Sports have been an important component of human culture for millennia. Ancient Greece introduced formal sports with the first Olympic Games. Those first games featured what we would consider track and field competitions. Since that time, an amazing variety of sports has been developed, experienced, and enjoyed.

Today, golf, basketball, baseball or softball, soccer, running or track, football, tennis, swimming, biking, and volleyball are the most popular sports among American adults, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report called Sports and Health in America. For children and young people, the top sports are basketball, soccer, football, baseball or softball, swimming, volleyball, and running or track.

Thanks to its natural beauty and mild climate, the Tri-Valley region is an ideal place to experience the satisfaction of outdoor sports. After all, the area averages 300 days of sunshine a year. It is also a great place to experience indoor sports. The Tri-Valley boasts nearly 80 sports facilities in total, many of them in or near Pleasanton, which gives Hacienda businesses and residents easy access to sports activities and events.

Amazing Sports Venues

Golf is the favorite sport among adults, and there is no shortage of beautiful places to play locally. At Pleasanton's The Club at Ruby Hill, members can play at the first Northern California golf course designed by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. Numerous lovely vineyards enhance the imaginative championship layout. Ruby Hill also offers the most extensive golf practice facility in Northern California. The 14 golf courses in the Tri-Valley span private, semi-private, and municipal courses and include a Greg Norman-designed 18-hole facility at Wente Vineyards.

Many of the area's younger athletes gravitate to soccer. In fact, the Tri-Valley has become a hotbed of soccer talent, according to some sports commentators. That makes sense given the huge community and school support shown for this sport, which may be most visible in the many well-groomed, natural-grass soccer fields in the area.

The Pleasanton Rage Girls Soccer Club, for example, plays on fields in 20 locations. Danville's Mustang Soccer League plays on fields in 24 locations, including the Mustang Soccer Complex. San Ramon's Tri-Valley Soccer Club, which is designed for players aiming to reach intercollegiate and/or professional levels of skill, plays on fields at three parks and three schools.

The meticulously maintained natural grass baseball facilities in the Tri-Valley also makes it easy for a range of ball players to have fun. Players of all ages can thrive thanks to the Little League to the Tri-Valley Men's Senior Baseball League to other leagues for different ages.

In 2013 the Tri-Valley hosted the first-ever Little League Intermediate 50-70 World Series at the Granada Little League Baseball Complex in Livermore. The complex includes seven fields, batting cages, and a tee-ball facility as well as recreational park areas, concessions, and parking. Wonderful local facilities such as the Granada make it a pleasure to play ball or cheer a favorite team.

Prime ball fields, as well as fields to accommodate a variety of other sports, are available throughout the Tri-Valley region. The sheer number of available sports fields can be surprising. Pleasanton, for example, offers a variety of fields in 12 city parks. Fallon Sports Park is a premier sports facility in Dublin. Fallon offers baseball and softball diamonds as well as lighted basketball courts, lighted tennis courts, walking trails, a BMX course, soccer fields, restrooms, picnic facilities, and drinking fountains. Many other sports fields are located in San Ramon, Livermore, and Danville.

Unique Variety of Sports

The variety of sports facilities is one of the unique things about the Tri-Valley. For the past three years Visit Tri-Valley, the region's marketing organization, has promoted these excellent sports facilities to draw more visitors from outside the area with new events and tournaments. One of the organization's first successes in sports was attracting USA Water Polo events.

"We have a lot of great water polo partners in the region, a lot of high school and college partners," says Todd Dibs, Director of Sports Development for Visit Tri-Valley. In 2017 and 2018, USA Water Polo ODP (Olympic Development Program) championships were held on separate dates for boys and girls in Pleasanton and Livermore. "USA Water Polo brought in sixty to seventy teams to compete," he says.

The Tri-Valley is a natural home for events such as water polo tournaments thanks to an abundance of competition-level swimming facilities. They include the Aquatic Center at Las Positas College, the Olympic Pool and Aquatic Center in San Ramon, and the Dougherty Valley Aquatic Center in San Ramon. Additional swimming and diving facilities serve the area as well. The variety of local sports opportunities is remarkable. While some employees have taken the initiative to create impromptu cricket pitches at work sites, they are far from the only cricket fans in the Tri-Valley. Dublin's nonprofit Cricket for Cubs was created about three years ago to promote the sport. Today some 300 children actively participate in the sport as members of a cricket team. More than 4,000 other students have been exposed to the sport at 20-plus schools in Dublin, Pleasanton, and San Ramon via after-school programs and physical education.

For three years, from 2011 to 2013, Livermore was a host city for the Amgen Bicycle Tour of California. The Tri-Valley is a natural fit for both on-road and off-road cycling events. More surprising may be the popularity of bocce in the area. Campo di Bocce, located in Livermore, has world-class facilities for the sport. Campo di Bocce offers multiple league nights, local and regional tournaments, and plays host to large-scale national championships and international competitions. Nine other facilities in the Tri-Valley offer bocce courts as well.

Those who love winter sports should not feel abandoned. Tri-Valley Ice Center, in Livermore, offers two rinks under one roof, and hosts hockey games, public skating, parties, skills sessions, and private rentals. Kristi Yamaguchi (National, World, and Olympic Champion) is one of several ice skating legends who trained at Dublin Iceland as they worked their way up through the competitive ranks. Skate St. Moritz, a figure skating competition that originated at the Dublin rink, is considered to be one of the premiere competitions in Northern California. Dublin Iceland is also the home of the Tri-Valley Minor Hockey Association.

The Livermore-Pleasanton Rod & Gun Club in Livermore offers a full range of shooting activities. Located on 54 acres, the club includes safe, modern rifle, pistol, archery, and trap ranges. The clubhouse, outdoor BBQ, and recreation area create a great family atmosphere, and the club offers a variety of firearms safety and training courses. In short, opportunities to enjoy virtually any sport can be found at Hacienda itself or within a convenient distance.

For more information about sports in the City of Pleasanton, please visit www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/gov/depts/cs/sports/default.asp.

For more information about recreational opportunities at Hacienda, please visit www.hacienda.org/amenities-employees-residents/recreation.

For more information about Visit Tri-Valley, please visit visittrivalley.com.