The Sporting Club

I loved coming to this gym. It makes me really sad that they closed their doors. I joined the location in downtown La Jolla, which is not as convenient for me, but it’s ok. What I do like about that location, is the friendliness of the staff and trainers.

I told the manager of the Sporting Club in fall of 2011 that they would go out of business in 3 years because (1) they have done practically nothing to upgrade the work out machines. (2) the place was happening in the 1990’s with lots of young good looking people but there are no attractive women in this gym anymore (3) 75% of the staff members are total a-​holes and the ones who are nice don’t stay around for long. I cancelled my membership in the fall of 2011 to avoid a new equipment upgrade «surcharge». Three years later in July 2014 I visited the gym contemplating whether to rejoin provided they had completed the upgrades they had promised. It turned out not much was done; it looked pretty much the same as it did when I left in 2011. I decided it was not worth one penny to rejoin. So I took it upon myself to enter the gym illicitly. And now that they have gone out of business I feel vindicated, even though my prediction was off by one year.

RIP to this place. Much respect and best wishes to the creators and owners. I loved going here for years.
Just an opinion on why I think it went down hill:
In recent years it seemed there was not a good marketing approach and enough appreciation for the clients, one girl at the front desk would turn down my friends and family for a free day pass (something all other gyms at the front desk offer).
I felt like I was getting treated like I was in high school from her, she stated that you need to have one and they don’t provide them, sometimes talking to my family like they were bums looking for hand outs outside of 711. I guess the only ones available were the ones in the mailers, that which I rarely got. Instead you would have to pay $ 18 to work out. Not a great way to treat clients paying a premium to be a member, and a great way to turn down potential new gym goers. She kept referring to the mailers, no one uses mailers anymore barely, it’s all about social media and friends.
Mostly all gyms have sales people available at all times to provide a free pass and enter the potential clients info into the system once they enter so they can be followed up on and can’t abuse the free pass. Simple and great system to get new clients and push new traffic into the gym. Friends and family referrals are key. There were however many great attributes to this place and I will miss it, but ultimately I think sales are key to a business surviving, and I just don’t think that was their focus unfortunately.
The appearance and cleanliness started to slip towards the end, dirty pool, dirty hot tub, broken lockers never fixed, old carpets, some old outdated items, poor lighting in some areas etc… But I guess that’s because they were running out of money. Machines and weights were always well kept, organized. Nice staff in general. I’m sure it was all better years ago I would presume. Still overall liked coming there.
I actually loved the fact that the gym was never crowded, but I always had a feeling that something was not right and would ask myself how are they really making $?
As a business owner I know the challenges of having a business so I won’t sit here and write a business analysis of what could have been done better, but it was sad to see it go knowing that there was probably different routes that could have been taken to keep it going. But I guess it was too late.
Best wishes and luck to the owners on the next venture. And thanks for the great experience over the years. Still had a great run, hats off.

First of all, they no longer have any affiliation to the La Jolla location. Also, they are permanently closing their doors next month and will no longer be a gym here. While this review is now completely unnecessary, I will say it is just okay and not a great and fancy gym like it advertises itself to be. The locker room is so-​so and the space is super small for a gym that touts as many facilities as it does. Anyway, like I said, completely unnecessary since this business is closing and not accepting new members.

Its going out of business so enjoy it while you can. Nice swank gym but was too expensive and to niche to survive. Pool was so so and parking was expensive. RIP sporting club. Guess the rich folks like other places more.

Attention Sporting Club Members. Looking for a new gym? Email me for a free trial and special rates at any Fit Athletic Club Location!
Sincerely,
Jon Roscorla

«The Boxing Club» is right down the street on Genessee Ave! If you want to stay in the same area, «The Boxing Club» is inviting all members to come try us out the month of November! We have Pilates, yoga, boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Complete weight room and locker rooms with showers and sauna!
Call me 858.622.1903 or email:
. Set an appointment to check us out or swing by to register!

I was very, very sad to learn this was closing next month. I joined in January and I LOVE it. It’s a beautiful facility. They have a separate men’s and women’s jacuzzi/​steam room/​sauna, even an outdoor heated pool.
I come here for the spin classes. There’s a separate cycle room and the Keiser bikes are the nicest I’ve ever ridden. I like how you could keep track of your resistance and RPMS. I’ve only had all the morning instructors, so I can’t speak for the evening classes. My favorite instructors are Kevin and Alberto. They have good, hard classes. Music isn’t the greatest (ha– I prefer hip hop like LA’s Cycle House) but they’re still the best classes if you want your butt kicked.
The staff is nice and accommodating. My esthetician from Total Women referred me to the gym/​spa, but she left, so I stopped going to their spa. It was a pretty nice spa, too, but expensive!
Hope to find a gym with all their amenities one day! :(

I was a member at this club for almost 12 years. I always kept guest passes with me in case I was in the neighborhood. The incompetent people at the front desk wouldn’t honor my pass it even though there is no expiration date. They didn’t even try to accommodate me. I wish I could give them 0 stars. Shows you how much they value members that paid them thousands of dollars. I guess this explains why they are going out of business.

This is a great facility, with staff that keep it very well maintained, and do it with an awesome attitude. I couldn’t be happier with this gym!!!

WORST Customer service ever. Apparently they are saying that my card has been declined for the past three months, even though the card number has not changed and my card has been working perfectly fine every where else. I have been going to the gym many times since then, NOT ONCE has anyone ever said anything to me when they scan me in. NOT ONCE has anyone tried to contact me for card information or inquiry. Now, three months later, they want the payment all at one time. Bummer, because it is a lot of money all at one time, and for something that is their fault. AND ALSO they want a fee for EVERY time that I have gone to the gym since my credit card has not gone through. Are you kidding?! This is completely their fault. Someone could have told me that I needed to update my card and I would have gladly complied! Don’t charge me hundreds of dollars for your mistake!
AND this happened to a few other people that I work with and go to this gym with.
Very clearly their mistake, and they are not willing to work it out or accept that it is their fault.

First class spa and fitness club! Rarely packed, clean, friendly staff and the members are friendly upscale types.
My only sort of complaint is that sometimes the personal trainers take up the equipment.
Yes it’s expensive but after the UTC 24 fitness this place is Valhalla
I like the jacuzzi, wet and dry saunas in the men’s locker room.
Highly recommend to professional people looking for a classy gym/​spa
3 hr parking underground is included in membership as well

The sporting club is one of the nicest full service facility gyms in the area. Great spa facility, steam, sauna, pool, cabanas and free weight room.
Awesome spin classes. Best workout I have had is with The instructor TAD he teaches at 9:30am Saturdays and the HIIT classes (high intensity interval training) are really challenging Wednesday eves at 5:30pm.

I just love this gym and I’m lucky my company pays for my gym membership. I take many classes here at noon because my office is next door in the Aventine.
The spin classes that Kevin teaches are fun and as challenging as you want it to be. The bikes are so nice and will tell you your RPM, resistance, and distance. Unlike other gyms that have a manual dial for resistance, you don’t have to fiddle with the bike to get the right resistance or try to find the working bike. Kevin is really nice and will help new comers adjust their seats and handle bars.
Anne teaches many classes I go to at noon: Grit Strength, Grit Plyo, Cx, Body Pump, and RevX. You won’t ever get the same exact workout with her. She is a great motivator and keeps you pumped. It almost feels like you have a personal trainer in a small group setting and it’s a part of your gym membership. She will show different ways to do an exercise for beginners, intermediate and advance. She is huge on form and will let you know because she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt. Everyone I’ve worked out with in these classes are all friendly and nice.
The gym equipment is nice and you never have to wait for a machine even during peak hours before work, lunch time and after work. It’s a full towel service gym which means you don’t have to bring your own towel, lock, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, shower gel, deodorant, comb, brush, mouth wash, Qtips, hair spray or cotton balls. I think the only thing they don’t have is a clean pair of underwear for you.
There is also a basketball court, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. You can also set up appointments to get a massage or facial.

I’m very happy with my membership. There are lots of classes to choose from, its never crowded, and the they have the nicest steam room I’ve been in, including iced towels.

Love this place. Excellent facility and even better staff. They are courteous, professional and very warm. I joined this club about 3 months back and I have nothing but good stuff to say about this place. Thanks to Linda (membership expert) I was convinced to join and am glad that I did. Linda is awesome by the way, awesome person.
I am very sensitive to customer service and I know good service when I see it, this is the place with great service. Their café is great too by the way.
Totally recommend it!

The gym is a bit on the expensive side, but I never had a problem shelling out the extra money because the high membership cost keeps the place from getting too crowded. Even at peak times, I never had trouble getting the machine I needed. The building and equipment is well maintained and the trainers definitely know their stuff. When I first started at the gym, Chris showed me some stretches and exercises I could do to improve my posture and prevent injuries (I had previous knee, shoulder, and back injuries). I recently left the gym because I moved out of the area, but they didn’t hit me with an exit charges or fees. I give it 5 stars and I’d join again.

I have been a member for four years and truly love this place. Amenities are great and well-​maintained, staff is friendly and very professional.
My favorite activity is attending various classes they have on-​site: especially zumba, yoga, barre method. Yvonne is a wonderful yoga instructor, Justine offers a hardcore barre method workout, Alena teaches one-​on-​one sessions. These ladies are my favorite.

Beautiful facility and well maintained. The staff are wonderful– professional, attentive, friendly, and engaging. Stacy, the Customer Service Manager, is very caring and helpful with member accounts, and Anthony, the GM, is great with the members and runs an excellent club. There are a variety of perks (to name a few: chilled towels, orange infused water, challenging fitness classes and small group training programs, large and small towels, refreshing locker room soaps/​conditioners/​lotions, and very clean from top to bottom). The Executive Locker Room is worth every penny and has private laundry service, combs, beautiful lockers, an area for relaxing, and has a very refreshing feel to it.
The Sporting Club outweighs the competition in every area. Highly, highly recommend this place!

My New Summer Plan! Just not sure how this is going to work out for me. Gym, Tan Drinks and Great Eats. On repeat. As a past member of the Lux gym fit downtown San Diego, I know just what it is to be a member of a great gym! The sports club nothing shy of amazing! I can’t wait to get this summer body in check at Sports Club. Then hang out at the pool all summer. Sorry friends you won’t be able to find me this summer unless you check my reviews but this is a great start, lol. Book in hand I’m done.