YMCA Sports Programs
A mainstay of YMCA offerings for young people, Y youth sports programs fill kids' discretionary hours with positive activities and caring adult attention. Coaches -- often volunteers, including many parents -- emphasize teamwork and cooperation over winning at any cost, developing good values over developing the next superstar.
Basketball and volleyball, both YMCA inventions, are popular youth programs, as are baseball, softball, T-ball, soccer and progressive gymnastics. Other local options range from traditional sports like tennis and football to such newer inventions as in-line rollerskate hockey and wallyball. Some YMCAs offer programs for people with disabilities. Many YMCAs offer options for adults, too.
YMCA Youth Super Sports
YMCA Youth Super Sports is the YMCA's new progressive youth sports program that combines the marvelous philosophy of past YMCA youth sports programs with new program concepts. Based upon a games approach to teaching skills and coaching sports, it consists of three components:
- YMCA Rookies, a noncompetitive, developmental program for 4- to 7-year-olds that prepares them to participate successfully in YMCA Winners and YMCA Champions.
- YMCA Winners, the YMCA's unique, values-based competitive sports program for youth 8 to 16 years of age.
- YMCA Champions, an innovative awards program for youth in YMCA Winners, recognizing their achievement in and through sport. Coming soon.
Each practice session contains a team circle related to character development that focuses on one of the four values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Through the games approach, the kids learn the sport by participating in a number of mini-games at each of their practice sessions. This helps them to develop their skills quicker and have a lot more fun.
To find out if your YMCA offers Youth Super Sports, contact your local YMCA.