Youth Sports

The Y Youth Sports program maximizes the positive effects of playing sports by emphasizing healthy competition and promoting teamwork along with individual development. The Y focuses on the life lessons to be learned from sports and coaches strive to instill a positive self-image in each player. Playing time is guaranteed for everyone. Of course, family involvement is always welcomed and encouraged.

Youth Basketball
• Rookies Beginners (5K and Grade 1) is designed for kids who are just beginning in the sport of basketball. Kids will be taught the fundamentals of the sport. Dribbling, passing, shooting, and defense will be heavily emphasized through drills and controlled game play.
• Rookies Advanced (Grade 2, or 1st grader who completed two sessions of Beginners) will build upon the basic skills that were learned in the Beginner Class as well as other basketball skills such as pivoting, rebounding, etc. Kids will also play controlled games beginning in week 4.
• Winner’s Basketball League (Coed, Grade 3 and 4, or 2nd grader who completed Advanced class) will practice with their team one day a week and will play games one evening during the week. Actual practice and game times may vary depending on number of teams. Players will be notified of their first practice time and will receive game and practice schedules at the first day of practice.

Youth Cheerleading
This is a recreational program designed to teach cheerleading fundamentals. Participants will learn chants, jumps, basic stunts, and dance. They will also get the opportunity to cheer at flag football games and youth basketball games. Beginners Cheer, for age 5 to 7, is designed for children new to cheerleading. Participants in Intermediate/Advanced Cheer, age 6 to 11, will be split into two cheer squads based on experience and skill level. 6 and 7 year olds must have previously completed two YMCA cheer sessions.

Youth Dance
The genres of dance that may be covered in YMCA Dance are Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop/Funk, Pom, and Kick. All participants receive report cards at the end of the session stating which dance class each participant may register for in the next session.
• Little Steppers, age 3 to 5, offers creative movement, simple dance steps, and rhythm and coordination skills. Students will learn many “Across the Floor” drills preparing them to learn dance sequences. Little Steppers will learn that dancing can be fun and will hopefully build their love of dance. A perfect class for younger dancers with little or no dance experience.
• Intro to Dance, age 5 and up, is the foundation of our dance program. Previous dance experience is not required; however participants must be a minimum of 5 years old. Students will learn dance basics including: counting and finding the beats in music; basic dance positions, kicks, splits, gliding, and pencil turns; learning and putting simple combinations to music. This class will be completely focused on technique, therefore the participants will not learn a full dance routine. Graduation to Intermediate Dance is the sole discretion of the dance instructor.
• Intermediate Dance, age 5 and up, will build off of Intro to Dance. Students will learn the following skills (but not limited to): Single Pirouette, Toe Touch, Split Leaps, Chaine (3-step turn). These skills will then be incorporated into a routine to music which will be shown to spectators on the last day of class. Must have successfully passed Intro to Dance.
• Advanced Dance, age 5 and up, will focus on performing and precise technique. Students will learn the following skills (but not limited to): Arabesque, Double Pirouette, Fouette, Switch Leap, Pique Turn, and Turning Leap. These skills will be incorporated into a routine to music which will be shown to spectators on the last day of class. Advanced Dancers will get a taste of the true “dance team experience”. They will work on uniformity, technique, placement, and precision. Must have successfully passed Intermediate Dance.

Flag Football
This program uses volunteer coaches to develop skills through modified, age-appropriate games. Teams in Kindergarten will practice for the first three weeks and play games for the final four weeks. Teams in grades 1 and 2 practice for the first two weeks and play games for the final five weeks. Youth in grades 3 and 4 form a 6 on 6 flag football league using real game play to teach football rules, strategies and skills, and teams will practice one night each week for seven weeks and play actual games the last six Saturdays of the session. 

Youth Racquetball 
Open to youth in grade 4 to 8, those looking to learn the basic rules and skills of the sport should start by taking racquetball lessons. If you want to take your racquetball experience to the next level, then try a youth racquetball league. We will play with a two bounce rule, and participants will be split according to their age and ability level for the games. The first 2 weeks will be practice games and rule explanations, followed by 8 weeks of game play.

Youth Soccer
Each of our soccer programs use volunteer coaches to develop skills through modified, age-appropriate games. Teams will practice for the first two weeks and play games for the final five weeks. Youth are split into two leagues - U6 League is for ages 5 and 6, and the U8 League is for ages 7 and 8.

Tee Ball
This beginner level program is designed for kids who are just beginning in the sport of baseball. Kids will be taught the fundamentals of the sport. Throwing, catching, fielding balls, hitting off tee and pitched ball, and base-running will be heavily emphasized through drills and controlled game play.

Youth Volleyball
• Rookies Beginners, Grade 2 to 4, is designed for kids who are just beginning in the sport of volleyball. Kids will be taught the fundamentals of the sport. Bumping, setting, and positioning will be heavily emphasized through drills and controlled game play.
• Rookies Intermediate, Grade 4 to 5, is designed for kids who are looking to advance their skills in the sport of volleyball. More advanced fundamentals of the sport will be taught. Bumping, setting, and positioning will be heavily emphasized through drills and controlled game play. 4th graders must have previous volleyball experience. 

Homeschool Physical Education
Participants are split into groups of age 5 to 9 or age 10 and up. This program is free to Y members; $36 per session for community participants.

Afterschool Sports
Looking for something fun to do after school? Then come join us for our after school sports program for youth ages 8 to 16. You can just drop in for dodgeball on Tuesday or kickball on Wednesday. These organized games are free for Y members, and only $9 per day for community participants. No pre-registration required.

For the complete list of classes being offered during this session and applicable fees, download a copy of the current Program Guide on the Schedules page. Contact J.J. Raflik, Senior Program Director, at 920-921-3330 or e-mail jraflik@fdlymca.org for more information on our youth sports programs. 

Volunteer Coaches Needed!
Volunteer coaches are needed for all of our Youth Sports programs. Appropriate lesson plans and training are provided for the programs. This small investment of your time will have a great impact on the children enrolled in the program. If you are interested in volunteering as a coach or have any other questions on coaching, please contact J.J. Raflik, Senior Program Director, at 920-921-3330 or e-mail jraflik@fdlymca.org.