Great club for boys and girls! Good camps and coaches from recreation to club. Close by and definitely would recommend for kids younger to teens. read more

Coaches are great, but the refs are terrible. If you just want to practice, it's fine. If you want to play in a league, go somewhere else. Bad calls completely ruined the games. read more

My son wanted to sharpen his volleyball skills before trying out for a club team and his high school team. I found SoCal Elite Sports' weekly volleyball academy. Our experience from night one was nothing short of amazing. Coach Tommy was very welcoming and gave great feedback. Each week, there were plenty of drills to reinforce good habits along with team play. The group sizes were small, which made it great for personal feedback. If you are looking for a situation that involves weekly games more similar to club, this is not it (but I think SoCal Elite does offer something similar). If you are looking to sharpen volleyball skills and have fun, then look no further. This was just the situation my son needed to sharpen his skills and build his confidence to try out for both club and high school, and ultimately play club volleyball. Huge thank you again, Coach Tommy! read more

Very poor management and completely disorganized. The coach was allowed to do whatever they wanted, with no oversight or accountability. When I raised concerns, the league's only response was, "Don't listen to the bad coach." The so-called 20-minute play time guarantee is a complete joke. I shared my experience in a Google review, and in response, they removed me during the season and refused to issue a refund. read more

My daughter played her first season with them, and it was very disappointing. Registration was really expensive compared to other sports. It was disorganized, and the referees were disinterested at the games. In fact, several games were unsafe because the girls were hitting and pulling on each other, and no calls were made. I shared my concerns directly with the league without any resolution. My son had played in the past and had a different experience, so it's definitely changed. I won't be returning to the league, and neither will our teammates. I do not recommend this league. read more

We are grateful to have participated in SoCal Elite's summer camps! Both our boys (10 & 12) have recently joined a volleyball club, and they feel that SoCal Elite has prepared them well. Coach Tommy is outstanding - attentive, kind, and always provides feedback. His youth coaches are exceptional too - they know kids' names and how to throw/pass a ball correctly . If you are new to volleyball or looking for a club to sharpen your skills, SoCal Elite is a fantastic choice - great coaching, fun and positive vibes! read more

No communication to new parents, disorganize to the point that several emails and calls needed to be made to get a team jersey. Worst yet, coaching neither didn't care or too busy with their other teams or just plain incompetent. read more

We signed up our 6 yr old son as a novice. He was put in a full 5 on 5 full game where the other kids already knew how to pass, shoot, dribble, and guard. Our son was lost the whole game. He missed 1 practice session, but he would not have learned all those skills in one session. We decided to withdraw from the league and tried to get a refund. They wouldn't give it to us after going back and forth. When you sign up for the league, you are agreeing to no refunds. We ended up making a $300 "donation". read more

My sons have been in the academy for over a year and it is such a great program. I frequently get asked how they have improved so quickly and I can honestly say it's because of So Cal and Coach Patrick. 8 friends have followed us into the academy and all of the kids have gained so much from being a part of it. I can't stress enough how great it is and how much they learn. It goes beyond just basketball. Respect, teamwork, responsibility, following directions, mental fortitude and so much more. In the past year we have tried other leagues, camps and weekly skills programs. Hands down, you can't compare So Cal to the others. If I ask my kids where do you learn the most, they will both say So Cal. I'm so glad they have the opportunity to be a part of it and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they will continue to grow. read more

This program is fine for beginners to the game. My children enjoyed being with this group but we've now moved on to a more competitive program. I would recommend SoCal Elite to begin your basketball experience. read more

SoCal Elite has it all. Whether you're looking for a rec league, a camp, weekly training or a club team, SoCal has got it covered. My son has been playing in SoCal since kinder and started with the parent coached rec league. That was was a great time coaching his teams for several years and seeing his growth as a player. So if you're looking for a great way to bond with your kid, SoCal has it. They also offer an academy in several convenient locations. My son has participated in that for several seasons and I saw his skills improve with SoCal's coaching. Now that he is 9, he's been playing in their club team for over a year. Each stage of development, SoCal has been there all the way. I couldn't recommend it more if you and your kid both love the sport of basketball. You won't regret it. read more

See all

With 3 boys, we have been playing with Socal since 2012, from rookie league to rec leagues to camps, academy & eventually club basketball. Our kids have learned the fundamentals of the sport & made great progress. Most importantly, they have learned to love the game & respect their coaches. Be patient & your kids will get out of it what they put into it. The organization is well run & my boys have enjoyed their experiences. Great young energetic coaches that get along with players well. read more

Our son has been playing rec with SoCal Elite since he was a little tyke. He now plays with one of the club teams and we are really loving it! The rec league has come a long way from the early days of SoCal Elite. Teams and schedules are well organized and kids have so much fun! They variety of players and team skills get better with each year. The parent coaches show great sportsmanship and patience with the kids. Having transitioned to club level play has worked great for my son. The coaches are fabulous, (especially Coach Jason!!). The pace of the tournament and practice schedules keep us busy but not so overwhelming. It's a good pace of training and competition for the team. We also enjoy the family camaraderie and support SoCal gives is awesome. read more

SoCal Elite Sports - Amateur Sports Teams Near Me - Irvine, California

Our most recent season is the fall girls league. We had my daughter play in this league for 3 other seasons. Always poorly run and organized. This current season of girls basketball has been beyond disappointing. Part of the issue is a lack of girls. There looks to be only about 15 girls or so that signed up. Making adjustments because of the low turnout is understandable. SoCal elites solution? Have a 35 minute "practice" prior to a 40 minute pickup game. No teams were formed. They pick teams the day of. There is one "coach" each week. The first week there were no refs. Week 3 is the only time they kept score and that was because I had to ask if the "coach" would keep score. He's not coaching anyways so the least he can do is keep score. Week 4 again no score keeping. Here we are in week 5 and they updated the schedule the morning of after several parents emailed asking when and where the "game" would be. You would think they could at least keep the schedule updated. They aren't doing much else. I would look into Irvine or Tustin NJB. SoCal elite is simply collecting money. read more

Ok league for sports play but if you have any type of issue it is impossible to reach anyone in management. No one respond to emails or voice messages. read more

This place is a complete scam and these positive reviews are either the outliers because somewhere in SES' network they have one decent coach or, more realistically as Yelp accepts payments to get rid of bad reviews, they are just suppressing what is likely a mountain of 1 star reviews. As someone that used to teach kids sports, I can tell you I am horrified by what we've experienced. I do not use words lightly, but honestly its bad to the point where they aren't even making a good faith effort to provide the "services" you are paying for. Its borderline theft and I'll be reporting them to the BBB. If you're curious how bad they are, below is my "exit" comments upon quitting the program which are genuine and accurate accounts of our experience: Honestly, your collective "company" or what not should be beyond apologetic. You are basically just taking people's money and providing nothing in return. We had our son first at Venado with two say 20ish year old "coaches" who did nothing but sit around on their phones and pay close to 0 interest in the kids. They would just have them run so they didn't have to do anything or play games where they could sit on their phones. Even the "games" were awful as they would have 99% of the kids just standing around either waiting or doing nothing. At best, I would have called it babysitting since there was no basketball education taught at all, except for the fact that the pair of "coaches" didn't even monitor the activities nor deal with the kids. So, we thought, perhaps its just those 2 guys. Such things happen. But, oh no, Lakeside was just as bad if not worse in some cases. At least there, I can say they had some basketball "education," were learning some fundamentals, and were engaged for the most part. Of course, that's when the actual instructor was there. At least one week, a random parent had to step in and run the class because the instructor never showed up. On top of that, I saw multiple kids bullying smaller kids and acting out while the "coach" did absolutely nothing. There is literally no reason for you to be in business. You are stealing people's money and making a zero attempt in good faith to provide ULTRA expensive "services" you claim to be providing. Nor as a child or an adult have I ever witnessed such a "company" as yours. Its truly beyond comprehension how you are still in business. You deserve every bit of bad social media press and BBB reports that are coming your way. read more

Non serious coaches. Hard to reach out to management. Im very disappointed with the academy.

My 11 year old son just finished his fall season with SoCal elite. First and last time we will play this league. Worst league we've played in over the last four years of basketball and playing many local leagues. First it's more expensive than any other league we've played. Second there is only one ref per game and these are hands down the worst refs I've ever seen. Refs not calling fouls against opposing team to the point the other team was constantly charging, pushing, elbowing, clotheslining, headbutting the players on my sons team to the point of injury without any consequence. Third, despite having 8 or 9 teams in my sons age level there were only 6 games for fall and my sons team played the same team for 3 of 6 games. Could have organized scrimmage games for less money if the goal was to play the same team over and over. Terrible experiance. read more

Signed up my 7 year old for the outdoor Academy during COVID. The sign up was smooth and their covered outdoor courts have been great. My son has been really enjoying the sessions and his handles and shooting has gotten a lot more confident! Looking forward to trying the league games once COVID is over read more

I enrolled my daughter at the age of 9 with SoCal Elite June 2017. This was her first time playing organized basketball within their rec program. At the age of 9, boys or girls the expectation shouldn't be tremendously high in terms of game play, but when looking at SoCal Elite's organization as whole; they do a pretty great job. There are plenty of operations for sports that are purely a money play and SoCal Elite is far from that. In fact, it's very apparent that the organization's focus is on youth development and inclusion. I can really appreciate what SoCal Elite Sports is doing for the city of Irvine and it's youth. My daughter is now 12 and has continued to progress into a Club player for SoCal's 6/7 girl's team. The support of SoCal has been tremendous not only for my daughter, but for me as a parent. I highly recommend SoCal Elite Sports and their various programs. read more

My 5th grade son was enrolled into novice basketball class and had a horrible experience. The coach did not care what level my son is and did not go over the rules. When my son could not catch the ball during the passing practice, he was shaking heads and showing an attitude on the very first day of my son's class. The coach is not qualified for teaching any kids and I just submitted cancellation request. read more

We enrolled our 8yr old son into the spring league 2019. Went to the tryouts, seemed to be a well oiled machine at the time. When they announced the teams 2 days before the 1st game we found our that we have a coach in his early 20s older brother to one of the players. We went to the practice early, only 3 of the 9 boys were there for practice. 4 boys showed up just before tip off.... the other 2 were no shows. The coach sat on his duff as if he was just a warm body on a chair. These kids have never seen each other or played together. The game was a free for all.. no one knew what 4 corners were, screen, pass to the open man etc. We had game 2 today. Coach was unable to attend, he and his brother were on spring break. Again, our son and 1 other boy were there early. 3 others showed up late for the game,it started 15 minutes late, we only had 5 kids, and no coach, just a sit in parent that didn't even make the practice, he was late also. So we ended up with 5 players to the other teams 10. They had to play the full 40 minutes. This is not how a basketball team and organization should be ran. Our son came off the court today and told us he was no longer playing for this team. He is not a quitter or a whiner but today was the biggest joke for a basketball team and coaching I have seen in all my years. We spent 300.00 to play in this spring league thinking it was as good an organization as HB NJB. They advertise that we have everything needed to make your son or daughter a better player. This is a joke, we sent in our resignation immediately after game 2. Please beware of this organization. I'm still waiting for a phone call to resolve the money invested. read more

This is by far the best league my son has played with. The coaching staff has been instrumental in developing a strong sense of team work and individual skills training. Coach Jason's style of coaching really works for the team. Our team won the Jam On It West Coast National championship in Las Vegas two years in a row. Not to mention the countless local tournament championships. The game plays, training, discipline and teamwork has carried over to other aspects of my son's life. He gets asked to play for teams outside the league like his church's Unity Games team where he is a stand out player. Without a doubt that is due to the training he receives from So Cal Elite. The parents are a joy to cheer with. They have a great team spirit but never too loud or offending toward the other teams. I absolutely highly recommend anyone living in the Irvine area give this excellent league a try. read more

My daughter has been playing in SoCal Elite's leagues for a couple of seasons now and we have loved every moment of it. During our first season, she started in the rookie league and learned so much in the practices before each game. The staff helped her work on the fundamentals from a beginner level and was very supportive. The communication between the organization and parents is excellent as well and makes the whole experience smooth. I recommend this league to any kids who enjoy basketball, regardless of skill or experience. We look forward to the next season! read more

There are two organizations have been a constant in our lives since moving to Irvine. The first is Northwood Little League and the second is SoCal Elite Sports. It started in the Rookie league recreation division where he made friends that are close friends until today. It continued as he moved into their club program where he's been taught not only advanced skills on the court but important life lessons in teamwork, effort and winning and losing. The people that run the organization are first-class individuals who truly care about he kids. They support our schools and our community in ways big and small. We continue to be a part of this great program and highly recommend it to friends and family. read more

See all

I enrolled my 8 yo son in the 'open gym' sessions. No games just practice. More like drills you do in gym class. $85/5 visits. I cancelled my recurring payments after the first session. The ratio of kids to adults is prob 20-1. Enjoy wasting your money if you sign up. read more

SoCal Elite - As good as it gets. Our son has been with the team for last 3 seasons. The coaching staff is awesome particularly 6th grade grey team's coach Jason. He has been helping the team to achieve championships one after another. No matter it's a win or loss, he is always there to help the boys to understand the key elements of the game. Every practice comes with a different drills and tactics. Last but not the least, the team mom Christabel is awesome spending countless hours at late night to coordinate before, during and after practices and games. read more

See all

Gave it three stars... coaches are decent, players are actually pretty competitive HOWEVER, I have been watching my brother play basketball here for about 3 years now, and REFS ARE HORRIBLE. I get it you don't pay the coaches but at least get two well educated basketball refs for the boys league. Refs really kill the fun for the game with their lack of knowledge. This is for the 6&7th grade teams. read more

Words cannot explain how amazing Socal Elite has been for our son. Compared to other leagues, Socal Elite is the most organized. Their Academy/Clinics are amazing as well - Coach Matt and Brandon are the best by far and continue to shine with their drills and discipline. Our son (7 years old) as a rookie couldn't even dribble the ball, but in only 4 months, he can now dribble as well as the rest of kids. His overall happiness alone is what keeps us coming back. Kudos to this amazing company! We are proud to represent Socal Elite! read more

I have enrolled my two kids in basketball with them off and on for several years, almost always with disappointing results. This past year was particularly bad, and will be our last. They informed us that our son's 8th grade team would be coached by an 11th grader-- yes, a high school kid. Moreover, he seemed like a good kid, but in learning about him more, we understood that he is not even on his school's basketball team himself. When the "coach" scheduled our practices in a remote area at 5:00pm (don't most people work until 5?), I realized we could not even make it to these practices through traffic. He was inconsistent with communication throughout the season, canceled and rescheduled practices with virtually no notice. I emailed management to let them know it has been a disappointing season, and they replied days later that it was too late to get a refund, but that they would "pass on" my feedback. I'll pass on any future interaction or activities with them-- they have gotten so big, that they have forgotten to focus on quality and customer support. read more

My son has been playing club basketball for SoCal since the second grade and loves it. SoCal has great, experienced coaches and a family friendly community. I have watched my son grow as a player and learn to be a good teammate and how to work hard. Go SoCal! read more

SoCal Elite Sports - Amateur Sports Teams Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Too many children in a small gym. We regret that we registered my daughter for the summer camp 2018.

My two boys played SoCal Elite basketball and really enjoyed it. I've been involved in other youth sports organizations but admittedly I don't know much about basketball. They took the time to train me and educate me so I could help our team. It was always a great experience. Now that my boys are older, one of them is actually a referee for them. It's a great organization. read more

This is my son's third season playing So Cal Elite, and he absolutely loves it. I love it too! My son has been involved in many leagues for various sports, and I can honestly say that So Cal Elite is one of the best organized groups out there. It's so easy - clinics are right before games, so no extra practices, all staff and coaches have been super friendly and encouraging and best of all, the communication from So Cal Elite is great! Overall, just a really great group to be a part of. read more

So Cal Elite Sports is expensive. If you don't agree to coach a team, you have to pay an additional $65 on top of their fee which is around $165. I have to correct my original review, this is a not for profit business. My problem is I know nothing about basketball. Baseball coaching I can do, but I have no Basketball experience at all so for me to coach the team would be unfair to the kids and parents. Especially for the price. Our first season, they allowed teams to form with returning players so we lost every game but the last one and that was because we were playing a team that had the same situation that we did. Was going to sign up for the Fall League but decided to skip it when we saw the pricing if you are not will to be a head coach. The owner did reach out to me which was very nice so updating that he explained why they had the additional charges for opting out of coaching. Also discussed the assistant coach and new team manager roles that are $20 each to address folks that have no basketball coaching experience. So appreciate that. read more

My son has been playing with So-Cal Elite for five years. We started playing in the recreation league in 1st grade and had a great experience. As my son's skills improved and our interest in basketball increased, we transitioned to So-Cal Elite Club basketball in 3rd grade. The coaches have been consistent and continue to focus on development. My son has learned so much from Coach Jason and Coach Bim and highly recommend So-Cal Elite. read more

SoCal Elite Sports - Amateur Sports Teams Near Me - Irvine, California

My son, Collin has been playing basketball since he was 4. We met Coach Bim, Coach Paul and Coach Patrick from SoCal Elite 7 years ago, and the rest is history. SoCal Elite Sports not only cares about their kids, but also about their families, and puts out a fantastic product. From their rec league, to their club teams, to their camps, to their weekly practices. Collin has played basketball all over the state, country, the world (Korea and China), and he has got the most when it comes to basketball, on and off the court from Coach Bim at SoCal Elite Sports. He started as beginner of course, and over the past 7 years, has worked his way to becoming a pretty good player, and a huge part is due to SoCal Elite Sports and their coaches. So it doesn't matter if your son or daughter is just beginning, or a natural at basketball, SoCal Elite has something for everyone. The program is great, the coaches are amazing, and I would highly recommend SoCal Elite to any families looking for a great environment for their kids and family! read more

SoCal Elite Sports - Collin Tjin playing basketball for Coach Bim from SoCal Elite Sports - Amateur Sports Teams Near Me - Irvine, California

My son has been with SoCal Elite for 4 years. He started off playing in the recreational league and then tried out for the club team. He has developed a great amount of skills and learned a lot from all of his coaches, especially with Coach Bim, Coach Jason, Coach Brandon and Coach Patrick. He also attends the weekly academy clinics for additional training. The Club Director is always quick to answer any questions and holds meetings with team parents to keep us parents informed of all the upcoming events. We enjoy being part of a well-organized and family friendly community and look forward to seeing my son advancing to the next club grade levels. read more

See all

We've had an excellent experience with So Cal Elite basketball- both in the regular league and on the travel team. What impressed our family about this league is the level of organization, commitment and training that our son receives. We have played in other b-ball leagues locally and have found this one to be much more rigorous and with a high degree of training. We are especially impressed with the caliber of coaches that they have recruited for the travel-teams. Our kids are being coached by coaches who coach at the competitive high school level- and bring a great deal of passion and educational skills to the game. We love this league!!! Sheila S. read more

Great basketball league. I have 2 kids currently playing, one in the club and the other in the recreational league. Both really enjoy it.