Roy Rogers
5-on-5 Basketball

Roy has officiated basketball for 22 years for Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District. He works three games on Thursday nights, six games on Sundays, and occasional Saturdays, too. Roy teaches P.E. and Biology at Richmond High School (for 39 years) and also officiates basketball and youth football for other recreational programs all over the area. He has loved basketball since his high school and college days in Louisiana and Texas. “Being a player makes you a better official,” he said. “You know what to look for and what should be occurring.”

He appreciates the fact that “Brad Clement matches the teams quite well” at PHR&PD. Given the different skill levels the games are usually close and well balanced. <back to top>

Kevin Smith
Drop in Basketball (weekends)

This competitive drop-in program has been popular since it started 27 years ago. Kevin took over the program in 1991 when the job opened up. He thought, “why not? I get to do what I love, and I’m going to be here anyway.”

The weekend Drop-in Basketball program is “a community in itself,” said Kevin. “It is a good environment. Everyone knows one another and if someone is having troubles, there is always someone else who’s been through it and can talk things out,” he said.

The program is open on Saturdays from 7-9 am, and Sundays from 8-10 am. According to Kevin, “it’s early enough that you can get your machismo or testosterone flowing and still be back home in time to take your kids to their weekend activities.”

Brad Clement

(photo not available)

3-on-3 Basketball, Drop-In Basketball (week nights)

Brad has worked for PHR&PD for 23 years. He runs the adult basketball program at the Pleasant Hill Education Center. He’s a scorekeeper, referee, supervisor, and a player. He said he’s also a “starving artist,” specializing in realistic pencil drawings, mainly of athletes.
Brad was responsible for starting one of the only womens basketball leagues in the area. Now the 3-on-3 league has five divisions: A, B, C, 35 years and over, and womens. Winter leagues play ten games on Wednesdays and Thursdays. In addition to the leagues, Drop-in basketball is also offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 4-6 pm.

“I’ve played basketball all of my life,” said Brad. “It’s good to make a living doing something you enjoy.”

Randy Piona
Drop-In Badminton

Randy was responsible for establishing the Drop-in Badminton program at Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District some 20 years ago. When Diablo Valley College discontinued its program, Randy called his old high school friend, Bob Berggren, who is now PHR&PD General Manager, and asked him about setting up a program. “The sport is very popular in Europe, but hard to find here in the states,” according to Piona, who works by day as a building designer.

Drop-in Badminton is scheduled at the PH Education Center Gym on Sundays from 11 am–1 pm. Between 16 and 30 people come for this fast-paced sport that is easy to learn, but hard to master. “It is very quick,” said Randy, “quicker than Tennis. The badminton bird can travel up to 200 miles an hour. And there is kind of a strategy game that goes along with it.”

Na Vo
Co-ed Volleyball, Drop-In Volleyball

“I’m a sports guy. I love sports,” said Na Vo, a 21 year old who has worked for Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District for six years. Na met PHR&PD Recreation Supervisor Lance Hurtado at College Park high school. “Lance gave me the opportunity to help referee youth flag football games,” he said. Since that time, Na has helped with Volleyball, Basketball, Flag Football, Softball, Soccer, and Track. He recently accepted another job with the District at KIDSTOP, the before-and-after school program at Gregory Gardens Elementary.

Na runs Volleyball programs at the PH Education Center Gym. A co-ed league plays on Monday nights, and Na runs the gym on Tuesday and Saturday nights for Drop-in Volleyball. He likes the program because “it’s not too competitive, you can meet new people, have fun, sweat a little, and play a sport,” he said. “Pleasant Hill Rec is one of the only places where you can just play,” he said. “It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun.”

Jan Long
Boccé

Although there are no “officials” in Boccé, Jan Long has been one of the original players of the game since Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District started offering it at courts rented from Zio Fraedo’s restaurant in Pleasant Hill in 1988. Two years later, the District built two Boccé courts at Rodgers-Smith Park. It has always been a very popular program. The Bocce league can accomodate 28 teams, with games seven days a week. Teams of four to 12 players play three matches per night until they win by two points. “It can get very competitive,” said Jan. ”But it’s very social, a lot of fun, and people can get hooked on it.”

Jan says she has “jumped from team to team.” Lately she has been playing on the Pre-school Social Club team, made up mostly of teachers in PHR&PD’s Pre-School program. “Each family on my team picks a night and makes dinner for the group,” said Jan. “One time, we had a full turkey dinner, with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy!”

Boccé is offered two seasons per year, late March – June, and July – October at
Rodgers-Smith Park, on Grayson Road.

Jim MacCabe
5-on-5 Soccer

When Jim MacCabe saw Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District’s adult soccer program ten years ago, he had never seen anything like it – even though he had been a soccer referee for three years.

“It’s a fast-paced passing game played on a small field with only five players on each team and there is no goal keeper,” said Jim, adding that it is unique to Pleasant Hill.

“It’s a high-scoring game that is more fun than indoor soccer, which is comparable to the size of the field,” he said. The Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District Soccer league is open to men’s teams, women’s teams, and co-ed teams. Some come from San Francisco and Fairfield to play this game, because they can develop their passing skills.”

Jim also referees five youth and adult leagues. And in his spare time, he plays soccer. Weekdays, he operates McKinney & MacCabe, Inc., a family business since 1947 that performs insurance appraisals to determine the replacement cost for homes in the area.

As a referee, Jim says he always tries to improve his own skills, so that the players can improve their games. And, “It’s a nice bonus to get to know the players and see them improve,” he added.

Deborah Gantt
Tennis

“Tennis is my first love,” said Deborah. She started playing in high school and then decided to go pro. Later she had a family and started teaching, but her love of the game continued.

Deborah started working for PHR&PD two years ago. She teaches four levels of players: beginners, advanced-beginners, intermediate, and advanced for adults, teens, and youth. In her group and private lessons, “it’s all about the students getting better,” she said. “I try to mold the class to benefit the most players, given each player’s levels. We have fun, and learn a lot,” she said.

Deborah is also the area director for La Petite Tennis, a program developed by the world’s top players to teach tennis to young children, ages 3-7.

Tim Sullivan
Golf

In 1980, Tim contacted Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District about starting a golf program. His call was the beginning of 25 years of golf at PHR&PD, giving hundreds of new players an introduction to the game.

PHR&PD’s golf program offers everyone from age 8 through seniors, in all skill levels from beginners, advanced beginners, and intermediate players, group lessons year round. In the summer and on school holidays, junior golf camps are also offered.

Tim owns Buchanan Fields Golf Course in Concord. It is conducive to entry level play, with clubs provided, and a 50-stall driving range.

“We have a friendly environment here,” he said. “Once new players establish a level of comfort, many are surprised that they are able to play. For most people, golf is a life-long game.”