This league is a great way to meet new (fun) people. Even if u haven't played kickball since middle…read moreschool, everyone is supportive & really just there to have a good time. All ages & abilities are welcome, & there's always McNally's after the games to socialize &/or brush up on your flip-cup skillz!

I don't do reviews often, but GSK has earned one. The league is a ton of fun and a great way to…read moremeet people. I've been playing for something like six to eight seasons now and have enjoyed every one of them. Some of my closest friends I met through kickball, and a lot of the others I've convinced to join and come much closer with because of it! The league does their best to keep the games fun and lighthearted while leaving enough room for those of us that enjoy the competition of team sports. The group of people running the league are fantastic - I've become very close to a few of them (partially through seeing them so often at the games and parties, partially through arguing some calls in close games!). If you're looking for a way to meet a fun group of people, enjoy a little friendly competition, or just want to run around and drink some beers on Thursday nights, I would highly recommend giving Golden State Kickball a shot.

As far as races go, you can't beat this deal. The 4th Sunday of every month, rain or shine, they…read morehold their races. 5K, 10K, or 15K at rock bottom prices. You can tell their goal is to get people running and exercising. Very friendly, motivating group that encourages runners at all levels. They also have training runs and marathon training programs.

Lake Merritt Joggers and Striders was founded in 1977 by a small group of joggers at Lake Merritt …read more I'm not a member of this club, however, I have participated in their races in the past and even placed 2nd in my age group - wOOt...wOOt!! This club is a nonprofit organization that hosts runs every fourth Sunday of the month. The runs consist of 5K (1 lap), 10K (2 laps) and 15K (3 laps) races around Lake Merritt. The fee is $3 for Club members, and $5 for non-members. The course distance is certified and the course is flat. All runners receive finisher ribbons. Place ribbons are awarded three deep.

This review is long overdue form my time at Cal, but I went to RSF throughout my time at Berkeley…read moreand loved it. It was fairly good and clean gym, they do get super busy in the evenings and have time limits for machines (during busy times), but oh well. I did take taekwondo there too, though though I wasn't too keen on the teaching style. I did love the equipment, mostly running, used the pool, and it was fairly decent experience overall as a student

The RSF weight room is honestly the bare minimum. For a multi-billion dollar university like…read moreBerkeley, the lifting space feels like something you'd see in an underfunded high school.

Tried to swim with this team, but then I found out I would have to pretty much swim for one hour…read morestraight. Sure, there were breaks of 2-5 minutes (I stretched it out as long as possible), but I was done after two lengths of the pool. Then they started talking about something called the Butterfly. I thought they were talking about the bugs flitting about the lawn, not some contrived contortion-requiring swim style. How could they expect me to do that after my two lengths!? I couldn't even get my hands out of the water, let alone my arms and head! I was able to float like a cork in the middle of the lane though. Some of those with whom I was swimming didn't seem to appreciate or empathize with my exhaustion. Oh well, If I could have moved, I would have. Coach Vanessa was very nice about it all, even when suggesting that I get some lessons to learn the crawl stroke...she called it Free Style. I think it has its roots in some form of dance, rapping, or something else that's musical. I give them 5 stars because of Vanessa's friendly approach and honesty, and because of those five people who helped lift me out of the pool. They were nice, and I was exhausted. Next time I'll start out with one length... BTW, the surrounding grass was wonderful to collapse in once they winched me out of the pool!

Probably the best master's team in the Bay Area. Frindly community, great workouts! Swimming twice…read morea day, every day, nearly every day of the year!

East Bay Flag Football is a wonderful program for children, boys and girls…read more Proof is in the pudding: My ten year old does not miss a practice. He's ready to participate at every event and insist that we arrive on time. I watch him develop physical and mental athleticism in a short amount of time. He's memorized receiving routes and plays with ease. He gets a solid workout four days a week. The coaching staff: The coaches are organized and equipped with the equipment to run full apprehensive flag football practices. The coaching applied during practice give my child cognitive understanding of football techniques which he can identify while watching NFL games. Bright eyes and smiles: I observe the practices and it warms me to see the children wide eyed with excitement and huge smiles from their accomplishments. I recommend East Bay Flag Football to any parent(s) or guardian(s) whom desire for their child to play football without the worry of brain or body trauma from full contact football. JAHN

I have heard many great things about this league from friends. Great coaches, all around fun and…read moresupportive... My son loved playing flag football with his afterschool program when he was younger, but he hasn't had the opportunity to join a team as a middle schooler. He is very excited to play again. We are fortunate to have found a program that is accessible and can be affordable to single, working moms. I'll update my review with more details as the season progresses. Thank you EBFF!

My son loves to swim. In fact, it is the only sport he has shown any interest in. We have been…read moretrying for several years to find him more swimming opportunities. Unfortunately, the only options in Alameda, where we live, are chronically closed to new swimmers. I ended up doing a google search to see what Oakland had to offer, and I'm so glad I did. We just started with the Oaklantis pre-team. It is fantastic, and exactly what we were looking for - a low pressure way for him to get some experience being on a team, while improving his strokes. The instructors are knowledgeable, the practices are organized, the team's communication is prompt and thorough, and the pricing reasonable. Most importantly, my son is having a great time, which is really what I want from an athletic activity.

I'm gonna say my son Dj started out in Oaklantis back when he was only 5yrs old! back then it was…read moreonly a few kids, Coach Scott had his vision and Dream of a populated swim ‍ team! First teaching younger and older kids to swim and training them to be confident and excellent swimmers ! And competitive training to compete against other swimmers! Thank you Coach Scott I'm convinced this is a way of giving back to our community! It's those little seeds that were sowed relentless hours putting in that "Grit" that kept Coach Scott going! And now look!! Oaklantis has blossomed so much!! We appreciate your encouragement and support! For our kids and community Thank you Best, Talmera and Dj

Where to start, ole Bill likes to come off as he is a softball expert. My question would be why…read more has he had short stints coaching high school ball??? That says something there as he cannot stay in one place for a true stint as a coach. How many girls has he helped get into D1 schools? If he was such the guru of softball, how does his daughter only play the NAIA level? He should have been able to get her in one of the top programs if he was as good as he thinks he is. This guy scams you of 1,200 per season for what, he will add members to teams that as Salina stated. Not sure about the drinking part. His indoor facility, great, but when these teams get out into the field, they have no clue how to play the outfield because he does not have a field to practice outside. He does not teach how to play the outfield because he can't. He is an expert at using running as a punishment and thinks he needs to crank that pitching machine to 300 MPH and cannot teach how to get your barrel through the hitting zone! I heard a parent took him to small claims court and won his case against him because he asked for his money back. Bill did not want to give him a refund and could not plead his case, so he lost. Maybe he should charge less since his players only make it to NAIA schools and nothing above Div 3!

I don't know Salina, and it seems she was only at CF for a short while, but I was disappointed to…read moreread her review today. Many families team hop and it can be hard to find the perfect fit. No reason to bad mouth a reputable organization in this way. Both of my girls have taken many lessons with the owner of CF, Bill Mouat, and one of them played for CF for over 3 years. Here are my observations over those years. 1. CF has one of the best facilities in the Bay Area, including an indoor turf full infield, 2 cages, and a full gym. Kids can practice year round, rain or shine. 2. Bill is willing to take a chance on your girl if he sees any potential and if she is willing to work hard. I have seen girls come out of rec leagues and he has coached them into talented, competitive players. 3. Bill cares about the girls and their families. We have been to teams where we feel replaceable and it causes additional stress on the players. Bill will give kids as many chances as they need to be successful. 4. Bill is very flexible with lessons and allows kids to work extra as much as they want or need. If your girl is struggling or wants to tryout for his team, they can come in and work with a higher level team. 5. Bill is motivated to take teams to higher levels and more competitive tournaments if the girls/families put the commitment forward. 6. Team prices are similar to other competitive organizations. Private lessons are less because the space is his space and already leased. We have never been told we have to pay in cash, and usually use PayPal. 7. Unfortunately we have witnessed a high turnover rate of players and coaches. We have observed this at other orgs as well, and softball is one of the fastest growing women's sports. People move around a lot. I have heard the criticisms of CF over the years and understand them. My daughter also chose a different team after a few years. No organization is perfect and the grass is not always greener. I think kids and families will be successful if they are willing to put the hard work and time in. A name can only take one so far. I will always be grateful for Bill and how much he has taught my kids and believed in them!

I cannot recommend the East Bay Tennis League highly enough -- it was pretty much the saving grace…read moreof 2020 for me. It's a freakishly affordable, easy way to get matches with players matched to your level, and while the competition's good, people are nice and chill. I'm a big fan. Before I found it, I was trying (and failing) to use NextDoor and Craigslist to find matches with local people -- not one of those panned out. I joined figuring that the cost was so low, I had nothing to lose -- and was then amazed at how well-run it was, and how populated it was by cool people to play with. Upon joining the EBTL, I had almost as many matches as I wanted (some people play one every so often, while others are managing to get in 3 a week or more!). How it works: matches are self-scheduled. The algorithms the league uses to sort people into groups of equal levels work very well, esp. after you've played a few matches. The app for phones is very easy to use and well-designed, but if you want to just use your computer, that's fine (and well-designed too.) Matches are "competitive" in the sense that people play scored matches and try to win... but 99% of the participants are easy-going and understand that no one's going to Wimbledon anytime soon. (And while only "matches" count for the purposes of the league, it's been a great way to meet people that I just want to hit with, as well!)

Great app to meet new local players in your area and similar skill level. Best part is its flexible…read moreand even a tournament style playoffs at the end of n each season. App is simple and easy to use.