I went to my first SCDG game last night. The opening bout of the 2011 season. I can say, with all…read morehonesty, that I have not had that good of a time anywhere else in a while. Not only are these women serious athletes and fearless competitors but they are beautiful, confident, intelligent, funny and individually unique. I want to be them when I grow up. Additionally, this was a very well produced event. The Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium is a great little venue. Tickets, security, music, beer and souvenir sales were all well run... and, for the novice, the game (rules, scoring etc) is explained briefly in the beginning with the teams taking a lap or two and going through the motions so as to make sure everyone in the audience understands and has a great time. I found this to be very, very helpful. This is definitely a family event, too. It is a serious game, but there is also a huge sense of fun. Kids are welcome and the theme of this bout was "mardi gras" so you saw people in costumes, masks, feather boas and beads. The announcers are funny and did a couple of giveaways before the event. Plus you saw a lot of great homemade signs made in support of favorite girls. Lastly, there were a lot of significant others and families involved by way of taking photos or otherwise volunteering. It was really a nice vibe. During halftime, the Jr. Derby Girls came out and did a short match as well. These girls are in the 10-17 age bracket and what a great thing to see. The comradery and spirit between the women of derby and the younger up and coming generation (coaching, supporting and standing by the sidelines to high five after the game) was really, truly heart warming. There is music and a lot of yelling during the match, of course, so if you're sensitive to that kind of thing you might consider bringing earplugs but I didn't find it to be a problem. It's FAR less loud than a concert that's for sure. So. There you have it. I am, from this day forward.. a HUGE fan... and I would highly recommend you check it out for yourself. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Also, SCDG is a non-profit. If you enjoy yourself, do consider donating. :-)

Kick a$$ girls rolling around the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, with a DJ spinnin' great tunes…read more.. what better way to spend a Saturday night?! I witnessed them SPANK the Redding Angry Beavers 121 - 22. Seriously, 99 point spread. Forget the roller derby you saw in the 70's, on TV. These girls are tough, graceful, and athletic!! The halftime show were dance numbers by students (kids and teens) of a Santa Cruz dance studio. They kept the place pumped up for the 2nd half. The bout was SOLD OUT! This is the place to be... you see families, older parent/grandparent types, kids, co-eds, and everyone in between. Spend the $20 and check it out for yourself. It's general admission but there's not a bad seat in the entire place. Of course, if you get a seat up front, you may get sprayed by perspiration when the girls come flying around the turn. Don't worry if you don't know the rules or understand the game. They do a quickie run down on the rules. Emceed by the one and only Lex, of Survivor fame. They sell cute t-shirts too! Get out there and show some love for the girls!

Here are my criteria for how I rate a dirt rack track:…read more How is the seating/bleachers? Wooden bleachers with back support. Somewhat comfortable; however, Merced Speedway has same back support, but more leg room. How is the food? For a track, you will be surprised here. They have BBQ pit going with burgers, tri-tip sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, dogs, and even chicken on a stick - my personal favorite. Of course they also have the typical junk food, but I appreciate that they went the extra mile to offer the fans something yummy. If you're in the pits, heads up - same selection is not available. Is outside food/beverage alllowed? Surprisingly yes. I still appreciate though that they let outside food in. Yes, the snack bar is good, but as a mom of little ones, I like the choice to bring in healthy little snacks for them without feeling guilty. How are the ticket prices? Fair. Sometimes they are a bit high depending on the cars racing though. Check the schedule for pricing in advance! What is the pit access like after the races? This is one of my least favorite things. The parking lot for fans is pretty far away from the track and even farther from the pits. So you can walk to the pits after the races (gate by track near restrooms will open) OR you can go get your car after the races and drive it in. If you walk, you will just have that much farther to walk back to your car once you are done visiting your favorite driver(s). How is the weather? COLD. No matter how warm the day is you can count on a cold evening unless is a RARE heat wave. I would highly suggest always dressing in warm clothes for this track and/or bringing blankets not only to sit on but to for bundling up. How are the announcers? Good, they sound professional and seem to know what they are talking about. As with any racing event, I always appreciate when and if they will explain things assuming there will be first time fans in the stands. How is the flow of racing? Decent, once they get going. How is the parking lot? Lot is FAR away and there is no place for handicapped parking clearly marked. Or if they have it, it's always gone. I have a relative with a permanent sticker and also my mom has a handicapped card as well and the parking is always an ordeal. If you need close parking plan to get here EARLY for something decent. Also, much of the lot is DIRT if you get there late. Lines are not clearly marked either so the dirt lot ends up being a free-for-all with folks making up their own spaces and sometimes folks have gotten blocked in. I also had a bad experience in this lot back in 2006 - someone hit my car (only a week old!) and also scratched it up pretty good. I had to make an insurance claim. Park at your own risk as you would at any track or sporting event. Try to steer clear of parking on edges where you might get hit by reckless drivers after the races. How are the bathrooms? Fair. There a lot of stalls which is nice. Never a line. However, the restrooms are far from the grandstands and if you are towing little ones it's a long walk with a toddler who is "holding it." Plan wisely with little ones. Bottom Line: If I could take a start off for being COLD, I would. But they can't control the weather so I won't. It's my main reason for disliking this track. I hate being out in the cold and I would rather be soaking up the warmth of the central valley tracks even though the food and program here is much better. Misc Thoughts: They seem to have gotten really strict on "in/out privileges." I have no clue why. There must be a reason but be careful of this - don't leave anything in your car you might need later. The promoter does a good job having kid-friendly events so check the schedule for free-kids night etc with extra activities going on. Be mindful, the lower seats can get really muddy especially with certain cars. Arrive early for higher seats. Another note is that for some reason at the track, the fuel burning in the cars really burns my eyes badly unlike any other track. I don't know why this is. Maybe it's the air or fog trapping in the fumes? I have no clue, I just know that my eyes burn really bad here and I don't have this problem at other tracks. So if your eyes tend to get sensitive, consider bringing protective eye gear. My purpose for writing dirt track reviews is to offer info for drivers/families who may not have visited the track before and have no idea what to expect!

They don't have a working phone number. I think this place is a scam. All numbers listed are out of…read moreservice.

Faultline volleyball, under the national organization of Faultline Starlings, makes volleyball…read moreaccessible. We are blessed that this group has moved into the area under the directorship of Joe Gamecho and Bree Nering. We have experienced coaches and dedicated leader ship that are responsive and communicative with their parents. FSV Is a 'family' that I am grateful to be a part of.

This club has always been great. The owners are total volleyball families that I have seen at…read moremultiple volleyball events from their daughters teams to MPC, to CSUMB games.They have encouraged our daughter and been so supportive from the beginning. They strive to allow for an affordable option on the Peninsula which allows for girls to remain competitive in a sport they love---which is really admirable. Their older daughter (Amaya) played with our daughter in high school and is now coaching for them-she was always so upbeat, encouraging and kind. We are lucky to have them on the Peninsula!

These girls are energetic, tough, and competitive! Great fun to watch them battle it out on…read morerollers. You can get right up close to the action (though don't be surprised if one of the Dames takes a tumble into you!), be entertained for hours & generally have a grand ol' time for just $15. How can you beat that? Equally important is the fact that the Dames treat their fans right. They are personable & even have an "after party" where fans can hang out with their favorite Dames. And they support younger girls through a derby tots program that helps build confidence & character in young ladies.

Monterey will no longer be only known for just Canary Row, The Aquarium or Seca Raceway any more…read more They will now be known for their Dames, bad ass ladies that kick ass on the Derby circuit track. A new team, newly established by former members of other Bay Area teams, and fresh blood that have trained hard to jam, block and skate their way to your hearts. Don't miss out on the action derby pack fun and make sure to cheer for The Dames. They've worked hard to make a great impression in the Bay Area, so let them represent and show you what their made of. Get ready for a rockin' show!

My schedule can be pretty restrictive but I was able to find a co-ed softball league on Monday…read morenight to play. Were it not for ZogSports, with the level of organization and follow-through, I would not have played softball at all last year (for love of the game!) nor made some solid connections that have endured past the end of the season. Thank you, ZogSports!

This review is purely for Zog's volleyball league. This league is extremely beginner level. Lots of…read morework teams and new players. Occasionally you will have a couple people who come into this league knowing how to play volleyball but are there anyways for a ego boost. If you are new to volleyball, read here. Yes this league may be a good starting point as it's very beginner level play, it's good for work teams and meeting new people. But you won't want to be here for long. There are the occasional try-hards that will come into the league to feel good about themselves by hitting hard and running plays on a net that's lower than women's height. Another downside is that some of these players think they can play but in fact they are very dangerous and make it very unsafe. Landing under the net and causing ankle sprains when you block is very common here. So play smart, watch out for others. If you have some volleyball experience and understand the game, read here. This league is very poorly ran. You have one ref that does not understand the rules of volleyball. No calls are made, clear doubles where the ball is spiraling, crazy players who jump and land under the net, players touching the net and lifts. You call your own lines, so in and out calls are all on you and the other team. The ref literally is there to just blow the whistle for serve and then flip the score. They dont even have anyone setting up the nets for you as well, so you need to set it up yourself. The net is literally lower than womens height. So if you're here playing with some new friends who are learning to play, have some integrity to play to the level of others and be safe. I played in this league before it became Zog (Dynamic sports) id say it has changed but not for the better. Same stuff as it was 5-6 years ago. If you are looking for some better play there are other leagues out there. Campbell Community center used to have a good one they may or may not still be running. Then there's IVL if you're looking for competitive play. Zog by far is the most expensive league and the total amount of games you play in the season is less then all these other leagues I mentioned. So if you're factoring bang for your buck. Zog is definitely not that.

Our 2nd summer here and I would never allow my child ther again! The counselors are inexperienced…read moreand have no communication skills towards the parents when an issues arrives. My son got bullied during his time there and I have picked my son and he was crying his eyes out. That has not happened before! So I had asked the camp counselors what had happened and I was totally IGNORED! I'm not a "helicopter" mom, if that is what you are thinking. I believe all children (who are human beings) will get into conflicts one way or another and I know my son is old enough to speak up to an adult when the situations happens. But this time he did and the counselors didn't even bother to break up the fight or talk to the bullying parents about it.

3 stars for a beautiful facility, and the fact my daughter seemed to have a good time, but I'm left…read morepretty baffled by the attitudes we received from the staff. Condescending responses to any questions we had, eye rolls, no smiles. I have no way to know how the staff actually dealt with the children throughout the day, but nearly every leader appeared downright miserable to be there. I was pretty bummed to pick my daughter up on her last day and, despite being surrounded by five counselors for about 10 minutes, not a single one ever acknowledged us and said goodbye to her. I actually understand/expect underdeveloped skills in dealing with the parents (although a reminder that they are the ones forking over the money for this thing might be helpful), because you're really there for the kids, but I suggest a little training in general courtesy. We won't be back.

Had a great time playing with a fun crew of my friends around the Bay. This was really nice to have…read morea weekly reason to get together during the work week and reminded me of being back in college again. Would love to add flag football to the mix and longer game times/ larger fields for more team play!

I had a great time doing Play Recess! I've done two seasons now and each has been a blast! Met…read moresome awesome people and had some good laughs! I would say if your goal is to meet new people and have some fun playing different games each week, then Play Recess is for you! If your goal is to join a super competitive league, then you should join Zog or something else. I've done three types of sports leagues in SF and here is how I see it (I'm sure it varies a bit sport to sport but this is what I have experienced). Play Recess - Most social - Least competitive SF Social - Medium social - Medium competitive Zog Sports - Least social - Most competitive

We've had a wonderful experience with this club. Our daughter has grown so much over the past…read moreyear--not only as a volleyball player, but also in confidence and teamwork. The coaching is excellent, and the team culture is supportive, positive, and motivating. Highly recommend!

If your daughter is not a Panda player, I would think twice before sending her to this club for…read moreclinics, open gyms, or camps. In my experience, communication has been very poor, and communication in English can be challenging. You may see only one or two head coaches actively leading the sessions, while the rest of the practice is often supported by parent volunteers. I also felt that players who were not part of the Panda club did not receive the same level of attention or treatment as club players. If your daughter is attending as an outside player, I would recommend asking questions beforehand to make sure the program will meet her needs and that she will be welcomed and supported.

Awesome Coaches Laid back atmosphere…read more Would recommend! My Granddaughter has been taking hitting classes at Vibe for over a year , AND IT SHOWS!!

Matt and Anthony have been awesome! My kid has been with them since day 1 and his progression has…read morebeen top notch. They are not there to just take your money, they are truly rooting for your kids but they expect you to put in work away from the facility to help your game. Could not say enough great things about this place and the pieces that they have added with other instructors.