Upcoming Sports and Programs
by Kristi Potts on 02/11/21
SPRING IS COMING!
Spring! While there might be plenty of flowers exchanged on Valentine’s Day each beautiful bud and spray of green will have come out of a greenhouse or someplace with a warmer climate and not Iowa. We seem to have become inundated with snowfall after snowfall in the months of January and now February, yet still we hear the birds singing in the morning and search to see if a red robin is among them. Is that green grass peaking under the snow or the green hat Suzy lost while sledding? We know it’s coming; Spring can’t hide forever and in the month of “twitterpation”, blossoms, and sweets it seems closer than before.
In preparation for Spring and the warm Summer months that follow, the Montgomery County Family YMCA has begun to schedule a lineup of classes and events worth looking into. Here are just some that we have to offer:
Sports
Academy
This 4-week program will give kids an introduction to different sports and activities to help promote good physical fitness habits. Basic fundamentals of each sport will be presented and Y program staff will lead with assistance from various coaching experts related to the respective sporting activity. (Activities are subject to change.) Here are the dates and times Session 4 of the Sports Academy.
Sports Academy Session Four details:
• Thursday, February 25th
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Basketball)
• Thursday, March 4th 4:30
p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (TBD)
• Wednesday, March 10th 4:00
p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Tumbling with McKenna)
• Wednesday, March 17th 4:00
p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Tumbling with McKenna)
Lifeguard
Classes
Now is the
time to get certified in order to be ready to work at any area pools for the
Summer! We
will be
having two Lifeguard training classes coming up. The first class will be on February
20th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and February 21st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will have
another class March 26th 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., March 27th 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and March
28th 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We are limiting it to eight people a class so sign up
before all slots are taken.
Shamrock
Shuffle
The Montgomery County Family YMCA and the Friends of the Red Oak Trails with the sponsored support of Red Oak Glass & Awning, Red Oak Country Club, and Fareway Food Stores of Red Oak will be holding the 8th Annual Shamrock Shuffle on Saturday, March 13th, 2021 at 8:00 am on Phase #1 of the Red Oak Trail.
Get into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit and join us for the Shamrock Shuffle - a 5K Run/Walk to promote the Red Oak Trail System. Participants can also take part in the “costume” contest to add even more celebration to the day. The Run/Walk will begin and end in front of the Montgomery County Family YMCA.
We will have awards for the top finisher in the 5K in each age division and also for the top Overall Male and Female in both the Youth (18 & under) and Adult categories. In addition, awards will be given to the best costume worn by a Male, Female, and Team (5 or more).
Not sure you’re ready to run/walk a 5K but want to be part of the festivities? Try the “Leprechaun Lap” - a 1 mile course designed for those that want a shorter route to walk/run. There is no cost to participate. The Early Leprechaun Deadline is by March 8th and will include an official Shamrock Shuffle Stocking Cap! In case of bad weather or poor road conditions, the race will be cancelled. No refunds will be given. Stocking caps will be available for pick-up at the YMCA.
Soccer
Co-ed Soccer for kids ages 5-8 is being offered by the Montgomery County Family YMCA at the Red Oak Sports Complex. In this Introduction to Soccer Fundamentals class the players will learn the basic skills of kicking, passing, dribbling, and shooting as well as rules and basic game play strategies. We hope to work on children's teamwork skills, coordination, listening and social skills, and good sportsmanship. Practices will be on Saturdays at 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. April 17th - May 8th (4 weeks). The registration deadline is April 16th, 2021.
The Red Oak
Soccer Club (ages 9-14) run by Dr. Grass has copies of their registration form
available at the Montgomery County Family YMCA. Registration is online through
a specific link that is listed on the form.
Baseball
& Softball
Coaches are needed for both our baseball and softball programs. Here is your opportunity to have tons of fun and help the youth in our area learn the basics of these summer-time sports! If you have never coached a youth sport program before and/or do not have an in-depth knowledge of baseball or softball, we will train you! All volunteer coaches will attend a pre-coaching clinic to get prepared to coach and will be assisted with game scheduling.
All volunteers must pass a background check, take a YMCA child safety video course, and sign a Covid-19 waiver. The program will be for 1st – 6th Grade players and the season typically runs from the beginning of April to mid-June. Coaches can set their own practice times and days, usually with at least one practice a week for one hour. Games will be on weekday evenings and/or weekends. All home games and practices will be at the Red Oak Sports Complex. As a special bonus for coaching, coaches’ kids play for free!
So, whether you are just tired of the seemingly endless snow or Spring is just your favorite time of the year, take heart, it’s coming and with it the events and sports we love to partake in!
Registrations
for all YMCA classes, programs, and events are online at www.mcymca.com and at the
Montgomery County Family YMCA Front Lobby in the Information Stand Kiosk. For
more information about the Montgomery County Family YMCA, its programs,
memberships, and volunteer/donor opportunities, call us at 712-623-2161, stop
by the Y located at 101 East Cherry Street, Red Oak, Iowa, visit us on
Facebook, or our website at www.mcymca.com.
