The Tennis League Network has been an incredible way to connect with other players in the city and…read moreget more time on court. The app is intuitive, personalized, and designed to create a truly unique player experience. It's also seamlessly integrated with other major tennis sites and channels. I highly recommend this league to anyone looking to get back into tennis, whether casually or competitively. Match scheduling is flexible, the player community is very active, and the division-based format is thoughtfully structured. The organizers are engaged, responsive, and clearly invested in the players' experience. I'm really glad I discovered this nationwide league--it's helped me grow my tennis network and keep pursuing my passion for the game!

I think this ChiTownTennis league is awesome ! I met a lot…read moreof great people who became my fiends and my tennis buddies for life. It's very easy to schedule matches with my busy life style. Thanks again for creating amazing league.

Let's take a break from all the sports reviews and talk about Chicago Sport & Social Club's Bloody…read moreMary Fest (which, let's be real, drinking boozy calories is way more fun than burning calories). Theater on the Lake was the perfect venue. Part indoor, part outdoor space made it easy to enjoy the beautiful fall morning! Tons of passed appetizers, including ham & cheese mini-sammies, french toast bites, cheddar scones, and more! Not being a Bloody Mary fan myself (I know, I know, blasephemy!) there was still PLENTY of other options, including Truly, spiked sparkling water; Angry Orchard, hard apple cider; and plenty of mimosas! The fest had tons of food and drinks, the voting was easy with multiple tablets set up by the stage, and the vibe was super laid back and casual, making for the perfect Sunday. We had a blast. Totally looking forward to next year's already! Thanks for an awesome event, Sport and Social Club :)

Fitz-Hume!! Do you…read moreremember that scene in Spies Like Us when Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) and Austin Milbarge (Dan Akroyd) attempt to pass themselves off as doctors? And then, of course, a patient needing an emergency appendectomy arrives, and Fitz-Hume and Milbarge go to work with their scalpel, having no clue what to do, all the while slowly inching it in different directions as they get confirmation from the actual doctors... The softball umpires for Chicago Sport & Social Club must have studied this clip from the movie repeatedly because they've performed analogous actions during games on multiple occasions. I was playing in a game earlier this week, and a woman on the other team steps up to the plate. She grazes the ball with her bat, and the ball drops about two feet in front of home plate. She releases her bat as she runs to first, and the bat drops about one foot in front of home plate. Meanwhile, the ball slowly rolls backward, and then stops at the bat which is still in fair territory. The umpire just stares at the ball dumbfoundedly for several seconds, entirely unsure of what to do. From shortstop, I finally yell, "That's out of play." The umpire then looks up and triumphantly shouts, "Foul ball!" (While not technically correct, I figured arguing this minor detail would be moot since the outcome was the same.) Unfortunately, this example is just one of many blunders repeatedly made by CSSC's umpire crew. This is the second season I've played with CSSC, and the officiating has been atrocious nearly every game. I'm convinced it is run by some dude who knew someone at the Chicago Park District, got a license for sporting events, and then hired all of his college bros to ump games. I'm certainly no expert, but it amazes me that a sports club doesn't know jack about ASA rules. It would be one thing if they simply made up their own rules--and in fact, they do--as the games are being played, but even within those made-up rules, there's absolutely no consistency. You have no idea what is going to happen from game to game. I could bore you with several more examples, but then you might think I'm just some overly competitive jerkface. I'm not. I just find it obnoxious when umps give various teams (and even sometimes my own team) significant advantages because they don't even know the rules of their own league. I can't speak to how other sports leagues or social events are handled by CSSC, but I can say with experience, that the other two major sports clubs in the city know how to officiate softball correctly. The only reason I don't play in one of those leagues is because my company pays for the league I'm currently playing in. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm certainly not shy about trashing it on the internet. P.S. There are no restrooms near the softball diamond I play on, so I just pee in the bushes. If you're in Grant Park, don't have a picnic near any bushes.

This place deserves a whole hearted 5-stars, but because the aquatics management at UIC is not fit…read moreto their jobs much of the time I demote to a 4-star rating. This is the story... I swam at a Division 1 level for 4-years of college and upon graduating I needed to find a place to try to remain active. Swimming alone is the most mind numbing and painfully boring activity in the world... so I knew that I would need a team and a coach to keep me motivated and having fun. I was 100% correct in this statement. I first joined Chicago Blue Dolphins (read my review of them elsewhere) and liked it... then it got old, and terrible, and mismanaged, and over priced, and and and... I will let you read the rest on my review of them. So when it came time to switch, a number of my friends and I made our way to Chicago Masters. I heard they were coached by the UIC coach (Paul Moniak) and they had a great team- that had a passion for swimming. Paul has an old-school methodology to his training habits that prove successful for his collegiate and masters swimmers alike time and time again. He is a great coach and is always willing to help with your stroke and swimming fitness needs. There are PLENTY of workout options, and the team trains long course much of the year- which is AWESOME. There is a large variance of skill levels from pre collegiates going for masters world records to 1-step away from aqua joggers. Ages range from lower 20's to infinity... so you will find someone in your skill and age range. The team is just as social as serious having breakfast outings after morning workouts occasionally, picnics on the beach, and other fun activities... Why you would not like it and I demote it to 4-stars. (1) WAY TOO MANY people wear equipment for the duration of a workout. Sure I wear paddles now and again, but fins the whole workout is so beyond appropriate swimming etiquette that it blows my mind. (2) You want a LOT of fine tuning to your stroke. This is a swimming team- we do mostly training. There is some drill work involved, but there is not going to be someone holding your hand through learning how to breath or finish your first triathlon swim. YES- there are options for private lessons (and I encourage those, because I love the though of anyone getting into my sport) but workouts are more training focused than skills. (3) The worst of all... the pool maintenance is poor. Its always clean enough, and the lane lines are in- the stuff you need to swim. But the water temperature is sometimes so impossibly hot that normal swimming is not possible. It seems that the staff that regulates it doesn't understand what good competition and training temps are. So in all- look past a few flaws that keep this from the perfect aquatic experience, but I can confidently say you wont find a better training program in the city. We have multiple masters world record holders, consistently send people to state and nationals... and Paul is easily one of the most underrated coaches around.

These are the "BADDEST, BADASS BROADS from Asstown!!!…read more THANK YOU YELPERS for turning me on to the "Rollers"!! Last night was my first bout, I'm still hoarse from cheering!!! We went for my daughter's 26th birthday party, there were 10 of us family and friends. Even "grandpa" went! WHAT A BLAST!!! Everyone loved it! I haven't picked a favorite team yet (It's a toss up between the "Hell's Belles" and the "Double Crossers". Sorry girls but I just can't pick one!! But my husband was VERY fond of the "Double Crossers". In particular, Nina Millimeter" (I think it was the guns on her tush)!!! The birthday girl loved "Kola Loca" of "The Fury" and even got her autograph on a poster that read "blood is the new pink"! LOVE IT!! These girls are "tough" athletes. I was worn out just watching them! We understood the rules pretty fast, the announcers were excellent and fun! Beer, snacks, and team merchandise are available at the stadium. There's a "Party Bus" that meets at the Cobra Lounge and takes you to the Cicero Stadium. Next time, I think my husband and I will "do" the bus (even though we'll probably be the oldest ones on there)!!!

There are very few things that would get me out to Cicero (sorry to all you Cicero loving fans) and…read morethe Windy City Rollers is one of them! I have to admit that after sitting through a game I still don't understand roller derby, but then again I'm still trying to figure out the rules of football. But these gals wear fun outfits, sparkly makeup, and have some seriously amazing coordination skills! It all looks so fun, well besides the falling down a lot part. My only regret is that I didn't buy a Hells Belles red tee, but I know I"ll be back to get one. Go Hell's Belles!

Wow! What an outstanding program and assembly of the best managers and coaches I've ever seen. My…read moredaughter has played for 3 different travel teams since she was in 4th grade and Flow is by far the best well rounded program that we've seen. Margaret is the program director, she sends frequent emails on scheduling and is very easy to contact with questions or concerns. Communication is very well organized at flow and if you've ever been on a team where communication is a problem, then you will really appreciate this as we did. Kori is a former WNBA player and Coach! When the girls practice she plays with the girls, and shows the girls exactly how she wants the girls to do the exercise. Kori is an amazing sight to see, dribbling through the legs, around the back, spinning, fade away shots, no look passes etc etc. When the young girls get to see this in person it creates a whole different atmosphere. It would be like if Michael Jordan started a kid basketball program and also played with the kids. I know that is a strong reference, but after you see Kori run a practice, you will know what I mean. The passion and attitude that she passes on to the girls is truly a unique experience. Kori spent 10+ years as a coach or player in the highest level of competition in the WNBA and Division 1 college basketball, so you know that the drills being run and the daily practice plan are far far above any other program. Kathy is a true fundamental technician of basketball. She once spent 90 minutes straight with my daughter having her perfect her shot. Every week she'd give my daughter a drill to do at home and my daughter does it! She also offers a kind of 'tough love' to the kids, she pushes them but she knows how far to push them without pushing them off the cliff. And she always follows it up with positive criticism in a way that empowers the girls. Truly a fantastic coach that genuinely cares about her players. The assembly of these coaches all in one program is something I've never seen. When practice is over you can see the smiles and empowered confidence of the girls as they walk out of the gym. Another truly unique aspect is that after each tournament, the coach sends an email with a paragraph about each players performance- what they need to work on, what they did good, what the coach would like to see more out of them. My daughter never had a coach that did this before and its just another tool that Flow uses to engage the kids and boost their confidence. Another amazing aspect is that there are girls of all different talents in the program. There are certainly girls that have a high level of talent but there are also girls that have a lot of room for improvement. I've watched these beginner players evolve into strong and confident basketball players at such an accelerated rate. It's because of the coaches and drills and the overall direction and leadership of the program. Very impressive. I honestly was going to wait to put my review of Flow in until after my daughter got into high school, selfishly because I was worried about more people discovering this hidden gem of a program. But I just can't withhold it any longer out of good conscience.

We had participated on two other travel teams before coming to Flow Basketball. For various reasons…read morethe other teams were not what we were looking for: a disciplined approach to skill development and improvement in a competitive and fun basketball environment. That was four years ago and our daughter continues to enjoy playing this sport under the guidance of Coach Hlede. Goals are discussed at the beginning of the season. Practices are challenging and well organized and Korie is very open to working one on one in a particular area with the players to ensure they improve their moves. Another plus is that the gyms we use are closer to home thus making the commute easier for our busy family.

Mike the commissioner of The SKEE League hosted the entertainment for our work event last night at…read moreBegyle Brewing Company. He has to be the most energetic guy on earth! From start to finish he had everyone dialed in to the competitive spirit chasing a victory to earn the highly coveted Trophskee! This is definitely a must try if you're considering something for a group activity or event. Mike did a great job of keeping the action rolling with games and tournaments the entire night. Not an easy task with twenty of us but he organized it great! You can tell he loves his job and he's top notch at it.

The. Most. Fun. You'll. Ever. Have. This has got to be one of the greatest leagues in Chicago…read more I've played off and on since the first season at Glascott's and have had a blast, won some pretty cool trophies and made some pretty great friends! Mike, the SkeeEO, is hilarious - he gives everyone a unique nickname and is so welcoming! He pours everything into this league and it really shows! If you don't already know him, you aren't living your best life. They have a few locations now at Glascott's, Begyle, Cheesies Wicker Park. Go play skeeball! Go meet Mike!

Our younger kiddo has been playing with YSI for two years and I can't say enough positive things…read moreabout the program, the coaches, and the community. The coaches are supportive, enthusiastic, and focused on growth and development. When the team loses, the coaches boost spirits and develop strategies. When the team is up by a lot halfway through a game, they ask the kids to focus on skills first - for example, there must be five passes before they can attempt another shot. The contrast between our coaches and others we play against is stark. So happy we are a part of this organization!

Don't waste your money here- their coaches are mostly raciest, and the management team don't even…read morecare about it. Very bad experiences in the group class.

There are pros and cons, which I've outlined in detail below, but overall a mediocre tennis program…read morethat is likely 'good enough' for people just starting out (it's cheap and accessible) but a subpar experience for anyone above beginner level. If you're a 3.5 rating or above and looking to improve your game, I'd recommend joining a more serious club that invests in its program. If you're just looking for reps, you're better off finding a hitting partner and playing outdoors (free in summer) or at McFetridge ($30/hour or $40 with a ball machine). If you have the appetite (and wallet) for a more premium experience, East Bank or Midtown are best bets. Pros: -Easy to sign up and get started, with no initiation fee or membership required -Convenient indoor/outdoor locations throughout the city -Lots of available time slots with no down season -Cheap relative to other, more advanced tennis programs (that have much nicer facilities and more experienced staff), like East Bank, Midtown, and XS Cons: -Instructors are often just people who used to play, not necessarily trained tennis pros that have made a career out of tennis -Programming feels more like supervised play than typical tennis drills / lessons; very little focus on technique or quality reps -Classes are overpopulated (6 people per court), which can make play feel slow; for example, it's not uncommon to go 3-5 minutes without touching a tennis ball -Equipment is subpar; tennis balls are seldom switched out (e.g., very few have legible writing on them anymore) -[could be pro or con] Focus seems to be on beginner levels with intermediate being highest level offered