YMCA January Newsletter

YMCA of the Capital Area Newsletter -

Y Connection January 2023

HOLIDAY ACTS OF KINDNESS

We would like to thank everyone who adopted an angel for our 18th Annual Angel Tree! A big thanks to Y members, Future Athletes of Louisiana, Inc., Sales & Marketing Executives of Greater Baton Rouge (SME), Lamar employees, and Tokai Carbon CB for your support! Because of your generosity, we were able to provide more than 900 gifts to 326 children this Christmas.

If you missed the opportunity to sponsor an angel, you can sponsor a child for swimming lessons, summer camp and sports through our Scholarship Campaign; donate online HERE.

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE

Last month, the YMCA of the Capital Area and the Executive Center partnered together to hold a Thanksgiving Food Drive and collected more than 1,100 pounds of food!

Thank you so much to all who donated!

YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE

The 61st YMCA Youth & Government Conference was held last week, with 235 students and advisors participating! We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all who participated as well as all of our staff and volunteers who made this conference possible!

For more information on our Youth and Government Program, click HERE

SPRING SPORTS

In YMCA Youth Sports, there are no tryouts and no one gets cut from the team. Everyone who registers is assigned to a team and all players have the opportunity to play. Register now for the following sports:

Basketball (ages 3-14)
Baseball (ages 3-12)
Flag Football (ages 5-10)
Cheerleading (ages 5-10)
Soccer (ages 3-10)
Volleyball (ages 9-17)

Registration begins January 23 through February 27. Click here for more information.

YMCA PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT

In December, the Americana YMCA hosted their first Pickleball Tournament with almost 200 players participating. Chase Rigdon served as the tournament directer and worked with USA Pickleball.

We would like to say a huge congratulations to our Americana YMCA Pickleball Tournament medalists.

Thank you to all who participated and helped make this event such a huge success!

RESOLUTION BINGO

It's finally 2023 and we are here to help you with your New Year's resolutions. Find your reason Y you want to be a healthier you and join us for Resolution Bingo!

Resolution bingo is an easy and fun way to start your new year off right. To participate, grab a bingo card from the front desk and complete daily challenges. As you complete challenges, try to make a "bingo" for a chance to win a free t-shirt and other prizes. But don't just stop at Bingo; keep going for additional prizes. Bingo cards are located at the front desk and it's FREE for all members to participate.

VIRTUAL WORKOUTS COMING SOON

Virtual Y360 coming soon! Y360 offers live and on-demand group exercise classes with your favorite instructors, mind & body, youth enrichment, fitness options and more!

The Y360 gives you access to stream your favorite programs, classes and instructors. Anywhere. Anytime.

RESOLUTION TIPS

Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your New Years Resolutions:

Plan ahead: Have a plan for how you want to track and execute your resolution.
Track your progress: Small accomplishments will help to keep you motivated, so keep track of them and celebrate your progress.
Reward yourself: When you meet your goals, reward yourself. It doesn't have to be anything that will make you break your plan. You can reward yourself with things such as workout clothes or some self care.
Don't beat yourself up: You might make a mistake, and that's okay. Don't be too hard on yourself, and just keep going.
Be realistic: Strive for a goal that is challenging, but still attainable.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

This month's member spotlight is John Hogg!

John has been a member of the Y for over five years. He started his Y journey by coaching baseball at one of our branches and then became a member.

John remembers when he first returned to the Y after being home during COVID and how happy he was to see his Y friends and get back to his routine. He says he didn’t realize how much he missed it until it was gone. The Y is just as much a social place to him as it is a place to work out.

John says, if you are considering joining the Y, don't hesitate. He loves the Y, especially the Dow Westside YMCA branch, and he loves that it is basically brand new from top to bottom, even new equipment. John says the staff is friendly, professional, and engaging. He also says that the Y is welcoming, not intimidating, and has all the new equipment that even experienced lifters may need.