For some reason, my previous review doesn't show up, so I wanted to re-iterate what a great program…read morethis is for swimmers in Alameda. I now have three children swimming (ages 6, 9, and 13) and couldn't ask for a better youth activity. We have now experienced nearly every coach on the team and they all bring amazing strengths to the experience. Coach Ben coaches my youngest and he truly has a gift with young children. Every day the kids are excited to see him and he makes the workout seem like fun and games. Yet he still manages to instill the discipline required to keep the workouts flowing and make sure the kids are safe and listening to instructions. Under his tutelage the kids get better almost without realizing it. My middle child has Coach Brett and his strength is imparting excellent technical skills while maintaining a fun atmosphere. My nine year old loves his jokes and sense of humor. She also knows, however, that she will be working hard every minute of the time she is there. While younger she would have hated that, but the swim program gradually builds the kids' enthusiasm and skills so that they are ready for the challenges that the next group brings. My oldest has Coach Marshall and for her it is like her family. They joke, laugh, tease, and work hard every single day to achieve her goals. Marshall works with each swimmer to determine what they want to accomplish and how to get there. Any assistance that she needs is available, including weight training, dry land, and a multitude of workouts per week. Gators has been so wonderful for her that she now wants to swim in college. I am confident that the team can help her get there. I encourage anyone with a child who loves swimming to try the Gators.

When other parents ask me about joining a swim team, I always steer them toward the Ala-Gators. My…read morethree kids have all been with the Ala-gators, so I'm in my 11th year with this Alameda institution. The coaches use positive reinforcement and let the kids think they're just having fun when actually they're learning! My very first Gator (now 17 years old) swims on the high school Varsity swim team, still loving it and now very competitive. The work ethic he learned with the Gators led him to be both Freshman and Sophomore "swimmer of the year". And he had fun working that hard. Rest assured that the life skills taught gently, positively, and subtly through the Ala-Gators will give your swimmer a solid base through high school, and beyond.

The Alameda County Knights are a semi-pro football team. All games are played at Castlemont High…read moreSchool. All players from 18-up are encouraged to try-out and play. Some players even have gotten invited by pro teams. If you still have the "itch" to play this is the place/team to do it. The 2010 season starts in March. Look up any updated information on the web-site or call 510-533-6375.

I love the Oakland Roots. And though I support them from quite a distance, this doesn't make me any…read moreless dedicated to their on-the-field efforts. I totally dig their branding. To me, the Oakland Roots home kits are some of the most beautiful and amazing in all of sports, not just soccer or futbol. Celebrities like Jason Kidd, and Billie Joe Armstrong are involved with ownership of the team. Though success has mostly eluded the team on the pitch, especially in the USL Western Conference, this doesn't make their games any less entertaining. I would venture to say that the Roots fan base and those in home attendance are some of the most fervent, also across sports leagues. The Roots have taken over the Coliseum since the departures of both the NFL's Raiders and MLB's A's. Though tremendously sad to see those teams go, this relocation of the Roots to this legendary venue is also wonderful, as it fills the space but also the needs of the Oakland sports fans. I would love to see a game in person. Maybe, hopefully, one day I will. Until then, I'll continue to watch from afar and hope that their online shop prices will come down significantly. We don't all make that West Coast money.

Josie De La Park is also hosts the Carmen Flores Recreation Center. it's about a few storefronts…read morewide and an half block long. grass is the most prominent feature here. walkways, a possible soccer field where the grass is. the rec. center is way in the back. as is the children's playground. in front, there's a basketball court but the baskets have no "nets". no parking lot, little street parking. it's cool for people who live, work, or happen to be in the area.

This is a cute little community park and I've been through here on three occasions on my way to the…read moreCarment Flore Recreation Center. My husband knew both of them as an activist back in the day. It is a nice park and it's great seeing people walking around and enjoying the park, the kids are playing, and they can participate in the community center events. The second time I came through, I was checking in on my niece who was attending a weeklong camp for kids. She was holding court, as she does, in the play area. I reported back to her mom that she was fine. But the community feel was what got me. I loved it and the folks in the area are lucky to have it and be able to use it.

It is a privilege to get James Kwan as your rowing coach. My son has been rowing for a few years…read more Lately we needed intervention in his rowing technique as his progress had plateaued. We were quite concerned as he was putting significant hours in rowing with relatively low outcome. We were looking for a different perspective and got in touch with James. We had read great reviews about him. We were a bit apprehensive though, given he worked from Oakland and we live across the bay. Regardless, James met my son in between. He defined an individualized program for him after observing his technique for a few days. He suggested improvements, changed his workouts almost every day doing it remotely through text messages. He collects feedback through videos, snapshots of the erg machine readings to customize the next workout. His acute attention to details brought significant improvement in my son's 6k and 2k scores. James works with the student no matter what their level. His personal commitment to his students, and his willingness to work with the parent to accommodate other priorities is admirable. Rarely you find an extremely talented individual with a down-to-earth attitude. We feel very fortunate to have James as my son's coach and mentor. We find James' dedication and discipline towards his work a hard act to follow. He is a role model for our family! Thank you James for the remarkable difference you have brought in our lives. I see my son's rowing and his confidence growing everyday.

OARS is a welcoming, fun, high quality competitive rowing program with awesome dedicated coaches…read moreand support staff. The team challenges its young athletes to work together to compete at a high level technically and physically. Perseverance. Dedication. Teamwork. My daughter loves the physical and mental challenge, and the opportunity to to row with a great group of kids.

Really great place to learn basic water polo skills and to connect with other players. My daughter…read morehas been with the Neptunes for several seasons now, and we've been really happy with the team. The coaches are approachable and work really well with the kids to teach them everything from the basics to advanced skills that they can use when they advance to their high school teams. There is no risk to trying it out as they give you two weeks to see if it is a good fit...

I have three kids between the ages of 10 and 17 (one girl, two boys), and they all fell in love…read morewith water polo after trying the Alameda Water Polo Club. The coaches understand what kids need to keep them motivated and keep it fun...and how that changes for each developmental stage. This team is a great find; you can try it for free before committing, so you know whether it's a good fit for your own child. I wish other sports teams did that!

Great basketball program, absolutely great coaching. Practices are well organized, games and…read moretournaments are competitive. Coaches keep things very serious and are great role models.

From the owner: The Bay Area Wildcats is about teaching, instilling and developing the habits that allow all our…read morestudent-athletes to grow as people, students, and basketball players; it's about the involvement of great people providing quality instruction, motivation, mentoring, feedback and a supportive environment that affords all who participate the opportunity to reach their individual best in sport and in life. We take great pride in providing the highest quality experience, value and opportunities for amateur basketball players who are looking to advance to their next level of performance. Our focus is on the fundamentals and development of great people, great students and great athletes in that order. We are focused on teaching and instilling good habits that will carry with our student-athletes into their future in life, as well as, on the basketball court.

Never disappointed with a visit to Jean Sweeney Park. Our daughter enjoys the various play areas as…read moreshe navigates between the different areas, existing in some spaces longer than others. After parking, if you can find a spot, the first play area includes a trampoline, climbing structure, a wide metal slide and an oversized musical chime. To the right, a spacious mesh swing spins with kids constantly filling and spinning it. Directly in front is an ample sand area with a brick barrier surrounding it. To the left are three picnic tables. In front of the sand area is the smaller kids play area which is directly next to the restrooms and water fountain. To the left of the little play area is the zip line. When you go further in to the park, there is a covered area with lots of picnic tables and seating grouped together, more benches and lots of grass to play and explore further. There are paths to ride bikes, scooters, roller blades and skateboards. During warmer weather this park is packed. When we visited, following a prior event, there were already lots of kids on a gray, windy, overcast day. This park is spacious on the interior but parking on the exterior is limited. The parking lot is minimal for the amount of space to explore, which is awesome but makes it difficult to navigate up close parking. Street parking is not really existent unless you enter on the opposite end of the park.

An amazing open space park, with room for plenty of activities and a playground large enough to…read morehold a large amount of kids! The playground has multiple areas for activities; sandpit, toddler play structure, large metal slide, and rope climbing jungle gym. The best part? The long rope swing! Parking was plentiful, and there were plenty of logs for parents to enjoy the shade while being close to their kids. Bathrooms are present as well as picnic tables.