Sports and Recreation Opportunities Abound in Pleasanton

The City of Pleasanton's Parks and Community Services Department offers a great variety of sports and recreation opportunities, including basketball, volleyball, softball, and soccer leagues and drop-in activities like tennis, swimming, badminton, and bocce ball. Here's all the information you need to get involved.

Sports and other recreational activities are a great way to stay in shape, meet people, or just have fun. Thanks to the many resources offered by the City of Pleasanton, there's an activity for every taste.

One of the best ways to participate is through a business league, many of which are popular with Hacienda companies. It's a chance to relax and have fun with people outside the work environment and leagues are frequently tailored to work schedules.

For example, the City of Pleasanton's sports supervisor Mark Spiller notes that business leagues usually start their games at 5:15. There's no need to wait around work before starting play.

The leagues get rave reviews from Hacienda employees. De Lam, who helped organize the Shaklee Slammers softball team, says that softball has allowed Shaklee employees to meet people from other businesses as well as other departments within the company.

"Shaklee moved here in November 1999 and the softball league gave us a good opportunity to get to know our corporate neighbors," he says. "This is also a good chance for people in a variety of departments to get together. For instance, we have people from payroll, facilities, tax, that's me, and marketing, as an example."

Lam also gives Pleasanton's facilities high marks.

"It's so great to have a sports park right in the middle of the city near the business park. I've played in other leagues and this is the best."

Here's our wrap-up of the many team and individual sports and recreation activities offered in Pleasanton.

SOFTBALL

Registration has ended for fall 2001 softball leagues, explains Dan Villasenor, softball coordinator for the City Parks and Community Service department. However, softball leagues will form again early next year for the spring and summer.

There are some important dates to remember: On January 2, 2002 spring sign-up packets will be available. Resident sign ups take place from January 21 to February 2. Walk-in registration for new teams, residents, and non-residents, is March 6-7, with mail-in registration for leagues beginning the first week of April 1. Fall 2002 league signups start at the end of next summer.

How's the Weather? During the inclement weather season, sports organization and park users are required to check with their organization about city field availability when it rains. Please call (925) 931-5360. Often the city fields are open while the school fields may be closed. Call the school's weatherline at (925) 426-4413. Leagues that will be forming include men's, women's, co-ed, men's masters (35 years and up), men's business, co-ed business, and men's legends (50 years and up). For softball league questions, call Dan Villasenor, softball supervisor (925) 931-3437.

BASKETBALL

Fall 2001 men's basketball registration takes place from August 13 to 17 at the city's Tennis and Community Park office, 5801 Valley Avenue. Play takes place on Thursdays at 6:30, 7:40 and 8:50 from September 6 to November 15 at the Harvest Park, Pleasanton Middle or Thomas Hart school gymnasiums.

Team registration information is available at the Tennis and Community Park, 5801 Valley Avenue. The top three teams will qualify for league playoffs as play continues to determine a new champion.

Winter league registration is from November 12-16 for play from December 6, 2001 to February 28, 2002. Spring registration takes place from February 25 to March 1, 2002 for play from March 14 to May 23, 2002. Due to increased demand, the city will sponsor additional leagues in the Fall of 2002.

VOLLEYBALL

Registration for the Fall 2001 adult co-ed volleyball league is from August 13 to August 17 at 5:00 p.m. at the Tennis and Community Park Office, 5801 Valley Avenue. Play is on Mondays, starting on September 10 and finishing on November 19, with games at 6:30, 7:40, and 8:50 p.m. The City of Pleasanton is sponsoring fall volleyball leagues in the gymnasia at Harvest Park Middle School, Pleasanton Middle School, and in Hacienda at Thomas Hart Middle School.

The top three teams will qualify for league playoffs. A set of rules will be sent to each team manager after registration is completed. Fees are $250 per team with a $10 per player non-resident fee. For more information, call (925) 931-3449.

Winter volleyball league registration is from November 12-6 with games played December 3, 2001 to March 4, 2002. Spring signups are from February 25 to March 1, 2002, for play from March 18 to June 3, 2002.

image Nellcor's Kelly Jager (right) plays tennis after work with a friend at the Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park.

TENNIS

Tennis is a popular sport in Pleasanton and the city has provided an ample supply of excellent courts. 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 931-3446.

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 and Gulfstream; Creekside Park (practice backboard only) at 5665 W. Las Positas in Hacienda; and in Hacienda's Linear Park, adjacent to the Valencia housing development.

Office and court hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The courts may close early, however, if there are no court reservations past 5:00 p.m.

Tennis leagues are also available. They are ladies' singles and doubles, men's singles and doubles, and mixed doubles.

Registration for autumn league play takes place on a first-come, first-served basis and begins with mail-in or fax registration the week of August 6. Walk-in registration for residents begins August 13 and non-resident registration begins August 20. League play begins in September and continues for six weeks, followed immediately by another league. Participants can sign up for both leagues at the same time.

For winter leagues, residents can sign up by mail or fax during the week of December 10, with non-resident registration beginning a week later Walk-in registration begins for everyone on January 3.

Tennis lessons, which take place conveniently after working hours on weekdays, are also available on a monthly basis. Private tennis lessons are also available at all skill levels.

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

image AQUATICS

Pleasanton offers a tremendous 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 water exercise programs including a sunrise workout from 6 a.m. to 6:55 a.m.; competitive stroke classes and aqua aerobics at 8:00 a.m., 9:15 a.m., and 6 p.m.; and recreational swimming from April (on weekends) through September.

Lap swimming hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as well as Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The Aquatic Center's office hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:00 to 1:00 p.m., and Monday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. For additional aquatics information, call Delcea Wills at (925) 931-3420.

BADMINTON

Keep your eye on the birdie! Drop-in badminton continues year round in Hacienda at West Las Positas and Willow on Saturday evenings from 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. and Sunday evenings from 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. Play is for co-ed teams at any skill level. The fee is $4 per person per day and play is at Thomas Hart Middle School gymnasium (nine courts).

BOCCE BALL

Two bocce ball courts at the Pleasanton Senior Center, 5353 Sunol Blvd., are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Newcomers are welcome, no equipment is needed and volunteers are happy to show people how to play.

For enjoyable summer evenings, the courts are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the summer. Bocce ball league play for beginners through advanced players runs through the end of August in the evenings. The drop in fee is $1 for residents and $1.50 for non-residents. For more information, call Pam Deaton at (925) 931-5367.

OPEN GYMS

ADULT BASKETBALL ($2 per person) Saturdays, 6:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., Harvest Park (residents only) Sundays, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., Pleasanton Middle School Mondays, 8:00 - 10:00 p.m., Thomas Hart (residents only)

ADULT VOLLEYBALL ($3.00 per person) Sundays, 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Harvest Park

ADULT BADMINTON ($4.00 per person) Saturdays, 7:00 - 11:00 p.m., Thomas Hart Sundays, 6:00 -10:00 p.m., Thomas Hart

SOCCER

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

Pleasanton Adult Sunday Soccer (PASS) runs leagues on Sundays throughout the year. For information, call (925) 846-6283.

Informal lunch-hour soccer leagues, which are also available, were begun in 1993 by employees of Nellcor, Puritan & Bennett. The emphasis is on fun and team play.

Lou Tateo, who informally heads up the leagues, said the games are informal, drop-in and co-ed. Usually two games are going with approximately 16 players.

These informal, pick-up games are from 12 noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Pleasanton Sports Park on Hopyard Road during the summer and when the weather is good. When the weather turns rainy and the Sports Park is closed, play moves to Muir Woods Park, 4701 Muirwood Drive. For information on participating, call Tateo at (925) 463-4539.

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

In addition to the numbers listed in each section above, you can also find out more about the City of Pleasanton's sports leagues by contacting Mark Spiller, sports supervisor, at (925) 931-5348.

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