The Salvation Army Kroc Center

My son had a school performance there this past week. The lady who worked for the facility — the one in charge of running the show — was so rude to me. There is no sign saying no strollers, so if you have a small child and you end up in their theater for a performance with your child in a stroller, you’ll be harassed as to where your stroller and your child sitting in it is allowed to be. It almost seemed criminal that I would do such a thing… Weirdest experience ever.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! I wish I lived right across the street because they would have a member for life! This facility is affordable (especially if you have a family) and has lots of options for exercise. You can even buy a day pass and isn’t hard on your wallet. I haven’t explored the whole place since I was only able to go for a few hours, but I do know that they have very friendly staff, a daycare center, a soccer field, an ice rink, a soccer field, a playground, a basketball court, a cardio area, an area for weights, and a swimming pool– but I’m sure they have much more! The equipment is also very nice. I used a treadmill on the second floor and each one had a tv and virtual workout programs. This place even has a coffee shop with outdoor seating where you can get food and drinks (even protein shakes) after your workout. I would definitely visit again. I felt welcome and at home there and loved the facility!

Our family has a membership here, and we definitely love this place!
During the summer we would often spend time on the basketball courts after my brother’s swim lessons. It’s pretty empty before 11:30AM, and slowly little (middle school) kids start coming in. There’s plenty of room to shoot around, practice your handles, or even play a little game with these little kids. The overall environment is very chill, and everyone is willing to share their basket when it’s full. Little things like that make this place very family friendly :)
The gym equipments/​machines are upstairs, and kids under the age of 16 are not allowed up there. It’s pretty packed in the morning and at night. In the morning, you’ll find older people working out upstairs. At night, there will be a younger demographic, around the age of 25. On the weekends, it’s nearly empty. I would recommend going on weekends, or in the middle of the day, if you have that flexibility, as those hours are less crowded.
This gym is clean, and they have a fantastic staff! Solid FIVE STARS!
OH! they have a foosball table as well!
If you don’t have a membership, I believe the day pass for adults is $ 6 and $ 4 for kids. I could be wrong, but it’s around that price range!

I should not make review to a non-​profit business. But us, the customer has responsibility to speak out, the needs and wants, to complain or inform business along with other people about discontentment and frustration with the product and services.
I had been a member here for more than a year, and been complaining about not issuing a pass for class because of late of more than 10mins, one minute after 10mins buffer time. I was confused because sometimes I can get in after 15mins late and yes, they issued pass for me. I confused about what is really the policy in here. Maybe other people were been so nice or either they are not really aware about the policy?
There was an incident where one staff allowing me to get in the class and said just let the teacher know and ask her if she would allow me.
I don’t think it was right to pull you out in the class and saying you are not allowed and all members are looking at you. I don’t think they care about RESPECT and VALUING members. I I am a member here and we should enjoy the services we paid for.
Am I being late of payment? No, where in fact I paid in advance the whole year.
I can’t understand, the reason of being so busy, a Mom of 3 kids, working, rushing to reach the class, paying a very expensive membership to get away all the stress, be relaxed and finding way to have a peaceful comfort zone for yourself, but here, you will be dealing with rude and inconsiderate staff! This should be a non-​stress zone right?, but with the same people to deal with, I feel things getting in personal.
I have meet Nick Nickelson, a manager who complains my lateness and he said they had all the records. Duh? they recorded all those lateness after all they allowed me to be in the class anyway and So what if I’m late to use the facility? I was not late for payment? Did I force myself to get in if I knew I was not allowed? No.
And the miserable part here was, when I decided to cancel my membership because I was not happy and feeling things were too personal, they take counts all these issues of lateness and been said of not using the swipe card at the entrance most of the time. So funny, if the other door was open, are you able to use the other side especially when traffic? Seriously, they were crazy, they should put all swipe machine in all entrance door if they care about swiping, jesus! Or just put a note, ENTRACE IS NEEDED!
So people be aware, maybe other staffs were nice but others were not good. Mr. Nickelson, told me, he has to fire my membership because I had given him so much «trouble»…wow…really, late in using the facility??? I have never been noted for violations I had made and that’s my point. If yes, I should be notified.
After all these, Kroc Center put us on a blocklist and never refund the remaining unincurred payment, well and yet later on, they gave me a little amount of balance maybe just to keep my mouth shut. They block listed
Customer satisfaction is probably a primary one consideration if you run a business even non-​profit business. Although your employees, profits, and quality control should be right up their, you know that if your customers are not satisfied you will not be able to continue with your business. Although you might be able to get new customers, you will need to keep old customers if you are going to have any kind of success. Furthermore, word of mouth spreads for bad products and services just as fast as it spreads for good ones.
If your customers have poor customer satisfaction you can bet that others will hear about it soon. So as you are thinking about how to improve your business you obviously need to think about how to improve CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
(My reviews maybe unsafe and brutally honest to everyone who read this, and maybe people will judge this and some will take this as a note, and maybe other may have same issues, for me, this is just a feedback. A feedback to improve, to provide necessary actions, and to be in goal of what is really necessary and what you cared about for. Thank you for your time to read my reviews, I hope it would be helpful)

My son did basketball camp at the Kroc center this summer and it was his first time at their large facility. He got to do extra stuff like ice skating, swimming, a movie… he was really excited to try new things. The staff were very friendly and helpful reminding him to apply sunscreen and such. I thought parking might be crazy but it was actually fine. Plus they offer free lunches! That was a nice surprise since the other camps my son has gone too he usually has to bring a sack lunch from home. Nice to have a hot meal for free!

They lie to you to try to swindle you out of money. They make you jump through hoops to get vouchers to slightly lower the price of their camps then leave out info that ends up costing you more. They called me before making up my vouchers and i told them specifically which weeks i could and couldn’t do, they wrote them all up anyways and then said i would have to pay 20 per voucher i wasn’t using because they already made them. I had told them already before they made them when i couldn’t, they disregarded that and wrote them anyways, i guess in an effort to get more money out of me. Tried to call and talk to a supervisor and was hung up on. then i called back and was given a recording with no option to talk to a supervisor. So i guess the Kroc center is a big crock of lies just like the salvation army. i will be informing every family i know of their shady dealings

Okay I have hate to give a negative review on anything, but I was attempting to ask about the Arts Education program for my little brother; whom is interested in learning painting, So I stood in line to ask my question and when it was my turn in line the lady in the front desk looked at me with disgust (with out joking) as i said «excuse me I have a quick question…» (at this point I was confused by her facial expression) I was rashly told to «get a pamphlet «I explained that there were no more available on the wall and then asked if one was available and was about to ask if a pdf would be available to be emailed to me, but was then told if its not there then there are none, and that the library was closed.(at no point did I ask about the library) I felt very un-​welcomed and for the life of me don’t understand what I may have done to deserve to be treated so rudely. I will not return nor will i recommend to anyone to use any of there services, I signed up my brother with real art classes in northpark since this horrible experience, I honestly should have asked to see a supervisor but I didn’t feel it was worth the effort.

If you are looking for a soccer league where your child will learn teamwork, discipline, respect, and develop their skills, this is NOT the place to go.
The soccer «league» is not so much a league as it is a daycare. My kids had played soccer here for a couple of seasons. I don’t think the staff have ever really taught the kids how to play soccer. There was a guy who used to coach, but I haven’t seen him in a while. Coach Jorge? He was the only one that seemed to care about the skill development of the kids. He was also much more personable than the staff they have now.
The facility is really nice. The basketball court and pool are pretty cool, and I hear the ice rink is nice too. The administrative staff are really nice. The venue holds some really good tournaments and the basketball atmosphere is pretty competitive.

I was associated with The Kroc Center Hockey Program for over 10 years coaching kid’s hockey.(I am now retired from my coaching duties.) Their Hockey Program headed up by Dr. Jason Galea is second to none. Being from Chicago and experiencing many great programs in the Midwest, my expectations are extremely high. Jason’s Programs not only met, but exceeded all of the attributes I look at when evaluating Kid’s Hockey Programs, from the House League Level, to the Travel or High School Level. He is very particular who he hires to represent all of his Coaching Staffs at all ages and talent levels.
You wont find a better Hocket Director and Coach in Jason Galea period! His facility headed up by General Manager Mark Graham is second to none. Best of everything is right here at The Kroc Center when it comes to Ice Hockey here in San Diego!

Lots of classes and services available. Good facilities. I have been observing the children’s swim lessons and I would suggest that if they are going to have young instructors to remind them that most children like to play and have a hard time focusing and to have some patience. I understand the frustration of having a child (ren) not listening and having to repeat instructions but they should know they are kids. So maybe have the younger instructors work with adults only and have older experienced instructors with the kiddies.

I signed my daughter up for Kroc Adventures and I can’t believe how much fun she had there. The staff which looked like college age students had that place running like clockwork. My husband and I were very impressed. I was really impressed by how secure the kids were, it didn’t matter whether it was the first day or the last kids had to be signed out by authorized adult with ID. The truth is I wish there had been a camp like this when I was a kid. Swimming, ice skating, climbing the rock tower. It’s not cheap, but you definitely get your monies worth. The price even covers meals, snacks & my daughters favorite a Kroc camp T-​Shirt. She starts another summer at Kroc tomorrow and she can’t wait & I’m so happy I can send her. A special Thanks to all the staff at the Kroc center, Thank You so much for taking such good care of our kids.
Signed, Julie Lasley

I just had to cancel my membership here because I moved and I will definitely miss this gym! I started going for the spin classes– one advantage of this place is that you don’t need a membership to go to classes, you can drop in as a guest to any class for $ 6, which is a really good deal! After doing that for a few months I stepped it up to a «Gold» level membership, which includes unlimited classes as well as access to the fitness center, pool, rock wall, soccer fields, basketball courts, and probably some other things. Not bad for $ 35 a month!
The cardio machines are top of the line (they have their own little TVs!), but I much prefer fitness classes to working out on my own, so I’ve tried a bunch here:
Cycle (spin class) — My favorite! Over time I think I experienced all but one of the instructors. They were all different but good, ranging from David, whose class was slower paced and set to disco music, but a surprisingly good workout, to Jordan, whose perfectly-​choreographed, high intensity classes make the 50 minutes fly by.
Yoga– Margaret is the best yoga teacher I’ve ever had, hands down. I’ve done yoga for a while but I still love her beginner class on Friday evenings– it’s the perfect way to relax after a long week! She carefully explains every pose and offers modifications for beginners or those with various body challenges.
Step Aerobics– Also wonderfully led by Margaret, this one is a blast from the past, goofy but fun and surprisingly challenging! My issue with this class is that it is very popular and fills up really quickly. My friend and I started going an hour early to sign in and ensure we had a spot, and we earned the wrath of some angry middle-​aged ladies who seemed to think that because they’d been coming to the class forever, they were entitled to a spot in class even if they got there after us. It discouraged me from wanting to go to this class very often.
Abs & Core– A great workout when it’s led by Eric, the regular instructor, but skip it if he’s out and there’s a substitute instead (which is often).
TRX– Holy crap, this class kicked my ass! The hardest workout I’ve ever done, but the instructor was great and I’d definitely go again if I could.
The location and community center aspect makes this gym really diverse, which I love. It’s awesome to be surrounded by people of a variety of ages, ethnicities, and fitness levels, all focused on working out. This is the only gym I’ve ever been to where I’ve never been hit on by creepy guys.
I still plan on coming here occasionally for classes, even though it is now a 30 – 45 minute drive for me.

I am a huge fan of the Kroc Center! I have been a member here for about six months and bring my daughter here to use the pool… I am trying to teach her how to swim!
The facilities are always nice and clean plus it’s still a pretty new campus, a little over 10 years old. If you have a gym membership you have access to the pool, rock climbing wall, fitness center, work out classes, soccer field, basketball courts, and best of all they have 2 hour babysitting!
You would have to pay a discounted rate to ice skate or use the skate park but overall this place is a great family environment.

I started coming here a year ago and love it! They have so much to offer and the facilities are very nice. The gym is clean and never too busy. They have a lot of classes to pick from and great programs for kids. They even have membership options that come with child care so parents can enjoy the facility. The staff has all been very nice and helpful. This is one of our favorite parts about living in this area!

I’ve been a member of this gym since June 2013. I’ve done a few classes and general gym equipment stuff. My 2 year old son has been to the childcare portion while I work out too. I liked most of the classes I’ve done. I don’t do much as far as classes in the middle of the day though. They seem geared towards mature people mostly and slower paced. But I do like the early spin class. The equipment is always clean and the people who work there have always been friendly and helpful.

I came to at least shoot for 30 min. The open bball time is until 9:30 pm Friday. The workers I guess decided to close early. I’m pretty damn upset since it’s raining and this is the only place I know for indoors.

I joined the Kroc the end of June ’13 and didn’t want to write a review too prematurely before testing the waters and I mean this quite literally since I really only joined for the pool.
One of my best friends decided to begin working out with me in exchange for my lifting expertise for her swimming lessons — not a bad deal if you ask me! Besides, we definitely keep ourselves accountable and the workouts are so much more fun!
Besides the great pool, I find the gym itself a little on the small side. The cardio setup is actually laid out nicely with the stationary bikes up front, treadmill in the middle section, and ellipticals in the back. The equipment is also fairly new with most machines having their own personal TV or «panoramic» view work out to. The weight section on the other hand can be a little crowded sometimes (really depends at what time of day you work out). I have worked out in the early mornings between 6:00 AM — 7:30 AM and there are mostly an older crowd — by old I mean your grandpa old! Then, I’ve also worked out between the hours of 5:00 PM — 6:30 PM and there’s a relatively younger crowd for folks that are most likely getting off of work so I’d venture to say between 20 – 45 years old. I have also worked out on the weekends, and trust me, if you’re looking for workout space, you’ll find plenty here! (But then again, most gyms are emptier on the weekends.)
If I was just one of those girls on the wobbly cardio diet, then maybe I would’ve given them 5 stars, but since I’m there to strength train in a well-​rounded lifestyle, a 3 suits them better due to the small weight section. Besides that, I don’t think $ 26/​month is too shabby for a single membership with pool access.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center is very family oriented; their theater is clean, well maintained, and does a great job of hosting the Salvation Army band concerts year after year. I enjoy coming here for their Christmas and Spring concerts… it’s a wonderful escape from the usual restaurant and movie theater reviews. Be sure to support this establishment; it’s a community treasure and is worth the drive down from North County any day!

I hate giving bad reviews to nonprofits but I feel my review is fairly accurate. Note that I most likely will not become a member here. I called up asking for promotions strictly on just using their gym. I was told you can pick an Easter egg and that get the activation fee waived from that or save at least something on the activation fee. Unfortunately I just got the egg making the $ 100 activation fee, $ 50. The membership for the gym with classes costs $ 35 a month. The gym itself is small and aside from 1 or 2 classes, the classes didn’t seem to fit my schedule. Based on the price for a single person with no kids, it just was asking too much considering I can get a large for profit gym much cheaper. I also found it odd that they won’t give a free one week pass or even a free day pass. Even the YMCA does that.
In fairness to them, the place is clean and the workers were friendly. I could easily have seen myself joining here but cost is my main concern. Had the activation fee been waived, I would join (I only need a gym membership for 3 months anyway).
The main reason I wanted to join this gym is that it is the kind of gym where I know I wouldn’t be self-​conscious at. I really don’t like working out with people that are already in shape or thin girls wearing makeup and cute clothes. I know some people find that to be a reason why they want to get in shape, but it just makes my self loathing even lower. I liked seeing obese middle aged women there and retired men with big bellies.
Again if the place waived the fee, I would have joined right then and there.

Let’s start with five stars:
Deduct one star for the lack of staff.
Deduct one star for the excessive cost of things — not doable for a family on a budget. The classes run about $ 15 per hour.
Deduct one star for the tiny «exercise» gym.
Deduct another star because playcare is full all the time.
So it’s got a lot of great opportunity for a wealthy family that doesn’t need child care.