New programs and events for all ages to debut at La Jolla Recreation Center

A wealth of new and expanded programming is headed to the La Jolla Recreation Center in coming weeks, including the opening of a Youth Lounge, plus cooking and fitness classes and special events.

San Diego Parks & Recreation Area Manager Rosalia Castruita said Rec Center Director Nicholas Volpe and Assistant Director Jon’Nae McFarland have been “working really hard to bring in more programming to La Jolla.”

The new offerings include:

Youth Lounge

The Rec Center’s new Youth Lounge is expected to open this week, outfitted with Wi-Fi access, couches and tables, a book nook, video and board games and more.

The room is intended to be “a safe place for [kids] to hang out,” Volpe said. Rec Center staff will offer tutoring in several subjects, he added.

The Youth Lounge will be open from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays. Hours will be subject to change depending on staff availability.

Cooking

• A Mediterranean cuisine class for adults begins at 4 p.m. Monday, March 6. $50.

• A Filipino cuisine class for adults begins at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 8. $50.

• “Little Chef Studio” begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 14. The weekly class for ages 5-12 will teach cooking and kitchen skills. $30.

The La Jolla Recreation Center is offering expanded programming.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

Sports

• Tiny Tots Sports for ages 3-4 and Pee Wee Sports for ages 5-7 begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 4, and Saturday, April 22. The weekly classes will teach the fundamentals of several sports. $30.

• A volleyball league will begin Monday, March 6, at a time to be determined. The league will be split into ages 10 and under and 12 and under. $40.

• A soccer league will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 7. The league will be split into ages 10 and under and 12 and under. $40.

Volpe said participants in the volleyball and soccer leagues will compete against teams from other recreation centers.

• Traditional Japanese karate classes begin Tuesday, March 7. There will be a beginner class at 4 p.m. for ages 6 and up and an intermediate/advanced class at 5 p.m. for ages 8 and up, both taught by Robert Yedidsion. $74.

Adult fitness

• The Rec Center offers tai chi, ashtanga yoga and more with Joy Harris at various times.

• Personal trainer Greg Russo, who worked at the now-closed La Jolla Sports Club, has become a city of San Diego-certified vendor and will take up residency at the La Jolla Rec Center.

Russo currently offers four personal training sessions for $488.

“I’ll be teaching the foundations of mobility and strength and then setting members free into the gym and showing proper etiquette,” he said.

Russo said he also will offer youth sessions on wellness — nutrition, exercise and more — along with group classes.

Art

“Art World of Crafts” class will begin at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 13, for children ages 6-12. The weekly class will focus on different techniques and concepts. $30.

Special events

• The Rec Center will host a “Parents Night Out” from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 17, and Friday, May 19, in which children ages 4-12 can be dropped off for dinner and activities. $20 per participant.

• A “Hippity Hop Egg-stravaganza” on Saturday, April 8, will include photos with Peter Rabbit, music, refreshments and an inflatable playground. An egg hunt will be held at 10 a.m. for ages 2 and under, 10:30 a.m. for ages 3-4, 11 a.m. for ages 5-6, 11:30 a.m. for ages 7-9, and noon for ages 10-12. Bring your own basket. No registration is required.

• A “Spring Senior Dance” will begin at 5 p.m. Friday, May 12. The event, themed “Roaring ‘20s,” will include live entertainment, a catered dinner, raffles and a photo booth. $25. Register at the Rec Center office or at bit.ly/RCSeniorDance.

More events and classes are planned. To register or for more information, call (858) 552-1658.

The Recreation Center is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.

The center will be closed Friday, March 31, for Cesar Chavez Day.

Other recreation news

The La Jolla Community Recreation Group meets Feb. 22 online.

(Screenshot by Elisabeth Frausto)

Safety: Mary Coakley Munk, chairwoman of the La Jolla Community Recreation Group, an advisory board that oversees the Recreation Center, asked Castruita during its meeting Feb. 22 to confirm San Diego city policies related to “unpleasant incidences,” citing the Feb. 19 shooting death of a man at the North Clairemont Rec Center.

“[Is there] some standard operating procedure that has been established or is being established to deal with [similar] incidents?” Coakley Munk asked.

Castruita said recreation staff is instructed to call 911 in an emergency and that “our staff is being vigilant with what’s happening.”

Officer elections: CRG board member Jill Peters said Coakley Munk and board member Alan Dulgeroff have been nominated to chair the group. Other nominees are Peters as vice chair and secretary Jan Harris to continue in that role.

Peters said the board will vote Wednesday, March 22, the group’s first in-person meeting in three years.

Next meeting: The La Jolla Community Recreation Group next meets at 5 p.m. March 22 at 615 Prospect St. To learn more, call (858) 552-1658. ◆