Where to Play Basketball

3 parent questions ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • Help! Indoor basketball court rental?

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    Jun 17, 2022

    Hi! My son was hoping to have his bar mitzvah celebration in October at University Village but we just found out that they no longer do public rentals. Does anyone know of an East Bay venue (a school? a rec center? a private gym?) that has an indoor basketball court (and additional rooms for other activities) that is available to rent on a Saturday night?  Thanks in advance for your help!! 

    Jun 17, 2022

    College Avenue Presbyterian Church has a gym. Not sure about the rental hours. There are also other rooms available.

    Jun 22, 2022

    Pre-pandemic, the Albany YMCA was a great place for party rentals, not sure if that is still available or not. In El Cerrito, El Cerrito High School and Prospect Sierra sites have done rentals, but again, not sure if that is pandemic suspended. The site that is now Little Tree Montessori in El Cerrito also used to do gym rentals. In Berkeley, James Kenney Park and MLK Parks have basketball courts that may be rented.

    Jun 22, 2022

  • Park near Berkeley with short basketball hoops?

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    Jul 20, 2021

    My husband is looking for a local park that has shorter basketball hoops to accommodate younger kids. Does this exist anywhere in the East Bay? Preferably close to Berkeley 

    Jul 20, 2021

    I'm not sure how short you're looking for, but there is one basketball hoop at the Sylvia Mendez playground that is on the shorter side. It seems to be open to the public over the weekend (I've taken my kiddo on random Sundays and the gates have been wide open).

    Jul 22, 2021

  • Basketball net access for 1st grader

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    Jun 22, 2018

    My rising 1st grader is obsessed with basketball and wants to play every day. He played multiple times a day during school (every recess) and goes to a class once a week, but now that it's summer he asks about basketball constantly and I don't always want to take him to the park after work. My husband has fond memories of spending hours playing basketball with his friends when he grew up in the suburbs. Unfortunately I can't figure out how to make a basketball net work at our house. We have a small, unpaved, gated driveway. Should we pave that even though it would only be a small space?  We have a pretty big yard, but it's full of grass and tress and bushes. Should we look into paving part of it? Should we buy a big net to put out on the street like some people do? We live on a fairly busy street just off Telegraph Ave though, so it seems like I would have to sit outside with him vigilantly watching for cars. When we bought our house before he was born I never imagined that not having a basketball net would be such an issue. What do other people do to facilitate basketball fever in their children? Thanks.

    Jun 22, 2018

    Hi there,

    I can't speak to the placement of a hoop for your exact scenario. A small flat area is really all you need. That can be a small driveway, patio, etc. It helps if it's concrete, though hard packed dirt can work as well (my dad grew up playing on dirt with a backboard nailed to the side of a barn). If he just wants to shoot around, even placing it on grass might be ok for now. It'll help break the habit of bouncing the ball before shooting and instill a more "catch and shoot" habit which can be good in actual gameplay--though it won't help his dribbling game much! Dribbling could be developed anywhere (on the porch, going for walks, etc.)

    As for the basket itself, check Craigslist, there are usually several free portable hoops on there--I was just looking yesterday!

    Good luck!

    Jun 27, 2018

    Have you tried a basketball summer camp? I think the Piedmont Rec Center as well as Oakland Parks may offer half-day camps. Also, check Avid4Adventure or other sports related camps. At least that will help him scratch the itch during the summer. It might be worth installing a basketball hoop in your backyard so he can practice shooting, but to pave over your grass may be a long term commitment and out front near the street just sounds dangerous if your street is pretty busy. Kids can be pretty fickle, especially at that age

    Jun 27, 2018

    Nerf basketball! Our 10-year-old still plays nerf basketball in his bedroom several times each day, in addition to playing "real" basketball at school, parks, etc. You may not want to make a big investment in paving the driveway since kids' passions can change suddenly.

    Jun 27, 2018

    Not a total solution but both my boys have spend many hours shooting hoops with an indoor over-the-door hoop in their room. Additionally, we have a basketball hoop attached off of our deck over the sloped parking spot. They can't play a real game but it's sufficient for practicing shooting. It sounds like your unpaved driveway is similar but better. This buys you some time and are the cheap solutions. At least initially, see how it works and don't worry about paving the driveway. You may be surprised at how much use it can get unpaved.

    Jun 27, 2018

    I think you only need a small space, because he is almost old enough to start playing with a team where he'll have regular access to basketball courts - check out some of the city recreation programs - our kid was briefly on a city of Piedmont basketball team when he was in 1st or 2nd grade. A lot of elementary schools and parks have basketball nets on their playgrounds, too.  Given all your options and where you live, I think your best option is to pave your driveway and put up a net there for shooting practice. Even if he loses interest in basketball over time, you still have a paved driveway. OTOH if you create something in your backyard and in 3rd grade he stops enjoying basketball, you are stuck with a basketball set-up in your backyard.

    Jun 28, 2018