My love of baseball is a passion of mine: just ask my wife of 22 years and my kids. I don’t just play baseball; I am hooked on all of the sights and sounds, even the smell of baseball.

I can almost taste the infield dirt as the wind moves through the dugout, and hear the shadowy resonance of a hard slide into third. The crack of the bat as the ball rockets into the darkness of the night sky, almost suspended in the darkness, until it plunges just inside the foul pole for a homer. After a night game, the sound of cleats on the dugout floor lingers in my head as it hits the pillow.

But the sound of baseball that mesmerizes me the most; the baseball sound penetrates my soul, is that of ball popping in a mitt. Pop, pop, pop and each pop is a bit different sound, like a snowflake. No two are the same.

That is why I am so pleased that Fifth Third Bank, Wendy’s and the West Michigan Whitecaps have joined forces once again for the 15th year of the 2012 Give a Glove campaign kickoff.

Donating a new or gently used kid-size glove to the Give a Glove campaign will ensure that the YMCA Inner City Youth Softball/Baseball program will be able to put baseball mitts where they belong, on kid’s hands.

Your donation means that you will receive a voucher for 4 free tickets to a Fifth Third Whitecaps game, free combo meal at Wendy’s and a family guest pass at any YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids.

It is easy to donate a glove – just drop them off at any Y. Donating a glove means that hundreds of kids will be making tens of thousands of my favorite sounds, that of a ball popping in a mitt.

For more information contact: healthyliving@grymca.org

Give a Glove Donation Sites

• Fifth Third Bank Kent and Ottawa Counties
• Fifth Third Park
• David D. Hunting YMCA, 475 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, Grand Rapids
• Lowell YMCA, 1335 West Main Street, Lowell
• Southeast YMCA, 730 Forest Hill SE, Grand Rapids
• Spartan Stores YMCA, 5722 Metro Way, Wyoming
• Visser Family YMCA, 3540 Fairlanes SW, Grandville
• Wolverine World Wide Family YMCA, 6555 Jupiter Ave. NE, Belmont

As our Camp Manitou-Lin staff reviews this year’s crop of camp counselors, I am struck by how many return year-after-year and how many were at one time campers themselves. The qualities and personal commitment of a camp counselor goes way past just wanting a summer job outdoors on Barlow Lake.

A counselor’s role in a camper’s life goes to the heart of what I call, “Whistles and Wisdom”. The whistle symbolizes structure, the next fun activity, taking responsibility for cleaning the cabins, starting the hike, capturing the flag, time to eat and time to sing around the campfire. The wisdom part provides guidance, listening, team building and being a role model of integrity and honesty to the camper. Young people who apply to be a counselor should understand that the role they play in a child or young adult’s life will last far longer than the embers of a campfire, hiking a trail, rock-climbing to the top, or feeling the spray of water on your face when canoeing. They should also understand that the guidance they offer to campers lasts a lifetime.

Our counselors know that Camp Manitou-Lin pledges to put our campers in the company of the most trustworthy and capable young adults we can hire – counselors who are well-suited to the task of caring for campers.The effort we put into screening and selecting our staff is part of that pledge. Our staff works with your children in the context of a visible, well-scrutinized environment that has many built-in checks and balances. Counselors are supervised by senior staff guided by clear, firm policies regarding behavior. Their actions are also visible to co-workers and campers.

A counselor’s job entails focus, long hours and constant steadfastness of purpose. Training to be a Camp Manitou-Lin counselor is not easy, in fact it is tough. It is not like making sure you ask, “Would you like fries with that?” We set high standards right from the start of the review process. After all, this role is that of counselor, not order taker, and if you are selected, what you learn will build your character as well as those you counsel.

Interested in applying for a a summer job at Camp Manitou-Lin? Click here.

The Paul Goebel Group is encouraging business professionals (aka “Suits”) throughout the area to participate in Suits From Suits, either by donating swimsuits or making a $50 contribution that will provide a child with swimwear, aquatic safety training, swimming lessons—and a memorable summer. Make checks payable to: Suits From Suits YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids.

Says Jan Wierenga, Executive Vice President of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, “Summer will be here before you know it. I encourage parents, who will soon take their children shopping for new swimwear, to take a moment to collect outgrown and unused swimsuits.”

Donated suits are being collected at the following drop-off locations: David D. Hunting YMCA; Wolverine World Wide Family YMCA; Southeast YMCA; Spartan Stores YMCA, Visser Family YMCA; and the Waters Building in Kent County. Financial donations to Suits From Suits can be sent to the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, 475 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504.

Suits From Suits projects 15,000* children ages 6 to 10 will need swimsuits

If people would rather donate $50, the money will provide the following:

• A new swimsuit
• Water safety instruction
• Swimming lessons

Financial donations to Suits From Suits can be sent to the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, 475 Lake Michigan Drive NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504.

• The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids conducts upwards of 1,000 aquatic programs per year.

• The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids aquatics department employs approximately 200 to 250 lifeguards and other full and part-time staff in operating the swimming pools and at YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin

• The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids offers a variety of financial aid programs so that everyone can participate in the aquatics programs

*Estimated based on U.S. Census Bureau and YMCA aquatics program participants.

When I walked down the aisle on my wedding day in 2010, I remember looking up at how well my bridal party fit into those dresses. It took tough workouts to get my bridal party to feel and look their best on the most memorable day of my life.

So as the health and wellness director for the Wolverine World Wide Family YMCA, I decided after seeing the positive results from my bridal party, the support and fun we had during our workouts, I felt I should offer this idea as a program for other bridal parties to know they would reap the same benefits.

Two years later, the YMCA Boot Camp for bridal parties has been expanded and refined to offer the perfect set of exercises and training methods specifically tailored for those lucky enough to be in a wedding party.

Boot Camp for bridal parties is a high-intensity, motivational style, seven week fitness program using “drill-sergeant” style, which combines cardio, strength, core and balance exercises. This program is tailored to most fitness levels with appropriate modifications available.

I developed a very diverse set of workouts that provides for weight loss and toning all major muscle groups, i.e. the gluteus maximus, legs, arms and shoulders. The 45-minute once a week workout is augmented by an at-home workout regimen: we encourage 45-minute workouts five times a week with the minimum of three times as the suggested number.

The surprising benefit, past the obvious weight loss and toning, is the building of strong relationships between the bridal party members during the boot camp. Most all bridal party members don’t know each other very well. Boot Camp for bridal parties builds camaraderie because the wedding party members work at encouraging and motivating each other, not just in the class but during their weekly workouts at home. This esprit de corps carries over to all aspects leading up to the big wedding day. I know, I saw it first hand, watching my wedding party pull together to make my wedding day the best day of my life.

Bridal Party Boot Camp schedule

• April 22-June 7
• June 10-July 21
• July 22-September 1

Interested? Sign up here!
YMCA Member: $45 • Non-Member: $90

Need more information? Call 616.363.3000

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to one of the newest members of the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, although you’re just as likely to see him with a pen and pad in hand as you are a basketball or set of weights. Tom Rademacher is one of the most respected writers in all of West Michigan and beyond, and throughout the rest of this year, he’ll be penning stories for The Y to help create an awareness of how our organization is so much more than a destination for “gym and swim.” A reporter and columnist with The Grand Rapids Press for more than three decades, Tom has published two books of his works in “Splitting Wood” and “Knocking At Your Door.” Twice in the last three years, he’s been honored with a First Place award by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.

We’ve long been impressed with how Tom reminds us of the ways in which we’re all connected, and we’re excited to partner with him so he can bring his writing skills to relate stories of the magnificent people who comprise The Y. He’ll be generating profiles mostly of Y members, seeking out the inspiring and encouraging elements that make them worth knowing and worth sharing. Over the ensuring months, we’ll be posting Tom’s stories in both electronic and print form, so you’ll be able to meet some of the faces and programs that make The Y great.

Tom’s actually not a new member to The Y, but a renewed one. He learned how to swim at the YMCA on West Leonard Street during the early 1960s, strapping a towel and swim suit to the handlebars of his bicycle for the ride to his weekly lessons. That early experience at The Y launched Tom into a world of aquatics, setting the stage for him to become a standout swimmer, and later a lifeguard, age-group coach and master’s level competitor.

We hope you’ll join us in extending a welcome hand to Tom as he meanders among the Greater Grand Rapids Ys, bringing his unique brand of storytelling to an organization eager to celebrate its people. And if you have a story idea for Tom, please don’t hesitate to share an e-mail with Cyndy Vogt, our Director of Marketing & Communications, at: cvogt@grymca.org.

Ronald K. Nelson
President/CEO

When I attend a party with my husband and I tell parents I operate a child development center at the Y, the questions start flying at me from all directions; they want the inside scoop that goes past the flyers and website tips. Parents love their children so entrusting them to a child care facility is fraught with concerns.

Far and away the number one question parents ask me is, “What is the difference between a licensed child care center and an accredited child development center?”

Accreditation is much harder to obtain than licensing. Having said that, make sure the accreditation organization is long-standing and is tough as nails when it comes to joining and how they monitor the child care center after accreditation.
The Y has spent many hours and has just received its second accreditation from the 90-year-old National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for school children 5 to 12 years of age. When a child center tells you they are accredited, contact the accrediting organization and ask them how many child centers they have un-accredited in the past five years, that will give you an idea of how tough they are on members.

I remind our staff, now that NAEYC has accredited the Y for school-age children that just like our child care; we are subject to randomly unannounced site visits. We are required to respond to formal complaints and adhere to NAEYC’s Complaint Policies and Procedures at all times and we will agree to additional verification upon request by NAEYC officials.

Here are just a few of the differences between accreditation versus licensing:

NAEYC Accreditation
• Adult to child ratio: 12 to 1
• Staff needs a minimum of an associate’s degree in early childhood development
• The center must collaborate with a nutritionist for menu planning
• A strong focus on diversity and varying cultures in classroom
• Diverse child development curriculum
• Children must be assessed 4 times a year on developmental goals and objectives

Licensing
• Adult to child ratio: 18 to 1
• No childhood development college degree is needed
• No nutritionists need oversee daily menus
• A curriculum must be used
• No child assessments are necessary

For more information about all of the Y’s child and school-age programs, visit our child care tab.

Comment: Please open the Spartan Stores YMCA on Sundays before noon. 10:00am would be better, but noon is way too late!
Staff Response: The David D Hunting YMCA has earlier Sunday hours for your convenience. With your membership here at the Spartan Stores YMCA you can visit any YMCA in the Greater Grand Rapids Association!

Comment: I like it when you play Christian music :)
Staff Response: Thank you; we include that in our rotation of music genres throughout the week.

Comment: The parking is too limited.
Staff Response: This seems to be a problem at most of our branches during the busy season. Unfortunately at this point we do not have any options for expansion, but we will keep our eye on the problem.

Comment: Please stay open until 10:30pm every night!
Staff Response: Currently this is not something we will be offering. We do, however, pay attention to member request for hours and services.

Membership

Comment: Currently a single membership but summer I will be doing a family because my kids will be out of school. I would like to know when fall begins if I can drop back down to a single because the kids will be back in school. Can there be a summer promo or something?
Staff Response: If you are currently under a single membership and are considering upgrading, we would be more than happy to help you with this. If in the fall, you would like to go back down to a single membership, you may do that as well. The rule of thumb is that you cannot move your membership ‘below’ where it started while you are in your first year.

Aquatics

Comment: Please enforce the rule to shower before entering the pool. The odors from perfume and cosmetics on M, W, F mornings are over bearing!
Staff Response: Thank you, I will ask our lifeguards to pay more attention to this issue moving forward.

Comment: What about lap swimming area open in the evenings?
Staff Response: We will consider this option!

Comment: Please enforce pool and spa rules. Also, keep children out of therapy pool when adults are exercising.
Staff Response: We are paying more attention to usage of the pool by children and families, thank you.

Comment: Consider salt water pools like Evergreen Commons. Less harsh and cheaper in cost.
Staff Response: A salt water system was evaluated at the time of construction and it did not adequately meet the needs of the YMCA. Thank you for the suggestion though!

Health and Wellness

Comment: Please add more leg machines.
Staff Response: Thanks for your comment. At this point in time we do not have the space to add more leg machines at our facility.

Comment: It would be wonderful if children on the track were supervised. They are running in and out of the lanes. It’s hard to keep focused. Where are the parents?
Staff Response: We have started to monitor this situation much more closely over the past month. Thank you for taking the time to give us valuable feedback.

Comment: Please respect the limited time of your members by providing enough machines (weight lifting) so there isn’t such a wait (please double the machines).
Staff Response: Thank you for your comment. This is something that changes throughout the course of the day. Typically the only times where it becomes difficult to get on the Cybex machines is after 6pm.

Comment: Good exercise equipment.
Staff Response: Thank you. We did a lot of research on the equipment we have and found that it rates as some of the best commercial grade equipment out there.

Comment: Please add more machines to work abs and lower back. Also add more bikes like those in the pre-teen area.
Staff Response: Thank you for your comment. There are several exercises that you can do without a machine to work the lower back and abs. Next time you’re in, ask the nearest wellness coach to help show you some of these!

Comment: Please Please put a sign in the locker rooms (especially Men’s) to tell them to please wipe off the puddles and large drops of sweat on and around the machines. It is so gross to see them dripping sweat profusely and then leaving it there.
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback. Our facility is cleaned on a daily and hourly basis and we try to stay up with making sure our equipment is wiped down and floors are clean.

Comment: Split the adult exercise cards into two groups for the “M’s”. The file is too big to look through 100’s. (M-Mi) (Mj-Mz) thanks!
Staff Response: We can do this. Look for this change soon :)

Group Exercise

Comment: I would like a 5:15am Monday Cardio/Weight type class.
Staff Response: Thank you for your comment. We are constantly evaluating the group exercise schedule and will re-evaluate on the start date of our new program cycle (April 21).

Comment: Best Zumba class I have EVER taken!
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback!!

Comment: Please don’t cancel Thursday night cardio dance! We’d be crushed.
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback.

Comment: Love the spin classes! Such a great workout!
Staff Response: Thank you! We have had a lot of positive feedback with our spin classes and feel we have great instructors.

Comment: Would like a class with cardio and Pilates like the Grandville Y does. Its 1 hour and 15 minutes total.
Staff Response: We have chosen to be a facility that offers our members more variety of classes rather than longer classes. We do this to ensure that all of our members have a positive membership experience.

Comment: Please have the Zumba instructor wear a microphone. We can’t always see what she is doing and it’s very frustrating (especially when it’s crowded). It’s also more fun, interactive, motivating when they talk to us.
Staff Response: Zumba is a trademarked class. In Zumba training instructors have the option of either using verbal cues or physical cues. Each of our instructors differs in their teaching style and we feel this is what makes our Group Exercise experience so great. Variety allows you as the member to try a lot of different classes and experience different styles!

Comment: Your Zumba instructor does an excellent job! She takes the time to explain the more complicated moves. She picks songs that are fun but not “skanky”. Her class was full with all ages, shapes, sizes, and everyone was enjoying themselves. I have been a Y member for 5 years and am very impressed by her instructor ability.
Staff Response: We appreciate your feedback. We, like you, feel that we have excellent instructors that lead our Group Exercise classes and they all have different personalities that make them unique!

Comment: Can you move the two Group Exercise classes on Sundays to be back to back?
Staff Response: We will re-evaluate this at the end of this program cycle on April 21st.

Comment: Classes are not varied enough. Is it possible to put some 10:00am classes on Wed/Fri like kickboxing and core??? Can you add more CORE classes to the current classes to make full 60 minute classes?
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback. We are constantly evaluating our Group Exercise classes.

Comment: Spin room needs AC.
Staff Response: We have corrected this issue with our ventilation system. Hopefully you can feel the difference :)

Comment: The Monday 9:00am class is way too full! Please add a 5:15am class with weights on Mondays! PLEASE! You DO have enough members!
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback. We will re-evaluate our schedule on April 21st at the end of this program cycle.

Comment: The Pilates class is weak. It should be longer and use props.
Staff Response: We try to progress our classes along. The classes themselves are beginner based as we have had a lot of new members join the past few months. If you need some harder poses please ask your instructor to provide different progressions :)

Comment: Evening Pilates
Staff Response: Thank you for your comment.

Sports

Comment: Can you please add another gym?
Staff Response: The YMCA has allowed for growth and expansion in the design and construction of this facility. However, at this time we are not prepared to begin the fund development necessary for expansion.

Kid Zone

Comment: It would be great to have the Kid Zone open at 8:00am.
Staff Response: Thank you for the suggestion. Currently KidZone hours align with the rest of our association but we appreciate your feedback and will take it into consideration.

Comment: Please add hooks in the Kid Zone and more teachers in the nursery.
Staff Response: Hooks are being added to KidZone. Please bare with us as we make a selection, order, and get them placed up. Our BabyZone is fully staffed each shift with two staff members and 1-2 volunteers at times. Adding more staff just to take on more children would be a safety concern for the children we care for. Thank you.

Cafe

Comment: I think there should be a special day for free smoothies.
Staff Response: Thank you for your feedback. This month the café has some great samples every Friday – be sure to check them out!

Comment: Please open the Café earlier.
Staff Response: Thank you. We are currently looking into this although no changes are in the plans at this time. It is something we continue to measure and appreciate your feedback, as it will help us to determine plans moving forward.

Maintenance

Comment: It would be great if you could put hair dryer holders in the Women’s locker room. This might help to keep people from being shocked if they get wet in the sink and keep them from being ruined. It would be as easy as attaching PBC piping to the wall for them to sit in.
Staff Response: Thank you for your comment. At this time we will not be putting holders for hair dryers. We do have GFI plugs at the sinks that would protect you in an event of a hair dryer coming in contact with water.

Comment: Full sized lockers in the family locker room would be much appreciated.
Staff Response: We appreciate the feedback. At this time we will not be adding additional lockers.

Comment: The Men’s shower curtains are turning yellow.
Staff Response: New shower curtains have been put up on the larger showers. We are working on getting smaller curtains for the smaller showers. Thank you for bringing this to our attention :)

Comment: Please put a towel bin near the showers in the Women’s locker room.
Staff Response: Although this is a very good suggestion, we will not be adding a towel bin near the showers.

Comment: More lockers upstairs please.
Staff Response: We will not be adding more lockers on the wellness floor.

Comment: A handheld shower would be great in the handicapped shower.
Staff Response: There is a handheld shower in the family locker room. Please let a staff member know if you are unable to locate it.

Comment: Need small washcloths in the Men’s locker room for shaving.
Staff Response: Small washcloths will be added to the locker rooms.

Comment: Please put shelves in the showers for soap and lotions.
Staff Response: We are finalizing pricing for more caddies. Thanks for your patience!

Comment: Thanks for the effort to have hot water in the showers. Thank you! It keeps me coming back!
Staff Response: You are very welcome! Thank you for the positive feedback!

• Shirts and shoes throughout the building except the pool areas.
• Members and guests must wear exercise apparel that covers the midriff.
• Clothing or accessories must have appropriate graphics and/or language reflective of a family focused facility.
• T-shirts, tank tops, and sleeveless t-shirts are all permissible.
• Athletic and/or closed toe shoes must be worn at all times. Boots, hardsurfaced shoes, flip flops, or open toed shoes cannot be worn in any exercise area. Shoes that have been worn outside are not allowed in the pool areas.
• Swimsuits must be worn when using pool, sauna, steam room or whirlpool
• Socks are required for children using the KidZone areas

Cyndy Vogt, Marketing & Communications Director, for the Greater Grand Rapids Y said, “Y teams collaborated with local vendors to develop and launch what has come to be one of the most sophisticated and user-friendly YMCA websites in the world. This website is the first in the nation to link with the Y back end system to give members real time registration and up-to-the-minute information. It is not only one of the best, but it’s the most interactive website ever launched by Grand Rapids YMCA. This collaboration is also unique because so much of the work was done in West Michigan with the talents of Mighty in the Midwest and Collective Idea.” Another essential player in the background was the software company CCC “ Their work provided the West Michigan vendors with the tools needed to make the website interact with the Y operations real time.

After spending months canvasing our members on their needs and cross-checking every detail, the new Y website provides program participants, camp enrollees, members and those using our child care, an easy and logical online user experience that offers clear content, engaging graphics and usability that provides seamless task execution in real time.

GRYMCA.org capabilities:

• Browse programs by category, location, age, day offered, etc. at any of our YMCAs
• Real time program registration for members and non-members
• Have questions? Just click Live Chat and one of our trained team members will assist you.
• Get detailed information about child care, times, places, types and even all the forms needed to enroll
• Profile and password systems allow you to manage program registration, family members, program history and payments securely
• Real time membership sign up
• Scholarship applications are downloadable
• Check camp activities; enroll the kids in day, overnight or horse camp
• Add a family member to your account with just a click
• Check Y hours by location and see our new section for special promotions
• Search for a job at a location near you
• Make donations, offer to mentor, or become a volunteer

Founded in 1886, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids is composed of eight branches that serve 183,611 in the greater Grand Rapids community. All programs are structured to develop the YMCA’s Core Values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, Responsibility and Inclusion. The vision of the YMCA is to strengthen communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.