"I feel like a number I'm not a number…read moreDammit I'm a man" (Bob Seger) We didn't visit the Oakwood Sports Center to run on their 40,000 square feet of turf fields, bounce a ball on their 30,000 square feet of basketball/volleyball courts, smash a forehand on one of their 6 pickleball courts, or workout somewhere on their 5,000 square feet of turf for strength and conditioning training. Oh no, we were there to check out the sixty-five home repair and maintenance exhibitors at the Hartford Home Show. The exhibitors represented a very wide cross section of things a homeowner has to deal with. Want some examples? Of course you do. Here's a few samples of the vendor categories (and you might want to take a deep breath before you read this). Kitchens, Bathrooms, Windows, Roofing, Siding, Landscaping, Gutters, Solar, Decks, Dormers, Sunrooms, Awnings, Basements, Doors, Fences, Flooring, Pavers, Waterproofing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Garage Doors, Painting, Custom Woodworking, Skylights, Security Systems, Tree Service, Chimney Services, Energy Conservation, Insulation, Lawn Care, Liquid Vinyl Coating, Mattresses, Furniture Refinishing, Millwork, Storage Facilities, Real Estate Sales, Mold Remediation, Power Washing, and Wireless Internet Services. I guess that covers everything except nosy neighbors. The Home Show was inside a large open area where we walked up and down the aisles and answered the same questions countless times about the condition of our roof and gutters. We checked out the rest of the facility, and saw they had a full bar, food service, and a nice seating area overlooking the indoor athletic fields where youth leagues were going at it. Oakwood Sports Center really is quite an impressive facility.

Great Park in Rocky Hill but very different from Elm Ridge Park…read more In contrast to Elm Ridge, Maxwell Park boasts a fenced in area to play street hockey, soccer fields, and two tennis courts. The park also has several vending machines for soda's and energy drinks. Similar to Elm Ridge Park, Maxwell Park has a playground, a covered pavilion for picnics and two softball fields. It is also very clean and the grounds are well maintained by the town.

Very nice Park; Clean with a Tennis Court; Deck Hockey rink fenced in; softball/baseball field and…read moresoccer field. There is a play area for kids; there is plenty of parking and even a handicap porta potty. There is a water fountain and soda/energy drink vending machine.

James Perkins of Elite Soccer Performance is the best coach and trainer my daughter has ever worked…read morewith. As a strong travel soccer player my nine year old daughter wanted to improve her game enough to earn a spot on a premiere team. She worked with James weekly throughout the summer and in August attended try outs for one of the most competitive teams in the state. When I saw the drills they judged her on at try outs I knew without a doubt that she would not have had a chance of making the team if she had not worked with James. She was offered a spot on the premiere team and has continued to work with James on her speed and footwork. Everyone who has watched her play is amazed at the improvement she has made working with James Perkins. He is truly amazing.

James Perkins is a great coach, trainer and person. His attention to detail is second to none. He…read moreknows how to push the players to the next level. He is a great teacher and he builds confidence. He trains my daughter and she loves every session! He knows how to continue working on their strengths while developing their weaknesses in the game. He is fantastic to adapting to each players needs and he really connects with each player. I am a coach myself but to my daughter I am still mom. James is fantastic with my daughter and I can see her confidence on the ball and her skill develop after each session to where she uses it on the field and has success!

We come to the playground here and love it. My son calls it the "airplane playground" because of…read morethe airplane play structure. There's plenty to climb on, swing on, slide on, and sand to dig in.

Separate areas for kids of all ages... Playscape's for all ages too.... There is also an enormous…read moresandbox... The ground is covered with padded surface material and mulch in some places. There is one playscape that looks like an aerospace....with a Pratt& Whitney logo...really kool. Tennis courts, basket ball courts, soccer field... Picnic tables and most importantly clean restrooms. Huge parking lot and more parking by the soccer field as well.

Decent spot -- getting a bit old & its a challenge to get spots there.read more

Review 100! I would like to thank the Yelp community for showing me the ways, helping me to become…read morean active member, and encouraging me to Yelp bravely in this big world. It's fun, it's helpful, and you just feel good about it when you do it ;) I would also like to thank my stomach, because let's be honest, most of my check ins are food and drink related. I'd also like to thank my curiosity for driving me to eat daring and explore often. So finally I review Oakwood. I have been playing soccer here since 2004 when I played with the UConn Club team. Some things have grown and changed, but some things still stay the same. Both have their pluses and minuses. The referees are the same. Some of these guys I remember calling my games 8 years ago. Many of them still remember me and the teams I played with. That's pretty cool. With different refs though you get different interpretations of the rules as you will with any sport. Sometimes it gets a little frustrating I will admit, but when you know them by their names you can't really be mad at them (maybe just for a few minutes). You do see the same teams, the same players year after year. It really is just like a big soccer club. Everyone knows everyone and eventually you end up playing on the same team or against each other at one point or another. The co-ed leagues do vary in their competitiveness. Some teams take it very seriously (sometimes too much) and some just want to have fun. Teams are kind of expensive, so I would suggest recruiting quite a few people. Besides, you never know who can make when, etc. because the co-ed games range from 6:30 kickoffs to 10:30. If you are a woman and looking to play, teams almost always need players on any given day of the week. Super easy to get in on a team and meet some new people! They recently put in new turf this year. Cleats are not allowed, but I highly recommend turf shoes rather than regular indoor shoes/flats. I was slipping and sliding everywhere in my old indoor shoes. They just were not cutting it. They also have a nice bar and small snack bar for post game camaraderie. Another new addition there since my first sessions there are showers in the changing rooms! There are a few small "rooms" off the main changing room area with some nice showers. These "rooms" however do not have doors, but it's better than nothing. If you are missing something (or you forgot it running out the door for work that morning) they do have a shop there too. They sell shorts, replica jerseys, t-shirts, socks, and shoes. Oakwood has everything you need for getting back into soccer or continuing your football frenzy addiction.

The new building they've moved into is huuuge. Tons of items to choose from and with a bunch of…read morepeople working there to help! Love it.

I really hated my experience, it was my second time selling there today. I came in with maybe…read more40-50 golf clubs today, mostly boys and then a partial set of great quality/desirable adult clubs. Long story short, after about forty five minutes of giving them as much space as possible to discuss the value amongst themselves, they came up with about $90. When I asked what they were taking, they said "whatever isn't there anymore", and wouldn't show me. When I asked what all it consisted of, they read down a list of about14 clubs. Then because I opted for a check that ninety something was suddenly $56 and change for the list of 14 clubs, when I'd already agreed to the higher value. I asked if this was the norm, and he said yes about 30-40% difference between store credit and check. As soon as it was clear that I didn't have it in me to continue insisting to see a break down, a few of the other employees watching the interaction left with smug smirks knowing they'd gotten over on me. The experience overall felt incredibly predatory. I went in there as a reseller myself, knowing they obviously need to make a profit for their investment and time. I've also sold golf clubs there a few years back and the lady who helped me was very transparent and had no problem telling me how much was being offered for what. It was close to closing time, and I'd been there for about 45 minutes with my ten year old. Needless to say, $56 for 14 clubs when a single one could easily demand that or more is just taking complete advantage. I will not be returning to this business. I feel incredibly gaslit by the way the employee gave me a number, then it was cut nearly in half when I was not going to spend it there. Then he couldn't negotiate (because of the limitations of his system) or show me my items that were being sold. When I asked about a crazy number on the other clubs, I was told by another employee that I could leave them there for scrap because they have a guy, when there was probably plenty (out of about 30) that would have been sold had I opted to do so. I was putting my trust in them since they specialize in this area, and I anticipated and was happy to leave a healthy profit margin, but they took complete advantage of the situation and we will be finding an alternative outlet. I regret doing business there today, and left feeling completely violated.

Sunny Crest Park has got the Green…read more The entrance to this park is near the intersection of Parsonage Street and Apple Grove Lane. There is a single private parking lot which allow you the full view of the park. The south side of the park has a baseball field. The west side of the park is set up for soccer. The north and east sides of the park makes up one large open field that is large enough to be use for any sort of field sports or recreation. There was a game of cricket being played by a large group while we were here. With its ease of access and large green space this would be a great park for anything that involves playing or relaxing in the sun on some nice green grass.

Nothing beats a buy one get one half off! The store had great deals throughout and the festive…read moretouches made it even bette. The staff offered popcorn and candy canes while we shopped. at checkout the cashier even gave me a reusable bag. Lots of different variety of shoes to choose from!

I finally went into the store and was able to find a couple of good pairs of shoes. Athletic shoes…read morethat is. The value was pretty good that day ,they had buy one, get the second pair half off. I'm not sure if it's always like that. I doubt it. The service was very nice. Very polite and quick. I would definitely return. Good selection.