Our youth sport leagues focus on learning the game, skill development, playing together and good sportsmanship. We want players to learn the sport and love the game.
YMCA Youth Sports are foundational, recreational leagues for kids of all ages and abilities.
The YMCA partners with organizations in the area to offer a variety of youth programs for all interests and abilities.
The majority of youth sports coaches are volunteers. Volunteer coaches make a positive difference in the lives of young athletes, helping them develop skills, confidence and teamwork. There are never enough coaches, and you don’t need to be a sports superstar to volunteer—just someone willing to make an impact.
These six principles are foundational to the YMCA's approach to youth sports and coaching.
We do not use tryouts or cut kids in YMCA recreational Youth Sports. Everyone who registers is assigned to a team and plays at least half of each game.
We coach sport-specific skills that are developmentally and age-appropriate. Gameplay may be modified (shorter fields for younger players, for example), and we ensure safety at every play.
Fair play is not only about playing by the rules, but showing respect and good sportsmanship to coaches and players alike.
Positive competition is the YMCA principle that the best interests of the players and the team come before winning the game. In most younger leagues, we don't even keep score.
We encourage families to support their teams, coaches and opponents. Families stay and watch both games and practices and are available if a coach needs assistance with a player.
Everyone is welcome to play at the YMCA. We are an inclusive organization and do not exclude based on race, gender, nationality, religious creed or ability. Sports are naturally fun for most kids. If we take the fun out of sports for our children, we risk them taking themselves out of sports.