Very expensive, no air conditioning in the summer, and coaches that play favorites. If you have…read morekids that could potentially fit in their junior tennis program, you might get treated better. If you're a stay at home mom, with money and time to devote to their programs, you will get treated better. Otherwise, they have very average tennis coaches who will give you constant feedback on every shot you make, whether you like it or not. It's a little too intense!

This is an article on the ATP tennis tourney that comes to Nielsen once a year:…read more http://www.windycitytennis.com/2013/05/who-can-we-expect-to-see-at-this-years.html Nielsen is great...very helpful staff. They have night owl tennis once a week, normally on Thursdays.

The Elite Center is a great facility with good training options…read more It is expensive, so its not cheap but the staff available for training is very good for varying ages (7 to high schools) and provides good foundational training. If you want to learn the game, and the skills to get improved results this is a good place to get that instruction. The facility is state of the art as well and kept immaculate. So the value depends on if you want a clean place to practice and learn or an old overused gym.

I have had two sons and one daughter train with Mike Ipjian---there is no better basketball program…read morearound. Mike will teach your children the absolute fundamentals of the game as well as the necessary skills and finesse to be excellent players. I have been amazed over the years, how many times other parents of my children comment about my children's form and instincts. Mike is definitely the reason! Two of my children are basketball-a-holics, however, my other son was not. Mike knows exactly how to teach to each child and most importantly, how to help your child succeed at their best level. He can be no nonsense (particularly as they are first learning and which is a positive!) but he is ALWAYS ALWAYS fair to all the children. Mike cares about his players first and foremost. Mike watches the numbers so that he can give individual instruction as well as provides the players with the opportunity to participate in leagues. He ensures that the teams are balanced and that the coaches he chooses to assist him understand the game and how to make each player into their best basketball self. Mike ensures the teams have very manageable numbers so all the players get considerable experience in the games. He uses the games as learning experiences for the clinics he holds. Mike is always willing to talk to you to discuss your child--their strengths as well as their opportunities for improvement. He literally can be reached around the clock--he will pick up his cellphone at all times unless he is on the court. Then, once he gets off the court, he will call you back immediately. He always publishes his clinics and leagues well in advance so there is no question of when and what the commitment is. If for some reason, you need to change a week, he is willing to work with you about making it up. We have participated in a number of other programs for travel leagues--there is no comparison. Mike is awesome! If you truly want your child to learn the game of basketball---stop looking because Mike is definitely the coach and Elite is the place to go! My 21 one year old still talks about Mike and his positive influence It doesn't get any better---fabulous basketball training and positive mentorship!

The Wilmette Community Recreation center houses 2 modern playgrounds, a preschool, tennis courts,…read morebaseball fields, state of the art gym facilities for adults and little ones, and a variety of indoor and outdoor extracurricular activities for all ages. The indoor facilities and the outdoor grounds are all very well maintained. The large playground was rebuilt last year and is one of the nicest ones in the North shore area. The small playground (which is part of the preschool) is fully fenced and has a splash pad that operates during the summer months. There is an outdoor walking path that loops around the entire Rec center and an indoor running path at the fitness center. There is also a state of the art gymnastics facility for toddlers to big kids. Overall, this is an excellent recreation center that is very well maintained and has just about everything. The only negative aspect of this center is that the playgrounds can get too crowded when all the kiddos from the preschool, summer camps, and enrichment programs all come out to play. Otherwise, very highly recommended.

One of the best parts about living in Wilmette is coming to this community recreation center run by…read morethe Wilmette Park District. Here they run a variety of activities for children as well as adults and seniors. Almost any activity you can think of including sports, fitness, dance, theater, gymnastic and art are offered here. They are always adding new things that are popular. My son just started a video game design class which is really up his alley. During holidays and throughout the year they put on special events for families to enjoy. They run a very good preschool which is one of the most affordable in the area, but make sure you book it early because it fills up fast. The quarterly book that they send to the residents is huge and nicely laid out with programs. You can register for classes with ease online or there. Not only that, but the staff are all very helpful. If there was ever a time when we were not completely satisfied or were suddenly unable to attend, we were refunded our money and never given a hard time. Anyone can sign up for the activities here, however it is just less expensive if you are a resident. What I love the most is the convenience of everything being in one location, so I'm not running all over the place. I also like how many options there are. We are always trying something new and fun. They put on the cutest theater productions and tickets are not expensive. The rec center has alot to offer so check it out for yourself!

I came here for a volleyball tournament and oh my god this gym is so nice the weight room alone…read moremight be enough reason for me to transfer. There's different sections specifically for different teams (oh to be D1). There's also a Protein Bar and Kitchen near the lobby, a perfect snack post-lift for the gains. Overall beautiful gym right by the water, grateful for an opportunity to play here.

I've been to a good number of gyms in my lifetime (from LA fitness to 24 Hours, even to other…read morecollege gyms), and I think SPAC is just okay. Yes, the facilities are clean and pretty spacious, but I think the machines are really limited. For example, there are a limited number of cardio machines, and they fill up really quickly if you go at peak hours. The weight/stretching area is also pretty small and can get packed fast. I've tried one of the free classes (yoga), and maybe it's because I am admittedly a bit of a yoga snob, but it was way too easy and barely a workout. I'll be sticking to LA fitness for now (even though SPAC is free for me).

I've been playing indoor volleyball with this sports league for several years now. I find this…read moreleague to be a little more organized than CMSA. The games are mostly at Center on Halsted, but if there are too many teams in a season there's overflow courts at secondary locations (we've had to play at Inter-American Magnet School and Welles Park in the past). I started out not knowing anything about volleyball, but there are a handful of people willing to help you learn and build skills. Sometimes your team may be offered a mentor if you ask. AAC also offers open gym sessions on Saturday mornings (fall/winter/spring). Games are on Tuesdays and Wednesday nights. Dues and team fees are certainly lower than CMSA. There are changing lockers on the 3rd floor by the courts. The only thing that I might comment on is that the rules for this league may vary a bit from other leagues or official NCAA rules. But that it caters to player safety and the venue (there's long nets separating the courts so it mitigates interference). But I will say this - the organizers are pretty prompt in responding to and addressing any of your concerns. This league also offers Beach Volleyball on Monday nights (at Montrose Beach) - it's less crowded than the Friday night league.

Athletic alliance of chicago (AAC), chicago's finest sports association. They hold indoor…read morevolleyball, beach volleyball, indoor floor hockey, indoor football, table tennis, darts and women's bastketball leagues. Check their website for more info and schedule of activities at www.athleticallianceofchicago.com

Came here with friends on a random day when we were in the mood for badminton and honestly it ended…read moreup being such a fun find. It's a pretty big indoor space with a bunch of courts it doesn't feel cramped even when it gets busy. They also have racquet rentals which were super affordable, so it's easy to just show up and play without overthinking it. The booking system is a little different though. Courts are in 20-minute increments and if another group is waiting, you might have to rotate out once your time is up. At first I thought it was kind of weird, but it actually keeps things moving and gives everyone a chance to play. The place itself is clean and well maintained, and overall the pricing is really reasonable for what you get. Definitely a solid spot if you're trying to do something active with friends without spending too much. I'd come back!

My friends and I were in the mood for some badminton and we randomly found this place /'d decided…read moreto give it a try. This is an indoor badminton space and is open all year round. It's huge, they have easily 8-10 courts. They offer racquet rentals at a reasonable price. The court booking is a bit different here. The courts can be booked for 20 mins. Any new teams that don't have courts can apply for any of the courts. Once your timer is up and a new team had bid for your court, you'd have to leave the court but you are more than welcome to grab any other court that is free. I found this a bit odd but it kinda works Overall, it's well maintained and the prices are reasonable.

Between me and my kids I think we take tennis at most clubs in the North Shore. We've taken…read moreprivates here with Maria Fernitz who is fabulous when it comes to teaching both kids and adults. It seems to be easier to get a court here than some of the other nearby clubs (ex: North Shore Racquet Club) and it's always pretty quiet. In fact, there's many Friday mornings (during this pandemic) where we've been lucky enough to have the club to ourselves. The billing system is a little confusing. They invoice you and if you do a semi-private lesson with a few kids they can't seem to split the cost. Sometimes they invoice me and sometimes my son's friend so there's lot of consistency. We figure it out between us, but would be great to just pay for half the lesson each week, which doesn't seem to be an issue at any other club. For example, I take a lesson at Northbrook Racquet Club with 2 other friends and they split the cost between us at the front desk. Overall, been pleased w/ their covid protocols from masks to hand sanitizer at the front. It's also an easy drive from our house in Glencoe. I haven't taken any of their classes or from any other instructors, but Maria herself is 5 stars.

Instructors here are great, especially Andrew and Daryl. My 5 year old goes here and so do I. I've…read morenever picked up a racket in my life and I must admit I'm pretty good after just 8 weeks

My daughter has special needs - high functioning autism but she is mainstreamed and works each and…read moreevery day on meeting social expectations. She's been playing tennis for years but can't do tennis camp at our club this summer because they're still closed. She joined a tennis camp at Racquet Club of Lake Bluff but got kicked out after one day. I've known the pro there for years and I reached out to give him a heads' up about my daughter. Anyone who knows her knows how amazing she's doing, how much she tries to please people and act typically. I watched her in her tennis camp the other day and was so proud and impressed with her play and behavior - nonstop tennis for 90 minutes and she completely went with the flow. The pro called me the next day telling me she was no longer welcome at the camp. I called the manager who confirmed that she "talks too much" and needs directions repeated (ex. don't touch the ball now because of Covid, push the balls towards the net, not the fence). He was inconvenienced by her being different and, rather than call me to ask for tips on how to address to chattiness, he kicked her out. The club manager supported this decision. I pulled my son out of the camp there even though he was really enjoying it because I can't support a business that discriminates and that teaches kids that it's ok to be intolerant of people who are different and that there is no room for them in our society..

The club has eight climate controlled indoor courts. There are wonderful programs for youth and…read moreadults. The staff are nice and helpful. The coaches are wonderfully talented and are a great help to develop your game. They also have a pro shop selling rackets, shoes, etc. I will only get my gear and restring rackets there. They are wonderful.