10 Olympic Sports You Can Play in Lamorinda

The London 2012 Olympics are here.

Lamorinda is gearing up to watch the 2012 Olympics, and the Opening Ceremony is tonight at 7:30 p.m. Unfortunately, most of us can’t hop on a plane to London to be there for the ceremony.

Luckily, Lamorinda is full of places perfect for recreating your own Olympics. With 35 summer Olympic sports options, Lamorinda offers a variety of fields, rinks, trails and classes for people of all ages to play their favorite Olympic sports.

1. Canoe/Kayak:

Grab your kayak or canoe and head out to the Lafayette Reservoir, one of Lamorinda’s few bodies of water. You can also rent a rowboat or kayak at the visitor’s center if you don’t own one.

2. Equestrian:

Lamorinda has lots of choices when it comes to horse back riding, such as Grizzly Peak Stables and Sierra Ranch, which both offer horseback ridding lessons and classes. For the kids, Roughing It Day Camp and Adventure Day Camp offer horseback riding as an activity.

3. Archery:

The Briones Archers Club shoots at a 42 target range in Briones Regional Park, and gets together on the 2^nd Sunday of each month, along with taking part in other events. For those interested in perfecting their archery, Sierra Ranch offers classes and private lessons. 

4. Golf:

As far as golfing goes, both the Orinda Country Club and the Moraga Country Club have golf courses.

5. Cycling:

Lamorinda is lucky to have the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail, which has 7.65 miles of trail for bikers. You can also bike around the Lafayette Reservoir during certain times on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

6. Hockey:

The Lafayette Community Center’s hockey rink provides a great place for kids and adults to play hockey, Monday through Friday from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. The hockey rink can be used for free anytime there isn’t a class on the rink, all you have to do is check in at the Community Center Office and leave your ID for the keys to the rink.

7. Volleyball

Many parks in Lamorinda offer outside volleyball courts such as the Moraga Commons and the Orinda Oaks Park. Joaquin Moraga Middle School also has a beach-volleyball court.

8. Basketball:

Lamorinda offers many different choices for kids who want to play basketball on a club team. Furthermore, most schools in Lamorinda have basketball courts that are great for pick-up games any day of the week.

9. Tennis:

Lamorinda is full of tennis clubs where you can take lessons, or play a match with a friend. The Lafayette Tennis Club and Orindawoods Tennis Club are both tennis-only, but swim clubs such as the Moraga Valley Swim and Tennis Club and the Rancho Coloradas Swim Club both have tennis courts as well. The country clubs in the area also offer tennis courts.

10. Swimming:

For a hot summer day in Lamorinda, there are quite a few swim clubs to choose from. If you don’t belong to a club, head over to the Soda Aquatics Center at Campolindo High School to swim during lap swim hours. You might even run into the next Michael Phelps.

So where’s your favorite place to play Olympic sports in Lamorinda? Have you ever been to the real Olympics? Share your stories in the comments and feel free to add any photos of your Olympic memories.