I enrolled my son into a YMCA summer day camp and unfortunately, we had a very difficult…read moreexperience. during the program, he reported being bullied and often left feeling isolated. I felt there was not enough supervision or intervention to ensure all children were included and safe. I believe summer programs like this should be a supportive and welcoming environment for every child. improvements that can make a big difference include stronger, staff supervision, more active monitoring of peer interactions, better communication with parents, when concerns arise, and more intentional inclusion practices so no child feels targeted or left out.

So my 6yr old started coming for summer vacay. Figured he'd have fun... well at first it was pretty…read morecool, they go on field trips and what not... Unfortunately parents are unable to attend I believe. which is fine, I work anyways but would had been nice if I went to one with him. My main issue with this place is the staff... my son would complain to me that he did not like it here and the staff was mean. I figured kids are kids and he just doesn't want to go. Mind you my son is super smart so I just told him to let me know if anything ever happens or if they ever get out of hand but for now we have to go, we are paying already. One day I dropped my son off, they automatically go sit down and wait for next direction. I had stopped in unexpectedly on my lunch to drop him off his lunchbox. When I walked up the staff was talking so rudely to one of the kids yelling telling him he needs to put his backpack away. The kids looked so sad and honestly, they are on summer vacation, not in trouble so she should not be talking to anyone like that. What's funny is once she seen me, her whole tone changed and started talking nicely to the kids. I did not like that one bit! Honestly made me feel so uncomfortable. I trusted my son and pulled him out of there as soon as possible and after I complained. Just be careful and trust your instinct and your child's word.

Team Runners High is a great place to meet new people to run with in Long Beach. I like it because…read morethey run on Tuesday nights at the Lakewood High School track where I feel safe. I also like that there are lights on the track so I don't have to worry about tripping over things I can't see. Really nice people and a supportive environment for all!

Such an amazing group! Tuesday night track workouts ( during school year) help me speed up my race…read moretime while Tuesday night signal hill workouts (summer) are a great challenge!! Thursday night runs through beautiful Long Beach waterfront are fun! Plus the Sunday run on dirt by the beach at the wetlands or sleep an extra hour and run El Dorado park- so many choices ! I've met GREAT people and made my life healthier!!

Evan at four years old learned how to swim and be independent in the pool! It's all due to the…read moregreat instructors at Deep Blue. We started with the parent and me classes when he was 8 months and then transitioned into private lessons after turning 2 years old. And now he graduated to level 2. We highly recommend Deep Blue!

After more than **2 years of weekly private swim lessons**, my youngest child has still not passed…read moreLevel 1. Unfortunately, the biggest problem isn't simply the pace of learning--it's the lack of measurable progress, inconsistent tracking, poor communication, and the apathetic attitude when I raised my concerns. We originally chose Deep Blue because I liked the idea of consistent weekly private lessons and convenient parking. The staff is generally friendly, but our experience varied significantly depending on the instructor. My older son eventually switched to Angela, and his progress has been excellent. As of August 2026, he is between Levels 4 and 5. Angela is also great about making up time if a lesson starts late and sometimes even starts early when she has an opening. This showed me that consistency and communication are possible. Unfortunately, my younger son's experience was very different. According to Alexa, after more than two years of lessons, he is a Level 1, "almost Level 2." I explained that I was extremely disappointed with this level of progress and that we would be ending lessons. Her response was simply, **"Okay."** No concern. No questions. No discussion about how they could have helped. No attempt to retain us. That response really summed up how I felt about our experience. What concerns me most is that after more than two years of lessons, my son still has very limited water-safety skills. I recently put him in a pool expecting that, after all this time in swim lessons, he would at least be able to float or get himself to the side. He could not do either without assistance. I have repeatedly raised concerns about progress with the front desk. I was told that parents are responsible for checking with instructors about levels and asking them to push for more progress. I was also told instructors sometimes forget to update the front desk because they are busy with back-to-back lessons. I'm sorry, but I'm paying **$360 a month for four private lessons.** I expect the school to track my child's progress and communicate that progress to me. I should not have to manage their internal tracking system. At one point, I was even told that instructors aren't always consistent about updating the front desk when children advance. How can a child take weekly lessons for more than two years and not have a consistently documented level or clear progress plan? The school knows there is a tracking and communication problem, yet the responsibility seems to be placed on the parents instead of fixing the system. I also suggested using an app or another system to communicate progress between instructors, parents, and the front desk. Our new swim school does exactly this, and the difference has been significant. I understand that children learn to swim at different rates. My issue isn't that my child didn't become an advanced swimmer. My issue is that **after more than two years of weekly private lessons, he still lacks basic water-safety skills, and there was little urgency or concern about it.** For us, two years was more than enough time to realize this wasn't the right swim school for our child. **We will be taking our business elsewhere.**

My son went to baseball camp this winter. It was his first time going to camp. They teach the kids…read morenot just baseball but values, earning your merit, teamwork, it builds values to kids. I will definitely recommend this camp to every kid that likes baseball. Parents it's a great program, one of my fav is the little picnic with your kid. The coaches really make them work and learn about working together. I'll rate it as 5

What more can I say…read more....... Grandpa Tom is great. No nonsense, get to the point, and finish. Great group of coaches who understand the strength of teamwork. There's no school, like old school

I have 2 kids enrolled here at the same time and slot (worked out perfectly with my schedule which…read moreI know is a rare find). after trying several other places in the area their progress was slow, then we came here and the program is night and day and honestly worth every penny. My kids are thriving and my concern was always water safety and we've done just that and so much peace of mind. I do love their set up and structure too it makes so much of a difference.

We signed up our 4 1/2 year old for the 3 week bootcamp, and are amazed at our daughter's progress…read more Teacher Alex G was so incredibly patient, playful, and encouraging. Our daughter was initially extremely afraid and apprehensive getting used to her head under water. She cried bloody murder the entire first week. It was admittedly very difficult having to hear her scream the entire 15 minutes, but trust the process! Alex was so good with her and earned her trust. By the end of the second Monday, she got out of the water and exclaimed how much she loved swimming. I was shocked! Something just clicked. Not only did she get over her fear of having her head in the water, she loved it. She was able to roll, float on her back, and kick within the second week. She spent the third week refining skills and feeling more comfortable under water. We are so incredibly proud of the progress she's made in such a short amount of time. And while we feel so much better about the skills she's picked up, nothing can beat the confidence and resilience she's built along the way. Thanks, Teacher Alex!

This organization rules! I've been a mentor with Operation Jump Start for three years now and it's…read morebeen an amazing experience. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking to volunteer in the community and help make a difference. It's a five year commitment - you get paired up with an eighth grader and you are their mentor until they graduate from high school. The goal of the program is to encourage them and provide guidance to help them along the way. You are required to spend a minimum of eight hours per month with your mentee - but scheduled program activities count towards those eight hours. The people who run the program - Carrie, Tina and Dara - are amazing. Carrie does such a good job pairing up mentors and mentees. Operation Jump Start has a great support system so you never feel like you are alone - they are there for you every step of the way. The program offers structured activities through out the year - and they vary from workshops to museum trips to Cirque du Soleil to rock climbing, etc. It's so much fun. I've done so many things I never thought I'd do like surfing and snowboarding - and going to the opera!

I've been mentoring for a few months, but am already a big supporter of the organization. I highly…read morerecommend this organization for anyone looking to become a mentor. They offer mostly structured meetings to help the students. So as a mentor you don't always need to worry about planning what to do. As Kreuzensolo mentions, you do spend some of your own money, but the organization never asks you to spend anything you don't want to. It is completely up to you. There is never any pressure. As Mary mentions, the organization provides great support for the mentors and more importantly the students. Like any non-profit they suffer from being understaffed and underfunded. As a result some of the sessions could be better organized. However the effort put in by leaders such as Erik can't be questioned. All the mentors and staff genuinely want to see the students succeed and get to college. If you feel strongly about helping educate under served students, then I highly recommend checking the organization out.

Good programs. Friendly helpful staff. The aquatics program…read moreis fantastic. It's got different levels of difficulty to fit everyone's needs. They have classes daily ( M-F ); starting at 9:00 AM and the last class starts at 5:30 PM. The pool is heated to a nice comfortable temperature. I'm 78 years young and totally enjoy the variety of aerobic and non-aerobic exercises offered.

This organization is a good one. The center offers so much for the participants and the staff are…read moreall wonderful and friendly. It's a family environment. I have observed staff with those that participate and the staff is patient, empathetic and very caring. I walk in unannounced and I've only seen happy students and very compassionate and attentive teachers. I would recommend this center. It is wonderful for families that have children with challenges and also has programs that cater to those with a variety physical disabilities.

HCE is a great organization for the youths including HIGHSCHOOL. My boys have been with HCE for…read morethe past 4yrs . If you are looking for an organization for your child to develop in the world of BASKETBALL, HCE will be the one. Coaches are all amazing and works well with kids.

The coaching staff is amazing. They lead with love but push the kids to reach their full potential…read moreby challenging them to step outside the box and learn the game from every perspective. I love the opportunities that HCE has provided for my daughter and I would highly recommend them.