I am sure I have reviewed KARE before... maybe there are 2 listings? My son has been there 3 years now. We love it. They rotate the sport cycle so basically your kid gets to do all 4 major sports, for him its: Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, then Football in the fall. He loves it. They also have girls sports. I love the coaches and the kid coaches (mostly high schoolers from their Arcadia campus private HS helping out ) It is Christian based and they do have a bible study type of team meeting once per week. I don't love the big fundraiser at the end of the school year, which includes mandatory selling of 150.00 worth of circus tickets, but at least we are not peddling chocolates all year long. I guess I can handle one big one. read more

Kare Youth League - Great day for some Baseball! Go Tarheels!!! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Arcadia, California

It has 4 fields with a very nice green lawn and a gymnasium. Great for kids throughout the year for soccer, football and baseball. It offers various summer fun, camps, field trips and nationwide tours. Their staff is knowledgable and exceptional! read more

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Wow! Nice to see they're still going strong. I joined Boys Christian League (BCL, their name at the time) while in the second grade, around 1964. I was in El Monte at Mulhall Elementary School at the time. I was in BCL for 5 years until 1969. What a difference and direction it gave me in life! My Leaders were Francis Ostergard (Mr. Francis at the time), Jim Shubert, Armand Maaskamp, Dave Carson, and others. I hope I didn't butcher their names too bad! Old friends that were there at the time were Richard Dunia, his brother Johnny and Redjuan (sp?), Mike Barraque, Don Class, and many others. The astonishing thing that still amazes me today is we started playing tackle football in the 2nd grade. The habits and values they instilled in me have never left. I'm in a lot of the old "Interleaguers" that the old timers will remember. Best wishes to all. Sincerely, Attorney Ronald H. Martin III read more

One of the best youth (pre-k to 7th grade) sports league in Los Angeles, located in Arcadia, Irwindale, Covina and Upland. Focuses more on the kids growth in both sports and character rather than just trying to win, which gives more kids the chance to play when compared to city teams. The league is still very competitive, and it's great to see kids that start at a young age with almost no ability end up gaining a lot more coordination, skill and toughness through the years. More importantly, the program helps kids build strong character through team sports, camps, fundraising events and volunteering opportunities. I went through the program as a kid and plan to send my daughter here when she is old enough. Highly recommended. read more

I belonged to BCL from 1949 until 1952 when we moved to CT. Mr. Ostergard was the leader of the Monrovia group. I recall meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays for worship and planning and then a practice of the sport in season. On Saturdays we would play against one of the other cities. I had a wonderful upbringing and BCL was a major part of that. read more

Love this school and what it has to offer! I graduated from Kare in the 90's and have only wonderful things to say about my experiences there. Not long ago I attended a reunion and was able to catch up with most of my classmates. They have gone on to do amazing things in life! Many of them have successful and fulfilling careers as doctors, authors, musicians, scientists, educators, artists, and business leaders. My nephew currently attends Kare and he loves it. The core values that I experienced as a student are still intact. The campus and facilities are integrated with the latest technologies and are practically brand new. Plus, the teachers, principal, and staff are fantastic! Classes in the middle school are small, around 15 kids per class. We are very fortunate to be a part of this school! read more

I am sad to say that this Christian organization has extremely disappointed me. My children were previous members of the Kare Youth League. They stopped playing sports at Kare because my 6 year old son has long hair, and and at the time he was instructed by Mr Bolinger that he had to either cut it or pull it back. My son was reluctant to do either of the two, so we discontinued or membership. As 2 years has passed, my son now feels comfortable pulling his hair back, so we proceeded by returning as members to Kare. At this point not only my 6 year old, but my 4 year old have long hair. The organization allowed us to pay the fees, and placed us on teams. My sons excitedly awaited practice the entire week. When we arrived to practice, Mrs Drain called us into the office demanding that my sons cut their hair. She continued by stating that I knew the policy and accused me of trying to trick the league into letting my children play. As I attempted to speak she continuously spoke over me, never giving me the chance to speak. After disgusting me beyond belief with her lack of regard for my opinion or what I had to say, she proceeded by stating that I would need to speak with Mr Bolinger. Mr Bolinger equally disappointed me. I reminded him of when he told me that my son could play if he pulled back his hair, and of the other boys that played and pulled back their hair, and he proceeded by claiming that I was a liar. Upon asking for the rationale behind the policy that boys cannot have long hair, Mr Bolinger stated that "We are a team and everyone should look the same." The last thought I left him with was that fact that they are sending the message to small children, that they must conform to certain standards in order to be part of a team, and that should never be true. My children cried their eyes out, and never once did any of the staff apologize for the "confusion." As a mother of 3, a lover of children, and an advocate for all, I am truley heartbroken that an organization that calls themselves Christian can be so callous, and rude, and send such a sickening message to young children. If i recall correctly, in bible school they sang this song "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world..." Now that's the message they should send to these children. And for the record they don't deserve that 1 star, but I had to select it... read more

::. Arcadia, California .:: The lack of common courtesy is amazing these days. If you're lucky enough to have them answer your phone call, don't expect them to be helpful in regards to information. When someone calls inquiring about your sports league, you would assume a polite explanation of the enrollment process and how things work would be a reasonable expectation, but I suppose figuring things out for yourself seems more reasonable to them. I'm just not a fan of uncourteous service, surprisingly coming from a Christian organization. I spoke with a girl named Maura and she's extremely condescending. I don't know how old she is, but no parent should have to deal with her attitude. We have our own children to deal with. read more

Came to Acadia in 1991 with boys 7 and 14 years old...It gave my boys the edge necessary to learn control & respect for authority!! Fast Forward son completed High School, Graduated with a BA in Accountant, and just completed his CPA. He's living his life with future travelling! I'm sold on Kare Youth League and the sports they encourage. read more

Our first year at KYL has exceeded our expectations. We are very impressed with this organization and all they do for the kids involved! The hair issue - I totally understand it. When we started our KYL journey, our son (a Kindergartner at Pearl Prep) wanted to play t-ball. To do so, he was told he needed to cut his hair, which was pretty long at the time. It was hard to do BUT he decided he wanted to play ball with friends more than he wanted long hair and out came the scissors. Rules are rules. He got over it. We now have both boys playing at KYL, and I'm going to admit, my boys are not the most athletic kids. But that doesn't matter! Unlike the City league we were once involved with, the parents are not super competitive here and it seems good sportsmanship matters more to the coaches than winning. We are still somewhat new to Kare, but so far we couldn't be happier. We're very excited to see what the upcoming school year has in store for us! read more

About a year ago I wanted to look into sports for my kids. I've been calling off and on all times of the day ever since. I'm not able to get any information. No one ever answers or calls me back. I'm so sad as my siblings and cousins used to attend back in the 70's when it was called BCL. I really did try :( read more

I had my child play here for 4 years. We love it! Coaches really build the kids self esteem and value their efforts. I wish we didn't have to stopl playing, but we don't live in the area anymore. They told me I can come back or transfer to another of their locations if we want. They provide financial assistance if needed also which is private and the other members of your team don't know about it. We are not a religious family and although they do some talks after practice I didn't feel they pushed it to hard or forced ideas or beliefs on anyone. read more

My 8-year old son is very timid but the Kare Youth Program has helped him flourish. The boys sports programs are well organized and provides a fun experience for all kids, no matter their skill level. If your child needs help, they work with them. All kids are given the same opportunity to play in all the games and will not feel left out. We have been fortunate to have Coach Mosher and Coach Johnny lead our team. Both provide positive reinforcements, along with firm discipline. I am glad I enrolled my son, and proud to see him grow more confident everyday. I would highly recommend this program for all entry-level, or experienced players to join. Well worth the money. Thanks Kare! read more

I am the grandmother of the Diaz family. I am greatly disappointed in Kare Youth. The Diaz children joined Kare Youth a couple of years ago. Summer and Gabriel. Gabriel was starting to let his hair get long, he was told by the coach that he needed to wear his hair in a ponytail if he wanted to play sports there, he was not comfortable with that at that time. Now he was ready, his brother Ben now 4 was ready to play. They both have long hair. Kare Youth allowed them to pay fees. The day they went to find out their team and practice schedule. They were told they needed to cut their hair. After a very rude office person and coach, crying disappointed boys my granddaughter broke ties with Kare Youth. We are spreading the word on their conduct. Summer is doing gymnastic with El Monte Parks and Recreation and boys are playing baseball at Lambert Park no problem with their hair at all. read more

I have two kids and have participated in a wide array of sports programs and camps in the local area. This place just felt a bit creepy. Very religious and they force the issue. Bible study during practice - every practice. They require you play every sport and are inflexible - not service oriented. The first day we saw a family pleading with the director for a refund when their son with a broken arm (he was standing there in a cast) couldn't play. The director was refusing to issue refund per policy. Oh and by the way they still had to Participate in a mandatory fundraiser despite being out all season. I should have run the other way but despite my gut we gave it a try. My kid was one of the best kids on the soccer team but was prohibited to play in the final season game as she had missed too many other games. This was due to a preplanned vacation the place knew about in advance. Totally out of her control and not a lack of dedication. So essentially she was a key member of the team who got them to the finals and then couldn't play because her parents had a preplanned vacation which resulted in missed games. I get they want to teach kids dedication but to punish a young child this way is unfair. She showed up to all practices and most games and had no control over a preplanned vacation. Oh and finally, I alerted the director of the vacation before we signed up and it was fine by them except they failed to mention my child would be prohibited from play offs if she had missed X number of games during season. Besides all of that yeah, it just has a creepy cult vibe. read more

This place encourages BULLYING. I came here a few years ago and then my cousin enrolled and apparently things haven't changed. I know for a fact the unbelievable reason for all of the bullying... My Experience: I have had a lot of family enroll into this program. Everyone in my family who enrolled was BULLIED DAILY by the coaches and the kids. When I was there, all the kids teased me and purposely excluded me out of the conversation. Some even made fun of my prayer (I prayed for my grandma's health). A girl shoved me into a parked car. Another tried to drown me in the pool at a coaches house. The coaches would witness these things right in front of them and say nothing. I'd tell my coach about these incidents and they said nothing. A coach called me stupid at age 7 (considered a bad word and is punishable if a kid says it). The coaches even forgot me at Mt. Kare in the snow. Alone. At age 10. The drove back to the cabins and left me freezing until maybe 30 minutes later. They never apologized for it and acted as though everything was OK. Shows how they can neglect kids easily and not do a head count in the bus. All these things and more happened despite their talk about loving one another. I never understood why everyone hated me. The Unbelievable Reason: My cousin then enrolled into the club. She had friends there and everyone liked her. Then one day, suddenly everyone stopped talking to her. All the girls shunned her like they did me and bullied her. She finally got one of her friends alone and asked why won't she talk to her anymore. The girl said "Coach said not to talk to you anymore. We are not allowed to." When asked "why?" The girl said "because you have to join Pearl Prep (Kare Youth's private school) to have us talk to you. We can only talk to people in the school." My cousin stopped going after that. I know a few people who aren't family who were bullied as well. This place is slowly becoming infamous in El Monte. Everything I wrote is true. Unbelievably true. It sounds like exaggerations, but honestly, there's no need to do that. They bullied kids only because they didn't join the prep school?! Are you kidding me? This school does NOT teach Christian values. Do yourself a favor and find any other Christian Club for your kids. read more

I attended KYL for a few years between 1978 and 1980. KYL is a special school that gave me my best childhood memories. I pursued a degree in business from USC and credit KYL for instilling academic discipline. Thank you to all of my teachers.....God Bless. read more

I have been involved with this youth league for several years. They have a great, committed group of coaches and administrators who work very hard for the youth. My children (4 of them) have passed through the league, or are currently involved, and they have had many, many good experiences. I can not comment on other person's ideas problems with hair length, etc.. We have never had any problems. The coaches seek to get everyone involved in playing on the field. This should appeal to all parents, but especially those parents who have kids that may be kept on the bench in other, more competitive situations. The coaches really seek to promote instruction across various sports. Another important positive is that they rotate through a number of different sports, and your kids stay on the same team. This does help build team cohesion and leads to more meaningful relationships between the kids. The coaches are committed, caring persons who dedicate significant time to genuinely help the youth grow who are under their charge. Just a word about those who run the league. I have spoken with a lot of persons involved in running the league, and I have been impressed by their courtesy, even-handedness and efforts to enforce consistency in expectations for behaviour across all teams. Let's face it. This is not a easy job. It is a large league, and they seek to involve youth from all sorts of backgrounds. I have been involved in other, different youth leagues (such as little league and girls softball), and this league is well run. It is well worth it to enroll your children in this league. Just understand their rules and expectations in advance. I would say that the positive benefits your children will get from the coaches, the competition, and the occasional team outings will far outweigh any types of boundaries or restrictions you may see or perceive. These are reasonable, good people who genuinely seek to help youth succeed in life. I hope that you have the chance to give them your support. I have read the other reviews, and can not comment on someone's personal interaction with individuals. However, I am seeking to give you a first hand perspective, over several years, from someone like myself that has no direct ties to the league but has genuinely benefited from it across different sports, over several years, in activities for both boys and girls. read more