Parents & Fans

Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your child’s development. We take that responsibility seriously and do everything we can to continue earning your trust. We’ve created this section to provide you with general information about our Y employees, volunteer coaches, and refs. We also have some helpful tips to make your Y sport experience the best that it can be.

       

FAQs

How can I volunteer to coach?

Our program is heavily dependent on help and support from volunteer coaches. All coaches are background checked and complete various other trainings prior to the season beginning. If you are interested in coaching, please visit the Coaches Corner and complete the registration portion. After you have completed that, please reach out to your local Sports Director to share your interest and they can provide more information. 

How often is practice?

Teams, Kindergarten + will  practice once per week for one hour. Practice days and times will be determined once registration has closed and teams are formed. During the registration process, you will have the option to select days that you are available to practice. We will do our best to meet all requests, but cannot guarantee that you will receive a specific practice day or time. 

Can I stay and watch practice?

Parents are required to stay on the premises during practice. The ability to stay in the gym may vary by branch. Please check with your local YMCA to see the restrictions for your area. 

What equipment will my child need?

Basketball – Tennis shoes                                                                      Soccer – Cleats & shin guards are optional.                                          Flag Football – Mouth guard. Cleats are optional.                                Baseball/Softball – Fielding glove. Helmet, batting gloves, bat are optional.                               

For all sports, we recommend players wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle.

When & where are the games played? 

Games will be played on Saturdays. Games will typically begin at 8am and will end by 6pm–game times will vary depending on how many teams we have. Home game locations include, South City YMCA, Carondelet Park Rec Complex YMCA, Salvation Army (824 Union Rd St. Louis MO 63123). There also be away games played at other YMCAs in the St. Louis area. Game schedules will be posted two weeks prior to your first game. Teams in 3rd-6th grade will have 5 weeks of games scheduled. The final two weeks of the season will be in a playoff format to determine a champion. Tournament schedules will be posted the Monday prior to Saturday #6

Helpful Tips

Here are some helpful tips to ensure you have a great season!

1. Save the Coaches contact information and give them yours.
2. Sign up for Weather and Emergency Text Alerts – We want to get you the right information at the right time. This is a great resource to help in that communication.
3. Make sure your athlete has the equipment they need.
4. Be on time – We want to honor your time and effort by providing the best quality sports experience we can, we need your help though. By showing up on time, ready to play, for practices and games it makes a world of difference. Picking up your athlete on time is a huge help to our coaches too. We understand that can’t happen every time. When those situations occur the best thing to do is notify the Coach via phone call or text.
5. Make it FUN!! At the Y we encourage fair play, positive competition and family involvement. Every child gets to play so make sure to cheer loud!! (For both teams!)