Pleasanton's Parks and Community Services Department Offers a Host of Sports Leagues, Recreation Opportunities

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Sports and recreation are a great way to stay in shape, meet people, and enjoy refreshing physical activity. With the many resources made available by the City of Pleasanton, opportunities for exercise abound. The City of Pleasanton's Parks and Community Services Department offers an impressive variety of sports and recreation opportunities, including basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, tennis and bocce ball leagues and drop-in activities including swimming and badminton. Here's all the information you need to get involved.

Softball

Pleasanton offers the opportunity to play recreational softball in several different leagues, including men's and co-ed leagues, men's masters (35 years and up) and men's legends (50 years and up).

Five leagues are also offered for teams entering from area businesses. These leagues include two for men which play Monday and Tuesday and three co-ed leagues which play Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The business leagues offer convenient 5:15 pm starting times.

Spring softball leagues begin play March 28 and space for new teams was available at press time. To register, pick up a form at the Pleasanton Sportspark, located at 5800 Parkside Drive at the corner of Parkside and Hopyard Road, and return it with your team's roster and the league fees. Leagues are also available in the fall.

For additional information on Pleasanton softball, call (925) 931-3437.

Basketball

Last-minute registration is open for the Spring Adult Basketball league, which starts play on Wednesday, March 30. Teams play in three divisions, with the two most-competitive leagues playing on Thursday nights and the third playing on Wednesday nights. Start times rotate each week, with games beginning at 6:40, 7:50, and 9:00 pm at the Pleasanton Middle School gymnasium, 5001 Case Avenue. Fees for the spring league are $600 per team, which includes a 10-game season plus playoff games for the top finishers. Team registration information is available now at the Tennis and Community Park, 5801 Valley Avenue.

Also on tap is the 2005 Summer Adult Basketball program, which begins on Sunday, June 12, and continues for the following two months. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 26, and play takes place on Sundays at 4:00, 5:10, 6:20, and 7:30 pm at local school gymnasiums. Registration for the summer league is $480 per team, which covers an eight-game season plus playoffs. Fall and winter leagues are also offered.

Open gyms are also available for drop-in play. On Saturday mornings from 6:45-8:45 am, Pleasanton residents can play at Harvest Park Middle School, 4900 Valley Avenue. On Sundays, the gym at Pleasanton Middle School, 5001 Case Avenue, is open to the public from 8:00-10:00 am. Finally, on Monday nights from 8:00-10:00 pm, Thomas Hart Middle School, 4433 Willow Road, is open to Pleasanton residents for basketball. The fee is $2 per person.

For additional information on Pleasanton's recreational basketball opportunities, call (925) 931-3447.

Volleyball

Pleasanton also offers co-ed, adult volleyball leagues in the fall, winter, and spring. Registration for the Fall 2005 league begins this September and will offer play in two divisions, with matches held on Monday nights at Harvest Park Middle School gym, 4900 Valley Ave.

Adult volleyball is also available as part of the city's Open Gym Programs. On Sundays from 6:00-9:00 pm, the gym at Harvest Park is open to the public. Fees are $3 per person.

For additional information on either league or open gym play, call (925) 931-3447.

Tennis

Pleasanton offers a host of opportunities for adult tennis, including leagues, lessons, and open play. The Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park, 5801 Valley Avenue, at the corner of Hopyard Road and Valley Avenue has 10 lighted courts, all of which are available on a pay-as-you-play basis, although discount cards and mid-day reduced rates are available. To make a reservation, call (925) 931-3446. The Park also offers rentals of ball machines. Other public courts located at community parks and schools in Pleasanton are free of charge. They are Muirwood Park (four courts), 4701 Muirwood Drive; Fairlands Park (two courts), W. Las Positas Boulevard and Gulfstream; Creekside Park (practice backboard only) at 5665 W. Las Positas Boulevard in Hacienda; and a special private facility for Hacienda employees and residents in Hacienda's Linear Park, adjacent to the Valencia housing development.

For the Tennis and Community Park, office and court hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 10:00 pm; Saturday 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Sunday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. The courts may close early, however, if there are no court reservations past 5:00 pm.

League play is available now for Men's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles with both permanent and rotating partners. Leagues run from the end of March to early June and play once a week. Call (925) 931-3446 for more information.

Lessons are also available for adults, both in groups or one-on-one. The group lessons consist of four to eight classes geared toward specific skill levels, with fees ranging from $26 to $58. Class sessions begin monthly. Private lessons may be arranged with facility director Mario Hinojosa or staff members Romana Tedjakusuma and Frank Nubla.

All sign-ups take place at the tennis park. Call (925) 931-3446 for additional information or to make court reservations.

Soccer

Pleasanton offers several opportunities to play the world's most popular sport.

The Pleasanton Adult Sunday Soccer League (PASS), provides weekend play for teams in three different age divisions: Coed, Coed Premier and Coed Masters. The league plays two seasons, spring and fall, on local fields. For information, call (925) 426-7277.

The Parks and Community Services Department also sponsors a soccer program for parents and toddlers, "Mommy/Daddy & Me Soccer." Parents and their children aged two to three-and-a-half will participate in a variety of activities designed around the game of soccer, with classes held once a week on Tuesday mornings. Call (925) 931-5340 for details.

Aquatics

Pleasanton takes swimming seriously and has a great resource for swimmers at the Dolores Bengtson Aquatic Center, 4455 Black Avenue, (925) 931-3420. The center has four heated pools: a large shallow pool with a water slide; a diving pool with one meter and three meter springboard diving boards; a 25-meter, 8-lane racing pool; and a 50-meter by 25-yard competitive pool.

The staff offers a wide variety of classes for adults. Adult learn-to-swim classes are offered on an ongoing basis, with classes held twice a week for four weeks. Competitive swimmers may be interested in classes covering Starts and Turns or Stroke Refinement, which gives advanced instruction in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly styles. Finally, several different Fitness/Water Exercise classes are offered, including a Sunrise Workout program which takes place three times a week from 6:00 to 6:55 am, morning and evening Aqua Aerobics sessions, and a Deep Water Workout program which utilizes interval and resistance training to develop cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. A number of Red Cross Certification classes are also offered.

The Aquatic Center is also open for lap swimming. Hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 am, 8:00 to 10:00 am, and 11:30 am to 1:00 pm, as well as Monday through Thursday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Lap swimming is also available from 7:30 to 10:00 am on Saturday mornings.

The Aquatic Center's office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 to 1:00 pm, Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 7:15 pm, and Saturday from 7:30 to 10:00 am. For additional aquatics information, call (925) 931-3420.

Badminton

Drop-in badminton is available as part of the city's Open Gym Programs three nights a week, all at Thomas Hart Middle School, 4433 Willow Road in Hacienda. On Saturday nights, the gym is open from 7:00-11:00 pm, with the hours shifting to 6:00-10:00 pm on Sunday nights. On Wednesdays, the hours are 8:30-11:00 pm. The fee for any night is $4 per person.

Bocce Ball

The 2005 Spring Adult Bocce League begins on April 19, including coed leagues. Team registration information is available at the Tennis and Community Park, 5801 Valley Avenue. Matches are played on Tuesday evenings at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 at the Centennial Community Park, 5353 Sunol Boulevard. The registration deadline is April 7, with league fees and rosters due at the time of registration. For additional information, call (925) 931-3447.

Drop-in games are also held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Fees are $1 for Pleasanton residents and $2 for non-residents.

Other Activities

Quarterly Activities Guides include information on sports leagues and activities and are available at no charge at the Parks and Community Services office, 200 Old Bernal Avenue (925) 931-5340. The information is also online at www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/parks.html.

Photo: (top to bottom)
Dolores Bengston Aquatic Center.
Leaguer pitches at the Pleasanton Sportspark (Photo: Doug Jorgensen)
Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park

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