Erik Johnson's encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, passion for the game, and skilled coaching is…read morewhat attracted our family to the program. Five years later, I would say his emphasis on discipline, hard work, personal accountability, responsibility, and sportsmanship have increased my son's love of the game and his desire to improve as a player. With a carefully selected number of teams, EJ Sports insures players receive high-quality, age-appropriate coaching. The coaches give the players the skills and knowledge to push themselves to the best of their abilities. The coaching staff has frequently challenged my son to improve. The expectation is always strive for excellence. However, EJ Sports truly understands the physical and mental abilities of youth players at all ages, so the expectations are challenging without being unreasonable. The coaches have always expected the hard work and dedication from the players, and have been equally loyal and dedicated to the players development. Coaches have honest conversations with the players about future expectations and their baseball future at the end of the season. My son's baseball experience has included lessons on baseball fitness, baseball etiquette, game situation scenarios, position-specific skill development, mental preparation, and college recruitment. The college recruitment seminars have been exceptionally valuable to understanding baseball at the collegiate level and the recruitment process.

From the owner: Baseball Development, baseball training, athletic mindset, recruiting, mental toughness training,…read moreprivate athletic instruction, mindset coaching for groups or 1:1, High Performance Coaching, Athletic leadership program,

Stay away. The head coach Keena is a poor leader and a highly disorganized manager of the team…read more Practices are held all over the place at various locations, with the schedule often announced a day or two before. He'll say all the right things to get you to sign up and then you realize it's all just hot air and broken promises. New kids are constantly brought on to the team well after the deadline, presumably for less money than you paid. That is not verified but I don't see why kids would pay the high season fee if joining 2 months into the season. He recruits the best players he can possibly convince to play for him -- which is fine if it wasn't such a revolving door. Adding kids every week means there's no stability or chemistry. During the games, it's just street ball without any sets. Every kid for himself. One reason to join AAU is to get games that are a cut above runs at the park. Not here. If you're at all tempted, I'd watch a game before you join to see how he coaches. It's all about him. Classic narcissist -- gets in the kids faces berating them with spittle spraying out. Then he'll sparingly throw in a compliment to keep his hooks in. And the feedback isn't even useful. It's all about him. "Don't sit on the bench like that. You look lazy." If you're looking for all the downsides of Bobby Knight, without any of the upside, this might be your team. Otherwise, you can do much better with any other AAU team in the area, even if it means a commute. Keep in mind you'll often be driving to practice in Hayward - playing in tournaments all over - so don't let proximity to the listed address be a factor in joining.

This is one of the absolute best programs in the Bay Area! Coach Keena has dedicated so much time…read moreto the boys and as a parent I can see my son develop as a player. We are fortunate to have our son be a part of this team. Thank you Payton's Place!

This review is specifically for the summer program and the younger age groups. I can't speak to the…read moreolder age divisions, as my kids participated in the younger group and this was their first basketball program. Unfortunately, this was not a good experience for my young kids. There were too many participants relative to the number of coaches, and the level of engagement and instruction varied significantly. At times, drills and scrimmages appeared to run with limited coaching oversight. For a program with paid coaches (rather than volunteer parents), I would have expected coaches to consistently observe players during drills and games, offer encouragement, and help correct mistakes early -- especially for beginners who are just learning the fundamentals. For example, some kids clearly did not understand whether they were on offense or defense, or were unsure where to stand or what to do during games. In many cases, simple direction or guidance from a coach early in the program could have helped, but some players appeared to remain confused throughout the program. During inbounds situations, it was common to see multiple players unsure of where to go or what their role was, which again seemed like something that could have been improved with more active coaching, especially given that multiple games were played weekly. Attention from coaches often seemed focused on a small handful of players -- typically the more ball-dominant or behaviorally disruptive players -- while quieter or less assertive kids received little feedback or instruction and sometimes appeared lost on the court. Drill repetitions were also uneven. For example, in layup or shooting lines, some kids received multiple turns and feedback while others waited for long periods and received only one attempt before the group moved on. Instruction and practice time also did not always seem efficient, as a significant amount of time was spent managing behavior and organizing lines rather than actively coaching the drill itself. A higher coach-to-player ratio may have helped in this area. During games and scrimmages, play often consisted of a few physically dominant players receiving most of the playing time and handling the ball on the majority of possessions, going coast-to-coast and taking repeated shots. While this is common at younger ages, there did not appear to be much emphasis on teaching team concepts such as passing, spacing, or involving all players. As a result, many players had limited opportunities to handle the ball or receive feedback on whether they were moving correctly or contributing positively during game situations. Playing time also appeared inconsistent, with newer or quieter players sitting longer while more ball-dominant players remained in the game. For a non-competitive developmental program, equal playing time would seem important since families are participating primarily for learning and development. It was also frustrating to see that a disproportionate amount of coaching attention and game time appeared to go toward managing one or two disruptive players, which reduced opportunities for others to receive instruction and game experience despite all families paying for the same developmental program. In later programs my kids participated in at a similar age level, coaches actively encouraged ball movement and participation from everyone, which made a noticeable difference in both development and enjoyment. Seeing that difference is what ultimately motivated me to write this review half a year later. Overall, I cannot recommend this program, especially given that it is advertised as focusing on mastering fundamentals for young athletes. Based on our experience, the way the program was run did not reflect that goal, and we have since seen that other programs at a similar age level can provide a much stronger developmental environment. If improvements were made, I would suggest increasing the coach-to-player ratio, ensuring coaches are fully engaged during drills and games, and implementing systems -- such as equal playing time at younger ages -- that help distribute reps more evenly so that all players have an opportunity to learn and develop.

Great coaches! Perfect for beginner players. If your child is above level, he/she can play up an…read moreage group for appropriate competition. Encouraging end of season awards!

Are you young, new to the city, and like meeting new people?…read more Then WAKA Kickball is for you! I've been playing for 5 years now. There are several days you can play, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday. Each Day of the week has a different vibe and level of competition. I mainly play on Sundays which is a little less competitive than other days. And it gives me enough time to recover. After the games we head to our sponsor bar to hang out, drink, and play flip cup. There are usually 2-3 parties that happen every season as well. I've made some of my best friends playing kickball. You should too!

Really fun and really great way to meet new people in a new city (or when you want to make new…read morefriends in the city you've lived in for awhile). Every league is different, so it's worth trying a few if you don't like the first one you are in. The kickball is fun but it works really well when paired with the drinking games after. The most important thing is to find a league where the post-game bar is on a night where you can afford to drink and is easy to get home from (i.e. no driving necessary). A good post-game means it doesn't matter whether you are on a team that loses every game. There is a mix of players and some have played for a few years and understand the strategies and have experience, while others are just starting out. Signing up as a free agent is pretty random, so you can get placed on a completely new team or as filling out an established squad. Most people are generally friendly and welcoming (beer does that to you).

It's very sad. This leagues coaches or organizers don't care even a little about the kids. It's…read moreall pretend and they just want that $700 dollar enrollment fee. It's really tragic because they treat your kids like farm animals. They don't attempt to learn their names, nor do they even introduce themselves as coaches or create a team environment. It breaks my heart to give a review like this, but it's the truth 100%.. and yes! Coaches don't show up to games. And they have no problems leaving you hung to dry!

I went to this league, and when I joined I was on the b team. The a team players were very good and…read morethe coaches only cared about them and they didn't care about us. They let us just shoot around during practice and not do any drills while the a team is doing something useful. We lost almost every game by 50 points because we barely were learning and the coaches did not show up half the games. This league is absolute dog water and don't sign up unless you are a really good player. Waste of so much money and I feel bad for my dad for signing me up for this for 2 seasons. Worst league very bruh get some help

This place is more than pickleball courts. It's a vibe, it's community, and it's a variety of…read moreplayers and skill levels from beginner to advanced. The signup board and "monitors" will help you find a good group if needed. Please respect the neighbors who are not thrilled with parking on the housing side. The bathrooms are by the tennis courts but there is a water fountain at the pickleball courts. Just bring a smile, a bottle, and your paddle. If you need a coach let me know. I have group and private lessons at private Walnut Creek courts weekly. I'll get you ready to play and win at Rudgear Park!

Great place to play pickleball! Lots of good players and everyone is friendly. The club organizes…read moreplay and provides balls during morning play. Out-of-town visitors are welcome.

my best friend loves this club, and always has fun with her teammate. she has made so much memories…read moreand she also gained so much confidence from being on her team. The coaches are very delight but also is strict when messing around or not trying in a drill.

I'm surprised they even have two stars. We live in Dublin, and wanted to stay in Dublin but other…read moreparents whose teams are in the competitive teams suggested us to advised us to start fresh elsewhere given their own terrible experience but they had to stay because their kids had already made friends. Our experiences in recreational team was a reflection of what our friends warned us. To be fair, recreational teams are often taught by teenagers, so we didn't have high expectations--but they managed to sink even lower. Here is a breakdown of what happened: -At one point, there was only one coach, Gary, for over 30 kids. This was the only thing they actually apologized for. -They switched the program days from Mon/Wed to Tue/Thu. We signed up a month in advance but were only notified two days before it started.Broken Promises: Saturday games were supposed to be included in the fees. Once we started, we were told they were canceled due to a "waiver issue." There was no formal notice or apology. Most parents only found out because they proactively asked for Saturday's schedule. Meanwhile, they charge competitive teams extra to play on Saturdays. If they remove a promised service, shouldn't they offer a credit? - We had different coaches every week. After about a month, they finally assigned the same college students consistently, which was the only slight improvement we saw. - It's not just about a shirt, but Gary kept promising they'd be ready "next week." The program ended, and we never saw them. We don't need more T-shirts but It's just another example of them cutting corners. As much as we wanted to stay local in Dublin, we've decided to drive further for a better program. This organization lacks basic integrity. Imagine your kids making friends and being stuck paying for high-priced tournaments year after year, knowing the club shamesly cuts corners at every turn. Avoid them at all costs.