These are the "BADDEST, BADASS BROADS from Asstown!!!…read more THANK YOU YELPERS for turning me on to the "Rollers"!! Last night was my first bout, I'm still hoarse from cheering!!! We went for my daughter's 26th birthday party, there were 10 of us family and friends. Even "grandpa" went! WHAT A BLAST!!! Everyone loved it! I haven't picked a favorite team yet (It's a toss up between the "Hell's Belles" and the "Double Crossers". Sorry girls but I just can't pick one!! But my husband was VERY fond of the "Double Crossers". In particular, Nina Millimeter" (I think it was the guns on her tush)!!! The birthday girl loved "Kola Loca" of "The Fury" and even got her autograph on a poster that read "blood is the new pink"! LOVE IT!! These girls are "tough" athletes. I was worn out just watching them! We understood the rules pretty fast, the announcers were excellent and fun! Beer, snacks, and team merchandise are available at the stadium. There's a "Party Bus" that meets at the Cobra Lounge and takes you to the Cicero Stadium. Next time, I think my husband and I will "do" the bus (even though we'll probably be the oldest ones on there)!!!

There are very few things that would get me out to Cicero (sorry to all you Cicero loving fans) and…read morethe Windy City Rollers is one of them! I have to admit that after sitting through a game I still don't understand roller derby, but then again I'm still trying to figure out the rules of football. But these gals wear fun outfits, sparkly makeup, and have some seriously amazing coordination skills! It all looks so fun, well besides the falling down a lot part. My only regret is that I didn't buy a Hells Belles red tee, but I know I"ll be back to get one. Go Hell's Belles!

If you're looking for serious table tennis game, Net & Paddle is where you should go. Located…read moreinside the church, the club has a wide range of players with different styles and games - they're all 2000 and above. Five Butterfly tables with barriers and serious players - this is where you get better. There is also a coach who gives lessons (multiball and advanced training). Time: 19:30-23:00 Mon-Fri. Ring the bell if the door is locked. The quality of table tennis is much better than most clubs in Chicago (Spin, Killerspin, Mr Pingpong) - highly recommended if you want a serious game.

I wanted to take a moment to express how much I appreciate Chris and his wonderful family for…read morecreating such an outstanding pickleball facility and a vibrant community of fantastic people. From the very beginning, I've been a member and have truly enjoyed every minute spent at the Pickleball Clubhouse. His staff always impresses me with their kindness, courtesy, professionalism, and--most importantly--their genuine passion for pickleball. I make it a point to play several times each week, and it's always one of the highlights of my day. The positive energy and camaraderie at this club are unmatched. I wholeheartedly recommend the Pickleball Clubhouse to any player, regardless of experience. It's a place where everyone feels welcome, and the love for the game shines through in everything they do. Thank you for creating an environment that brings so much joy and connection to our community!

Pickleball Clubhouse is a true gem on the northwest side of the city. The owners and the staff are…read moretrue advocates of the sport. The legendary Thillens family is lucky to have the Sears family carry on the tradition of building a space where all in the community are welcome.

The Tennis League Network has been an incredible way to connect with other players in the city and…read moreget more time on court. The app is intuitive, personalized, and designed to create a truly unique player experience. It's also seamlessly integrated with other major tennis sites and channels. I highly recommend this league to anyone looking to get back into tennis, whether casually or competitively. Match scheduling is flexible, the player community is very active, and the division-based format is thoughtfully structured. The organizers are engaged, responsive, and clearly invested in the players' experience. I'm really glad I discovered this nationwide league--it's helped me grow my tennis network and keep pursuing my passion for the game!

Joining ChiTown Tennis is one of the best decisions I've made since moving to Chicago a few years…read moreago. I've already played 50 matches since joining in May! They quickly sort you to a league that's right for you, so I've played many competitive and fun matches. It's a great way to build a tennis community, and I couldn't recommend it more! Whether you're just picking up the game or returning to it after years off, it's a great choice. I wish I would have joined sooner!

There's another game in town…read more Unlike our city's baseball rivalry, you don't have to pledge your allegiance to one of our two local leagues; you can love them both, equally and unabashedly. In fact I saw several Rollers at the bout supporting not just the sport, but The Outfit. However, their recent admittance to the WFTDA might change that; I have an inkling there will be some cross-town bouts in the future, until then I'll remain Switzerland. The Outfit is how I imagine the Rollers about 3-4 seasons ago, before they were packing them in at UIC. There's something a little grittier about this team and I dig it. Two things that aren't different though are the diversity of the crowd and the hard-hitting roller girl-on-girl action from the likes of Queefer Sutherland, Suzie Crotchrot and their cohorts In case you're imagining something like G.L.O.W. on wheels or the theatrical, almost comical, women's roller derby that aired on weekends (at least when I was growing up); think again, this is real deal. No scripted routines; but real rules, real competition and real injuries. Most importantly these girls are skating because they love it, they're not paid performers. Check out the next home bout, it's a fun, cheap way to spend a Saturday evening. Just get there early, seating options are folding chairs or the floor and the front rows fill up fast. Details: Venue: Windy City Fieldhouse (next to the Elston Target) with FREE parking Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door Beer: $3, cheaper if you buy beer tickets in increments of $10

What wild FUN! Chick Power!…read more With fourteen stars divided equally between my two indispensable companions, we went out that night to see some chicks kick ass. And kick ass they did - on the other team. They even had a little demo at the beginning of the match to help Roller Derby newbies like me understand what was going on. And you can drink a beer. Rock. The Roller Derby girls' names - Mon Dieu, really hilarious and imaginative. And the women themselves were really personable and very sweet to all the little kids who surrounded them like infatuated fanboys after the game, jostling each other for autographs - super cute!!! Really fun night. I think I manufactured some extra estrogen that night watching this display of Ultimate Chick POWER!

I've been playing indoor volleyball with this sports league for several years now. I find this…read moreleague to be a little more organized than CMSA. The games are mostly at Center on Halsted, but if there are too many teams in a season there's overflow courts at secondary locations (we've had to play at Inter-American Magnet School and Welles Park in the past). I started out not knowing anything about volleyball, but there are a handful of people willing to help you learn and build skills. Sometimes your team may be offered a mentor if you ask. AAC also offers open gym sessions on Saturday mornings (fall/winter/spring). Games are on Tuesdays and Wednesday nights. Dues and team fees are certainly lower than CMSA. There are changing lockers on the 3rd floor by the courts. The only thing that I might comment on is that the rules for this league may vary a bit from other leagues or official NCAA rules. But that it caters to player safety and the venue (there's long nets separating the courts so it mitigates interference). But I will say this - the organizers are pretty prompt in responding to and addressing any of your concerns. This league also offers Beach Volleyball on Monday nights (at Montrose Beach) - it's less crowded than the Friday night league.

Athletic alliance of chicago (AAC), chicago's finest sports association. They hold indoor…read morevolleyball, beach volleyball, indoor floor hockey, indoor football, table tennis, darts and women's bastketball leagues. Check their website for more info and schedule of activities at www.athleticallianceofchicago.com

Coach Costel is a wonderful coach who does an amazing job of developing players. He gives his kids…read morethe skills to enjoy the game. Costel genuinely cares about these kids and invests a lot of himself in their development both as soccer players and as individuals. If you want your kids to improve and enjoy the game as they get older iProSkills is where you need to train. I'm addition to his team training he has open practices on Sundays and 4v4 pickup games on Saturdays during the winter. He also does day long camps whenever CPS has a day off.

Wow! What an outstanding program and assembly of the best managers and coaches I've ever seen. My…read moredaughter has played for 3 different travel teams since she was in 4th grade and Flow is by far the best well rounded program that we've seen. Margaret is the program director, she sends frequent emails on scheduling and is very easy to contact with questions or concerns. Communication is very well organized at flow and if you've ever been on a team where communication is a problem, then you will really appreciate this as we did. Kori is a former WNBA player and Coach! When the girls practice she plays with the girls, and shows the girls exactly how she wants the girls to do the exercise. Kori is an amazing sight to see, dribbling through the legs, around the back, spinning, fade away shots, no look passes etc etc. When the young girls get to see this in person it creates a whole different atmosphere. It would be like if Michael Jordan started a kid basketball program and also played with the kids. I know that is a strong reference, but after you see Kori run a practice, you will know what I mean. The passion and attitude that she passes on to the girls is truly a unique experience. Kori spent 10+ years as a coach or player in the highest level of competition in the WNBA and Division 1 college basketball, so you know that the drills being run and the daily practice plan are far far above any other program. Kathy is a true fundamental technician of basketball. She once spent 90 minutes straight with my daughter having her perfect her shot. Every week she'd give my daughter a drill to do at home and my daughter does it! She also offers a kind of 'tough love' to the kids, she pushes them but she knows how far to push them without pushing them off the cliff. And she always follows it up with positive criticism in a way that empowers the girls. Truly a fantastic coach that genuinely cares about her players. The assembly of these coaches all in one program is something I've never seen. When practice is over you can see the smiles and empowered confidence of the girls as they walk out of the gym. Another truly unique aspect is that after each tournament, the coach sends an email with a paragraph about each players performance- what they need to work on, what they did good, what the coach would like to see more out of them. My daughter never had a coach that did this before and its just another tool that Flow uses to engage the kids and boost their confidence. Another amazing aspect is that there are girls of all different talents in the program. There are certainly girls that have a high level of talent but there are also girls that have a lot of room for improvement. I've watched these beginner players evolve into strong and confident basketball players at such an accelerated rate. It's because of the coaches and drills and the overall direction and leadership of the program. Very impressive. I honestly was going to wait to put my review of Flow in until after my daughter got into high school, selfishly because I was worried about more people discovering this hidden gem of a program. But I just can't withhold it any longer out of good conscience.

We had participated on two other travel teams before coming to Flow Basketball. For various reasons…read morethe other teams were not what we were looking for: a disciplined approach to skill development and improvement in a competitive and fun basketball environment. That was four years ago and our daughter continues to enjoy playing this sport under the guidance of Coach Hlede. Goals are discussed at the beginning of the season. Practices are challenging and well organized and Korie is very open to working one on one in a particular area with the players to ensure they improve their moves. Another plus is that the gyms we use are closer to home thus making the commute easier for our busy family.

Don't recommend co-ed soccer 7v7. League rules don't make sense. Ref will give your player a yellow…read morethan make he/she sit out for 3 minutes so you're down a player. What is this? Hockey? Man advantage rules? Playoffs? Apparently they don't know how to schedule because they'll put double headers in the bracket for some teams whilst the other won their "bye week". Essentially teams in Quarterfinals will face off, then right after the winner has to face the semi-final team on that same day. So a fully rested team vs a half gassed team from a previous match. Save your money, look elsewhere

Anyone who's thinking of signing up for a Players Sport & Social Group league - I seriously urge…read moreyou to reconsider. They refuse to protect their players from abuse and harassment. During one of our games a member of the opposing team slapped one of our players on the butt, called them 'thunder thighs,' and told them to 'stop being a little bitch' when they complained. Teammates then yelled obscenities like "grab 'em by the pussy" to taunt our team. We brought a formal complaint to Players, per their conduct policy, and they refused to take action. Their reasoning included: -The opposing player was 'just drunk' -There's unwanted physical contact in sports all the time (note: the slapping was AFTER the play was over...) -It was a competitive game (irrelevant, and it wasn't - we won by slaughter rule) -Pro players slap ass all the time -"There's nothing we can do about it - call the police" -He didn't intend to harass anyone -It won't happen again This is appalling logic that's frequently used to excuse (often male-initiated) sexual harassment. They easily could and should have suspended the player. Instead they told us to just get over it and keep playing because "boys will be boys, especially when drunk."

We had a great experience at wonderplay today. We met up with a couple friends after having lunch…read morenearby. I was very surprised that it was too busy/crazy for a Saturday afternoon! There is a parking lot!! It's not big but HUGE WIN... We got two parking spots in the lot and didn't have to search for street parking. PTL! The play place is so big and very clean. There is a variety of spots for the kids; a big climbing area, a camp area, a small play cafe/market and of course a soft Play and library for littles under 4. I especially love that there is a cafe with coffees, drinks, juice and snacks for people to enjoy in their many seating areas. It perfect! The staff is super nice! We will for sure be back.

Wonderplay and Coffee is a fairly new indoor kids play and climb facility with a coffee shop…read moreattachment. We spent a cold Chicago morning at Wonderplay after hearing positive feedback and stories through social media. To avoid cabin fever (for our toddlers and ourselves as parents), we loaded ourselves in the car and bit the $22-play-fee bullet (two free adults included). Play areas are shoe-free and socks-only. There are little cubbies for adults and kids alike to store shoes, jackets, and bags. It was pretty chaotic at the entrance when we arrived but we still managed to find an open cubby. We arrived to a PACKED facility but manage to find our way to a corner with our coffees (I ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee; it's VietFive so I pretty much had to!) where we can tag team playing/supervising our toddler. There's a nice area for little ones under 4 to read of quietly place; surrounded by couches where caretakers can relax. Our toddler most enjoyed the adjacent market/kitchen are which included several wooden climbing structures and slides. Next, we went up into the climbing area which requires supervision for the littlest ones. Our brave little toddler had fun going through the whole structure twice before tapping out ("all done") despite the older kids 3+ as well as adults darting around / past us every so often. Last area we played in was the camping area. Our toddler loved the different play houses available and how it was less crowded than the kitchen area by the time we ventured over. There was a large climbing dome in the middle but it was still too advanced for us to really partake. I'm glad there were sanitizing stations throughout the facility. I wish that bathrooms weren't socks only since I did see liquid on the floor as well as a dirty shoe mark. And my only easy peasy suggestion would be adding adult height ledges so that we can place our coffees safely out of reach from the kids. We had a lovely time and plan to be back again!