun. The Coach really did a great job making things fun, encouraging the kids to play, sang and of course gave stickers. I'm sure the other instructors are also great, but my daughter is a big fan of Coach Matt.

2025 was our first year with Soccer Stars, and my oldest did a total of three sessions with Coach…read moreBen and Coach Matt in Orinda and Walnut Creek, as well as the summer soccer/art camp. My oldest loves soccer now and begged to go back to Coach Ben, which is why we made the drive out to Walnut Creek on the weekends. He's goofy, knows how to relate to kids, and manages them well! As the first reviewer mentioned, this is not a team. It's a class of about 5-10 kids learning the basics and building up their skills together. Now, my daughter wants me to play soccer with her on a regular basis! If you have to miss class due to weather, illness, travel, whatever, scheduling a makeup is easy! Thanks, Coach Ben and Coach Matt! You rock my daughter's world!

Abra has one of a kind energy! We attended an event there this past weekend and the facility was…read moresuper clean and prepared for the event. They were thorough making sure those that entered had clean shoes and sanitized hands. Staff was kind, helpful and friendly. It was a long day and staff stayed high energy and diligent throughout. Thanks for a great event!

I'll preface this by saying I believe USC is probably the best option in the area. I have had two…read morekids going here for roughly a year plus. Pros: facility is solid it has a lot of potential activities and different ways kids can grow and learn gymnastics. They also have a play area which is clutch for dealing with kids who don't have class at the same time. Cons: teachers look often inexperienced and turnover is common. First few months we had two younger but quite vocal and directed coaches. Now it's tricky. In my other class we have more experienced coaches, but midway through the class they tend to lose focus and kids are sorta all over the place. They have some odd rules and enforce or change them at what seems random. Sit in the wrong spot? They'll announce a general warning not to do that. Bring your kids to the door that they used to let them in last week that without warning was changed to the other one? You bet that's gonna be a public service announcement about you messing up. Overall: experience is going to be class dependent especially with the teachers. If I knew there was a clearly better option I'd probably take it. As of now I believe USC is probably the best option in the area.

Angela transforms the whole field into an athlete-to-be's dream. My kids were new and were welcomed…read morewith wonderful enthusiasm, inclusion and were introduced to the other kids. It was easy for them to jump right in even when shy. Angela knows what she does and how she keeps the kids attention. The activities are versatile and fun. I am happy we found her, having a blast!

My kiddo really loves this running club. Coach Angela teaches so much more than running.. she talks…read moreto the kids about the importance of nutrition, sleep, practicing and listening. My kid's confidence in running has increased a lot since joining the program.

My 8 year old son has done Gino's the last three years and last week was his first full day camp…read moreinstead of doing the 1/2 days. He had a blast! He improved his juggling to 15 touches and he's so happy about that. I highly recommend the camp. The coaches are great and they spend time at the end of each day giving a report on what they did and they recognize each child for their efforts. We plan to do one more this summer.

What a great program! My daughter is still getting her feet under her, but I can see real…read moreimprovement real fast. They do a wonderful job of working on specific fundamental skills while still making sure the kids are having fun. We'll be coming here for years to come, I'm sure.

My daughter, now 8, has attended Encore's summer camps in previous years when she was 6 and 7. She…read moreis autistic--funny, sweet, and energetic--but she can sometimes struggle with following directions. When she first attended at 6, we had a great experience, and even spoke with someone who said they specialized in supporting children with special needs. That gave us a lot of confidence in returning the following summer. When she was 7, we enrolled her for several weeks in the afternoons after her summer school program. We were assured that she was welcome and that there would be no issues. The first week went smoothly. During the second week, however, we were told she wasn't staying with the group the entire time and that it was a safety concern. Instead of working with us on strategies or accommodations, we were abruptly told it would be best if she not return for the rest of the summer. This left us without childcare for weeks during a time when both my spouse and I work full‑time. Despite that experience, we still hoped things could be different this year. Our daughter has grown a lot, and with ADHD medication, many of the behaviors they struggled with have improved significantly. We planned to sign her--and our son--up for just one week. But when I tried to register, I discovered there was a hold on our account. After calling and being told someone would get back to me, I was later informed that they were "too worried" about my daughter being a problem again. No one asked whether anything had changed since last year. Instead, I was told we could send her only if we provided an aide or a family member to supervise her the entire time. If we had a family member available to supervise, we wouldn't need a camp. And paying for an aide on top of an already expensive camp simply isn't feasible for most families. My advice to other parents: if your child is autistic, on the spectrum, or simply not a perfectly rule‑following child, think carefully before signing up. In our experience, Encore did not offer support, collaboration, or solutions--only exclusion. It's painful to see an 8‑year‑old who means no harm turned away instead of being met with understanding and partnership. Families deserve better, and so do our kids. I am giving this two stars because I imagine if you have neurotypical children the camp is fine.

Had the best time having our 4 year old birthday party here! They make it unbelievably easy for…read moreparents. All you have to do is order some pizza, drinks and cake. Everything else is taken care of. Decorations not necessary given the space. They even have tablecloths and serve the pizza for you. Staffing was excellent- great employee to kid ratios. I would say it's best for ages 4 and up, not younger toddlers. The only downsides are you do have to book at midnight the time it opens 2 months ahead if you want a guaranteed spot (even then may not get it!). Fairly pricey, and if over base amount of kids included gets even pricier. It was definitely worth it given everything they do.

If you're wondering how much their classes are or any information about class schedule you'll have…read moreto go in for a trial class. I brought my daughter in this week and we will not be returning. The "trial" is also not free as you would expect a trial to typically be (I did? As some of the other reviews say this place is run by mostly younger folks. I did see several teens working. Once you complete the 45 min trial class someone will give you a quick test to see what skills you posses and then let you know what skill level class you should take. There was something about this place that didn't feel right to me. It feels like a money grab. Now after having gone once I am hearing this from a lot of people who have had the same experience. We will be staying at our gym now in Walnut Creek.

Love the positive energy. My daughter who loves tumbling was looking to find a sport/activity and…read morewe came across cheergyms.com. She absolutely loves being a part of this.

Just like the league down the road, all politics! Outsiders not welcome…read more.. Apparently when the President of the league reads the reviews here, posters beware, he may give you a call and drop F Bombs and other derogatory remarks on your voicemail. Real classy individual. Now that's obviously top notch representation from a league president. Attention PHBA drop your hillbilly president who takes butchering the English language to a new level. Also Mr. President please refrain from calling me and leaving filthy messages, save that talk for your board member buddies...

My son and daughter have been playing here for 4 years now and unfortunately my son had his worst…read moreseason this year no thanks to Coach Mel and Coach Louise. They only played their "favorites " every game. When I approached the league about the issue their response was each player must bat twice and play infield one inning. Well that's all he did ALL YEAR. The leagues philosophy is a bunch of bull! If you instill confidence in a child they will thrive, they did not, unfortunately now my son has lasan appetite for the game due to some bad coaching and poor player management.

Coach Shaun is a wonderful baseball tutor for any age. He is throughly knowledgeable about all…read moreelements of the game; always coaches from a positive standpoint; is an exceptional teacher, and a high-quality man. He certainly teaches baseball well, but includes the gift of being a role model for all in developing successful approaches to life, as well as baseball.

Did our first session today with Shaun and what a great experience. My 7 yo loved every minute…read more This session was just some basic foot work, coordination and technique and it went a long with my son. Can't wait to get him in again very soon