Rye Y Member Story - Paying it Forward

This week is Social Responsibility Week at the Rye Y.  Here is a  story about how our  Y Cares financial assistance program has made a difference to a local family.

Holly never thought that she would be in a situation of need. With a 20 month son getting more active every day and entering her 2nd year of unemployment, Holly had a tough choice to make. She could no longer afford her family membership at the Y.

With help from the Y Cares program, she is able to continue bringing her son to child care at the Y and to enjoy the peace of mind in knowing that he is being well taken care of and having fun.

“The Rye Y has given us both a place of joy. I look forward to the time I can pay it forward to the Rye Y.”

Rye Y Member Story - building confidence in the water and out

This week to celebrate Social Responsibility Week at the Rye Y, we are posting  member stories around the building.  Here is Kathleen's inspiring story:

In January, I enrolled in the beginners swim class at the Y. At the time, I was not able to swim the width of the pool, much less take my feet off the bottom of the pool due to a tremendous fear of the water. However, with Viwat’s excellent teaching skills, positive, patient reinforcement and un-ending encouragement, in a short time I was in the deep end of the pool. Over the next months, I advanced with his guidance and caring manner to the intermediate class.

Seven months later, I proudly swam a half mile for Swim Across America, an event quite dear to my heart in honor of cancer patients. I experienced a huge sense of accomplishment, having overcome my fear of the water. I sensed within myself a total life change and overall health benefit.

My next dream is to swim a mile next summer for SAA. Life is good for this senior and Viwat is very much a part of this success.”

Swim Team Parents Become Tri-Athletes

You may have heard about or viewed our recent video about the Tri-bies - a group of Rye Y women who trained together at the Y and ran their first triathlon together in September. 

We just learned about another Rye Y triathlon group - this one formed spontaneously by parents of swim team members. In January, while watching their kids practice and compete, several parents decided to start training for their own event. The culmination was the Norwalk Spring Triathlon in July.

"It was a great experience," said Kate Tiedmann, Rye Y Swim Team Coach and participant. "These parents are an inspiration to their kids and the team!"  The group hopes that more parents will join them for training this year.  Participants were: Rozelle Corda, Ann Mackey, Geneve Quinones, Julianne Laverty, Virgina Colin, Fred Collin, Yakako Nishida and Kate and Art Tiedmann.

The Importance of Nutrition

By Tiffany Fuentes
Hello to all of you who know me and welcome to those of you who are reading me for the first time. I often call myself a food psycho, one as a disclaimer. I know being as particular as I am about my diet is hard work, but also because I know that many people don’t wish to know the ugly truths about the food we eat. But you don’t have to be crazy to make great decisions, eat well, and feel energized.

Food is a product, and unfortunately returns profits, which means that we the consumers are not in the best interest of those that handle, prepare and sell us our food.

I am more than happy to answer specific emails about anything and everything regarding food and wellness. I am a personal trainer at the Rye Y and can tell you that nothing you do in the gym is as important as the food you eat. It affects the energy you have to get out of bed, your concentration levels throughout the day, the texture and color of your skin, and most important your basic cellular function which is all musculoskeletal maintenance, efficient biological systems, including the removal of waste and toxins.

Stay tuned for more to come and please be sure to attend the opening night of our new Nutrition Integration Series this Friday. There is a four or nine week option, but the first night is an opportunity for all to come together and discuss the fundamentals of nutrition and the importance it has on your fitness goals.  The workshop meets Tuesdays OR Fridays from 6:00pm-6:30pm in the member lounge.   Click here for more details. I welcome you to join the first workshop, risk free and have an opportunity to sign up at the end of the workshop.

Email: Getfitwithtiff@gmail.com

Juan Takes Control

Juan Davila is a very familiar face at the Rye Y. As a member of the facilities maintenance team, Juan helps to keep the floors polished, the aisles clear, and the facility humming from morning to night. What members may not know is that Juan recently decided to “take control” of his health. A father to 12 and a grandfather to 18, Juan has a family history of diabetes and has witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of this silent disease.

Five months ago, Juan decided to enroll in a diabetes prevention program offered by his local church. The weight loss based program emphasized lifestyle behavior changes such as portion control and increased levels of exercise. Juan has since lost 30 lbs., significantly reducing his chances for developing Type 2 diabetes. “My mother has diabetes,” explains Juan, “and I realized I needed to do something about it, not only for myself, but for my kids too.” Juan – well done and congratulations!
 
If you'd like to learn about the Rye YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, please click here or contact Tanya Potrzebowski, YDPP Regional Coordinator at 914-967-6363, ext. 206

Camp Counselors - In their own words - two videos

Rye Y Discovery Camp Counselors 



Rye Y Kinder Camp Counselors

Discovery Camp - A Camper's Own Words

Samantha on Crazy Hair Day

Interview with Samantha, Age 6

How many years have you been coming to camp?

Two

What group are you in?

Pioneers; Toco Toucans

What do you like most about camp?

I like everything.  The playground, lunch, swimming, field trips, gym games, and the counselors.  I like to have fun.

Why do you like your counselors?

They are very nice and very helpful.  They do the right stuff and they have fun just like the kids.

What is you favorite field trip?

The Beast Boat Ride.  It went really fast, we listened to music, got wet and got to see the Statue of Liberty.  I also got to sit next to my best friend.

Would you tell other kids they should go to the Rye Y Camp?

Yes, because its super fun and the YMCA rules!

What are you looking forward to the rest of the summer?

The field trips, all of them but mostly Splashdown Beach.

How can we make camp better?

If you had water slides everyday and story time.

Anything else you want to tell us about camp?

On field trips we have groups and we always have to stay in our groups and we do everything together and it is fun.  I love camp so much, YMCA Camp rules!  I love Elmo, Scott and all the counselors because they are so nice.

Summer Water Safety

Vickie Kourtelis, Rye Y Aquatics Director


Now that we have officially entered the summer here are a few tips to promote safety in the water whether it’s at the Y, an outdoor pool, or even the beach!

•Never let a child swim in the water completely unattended. If you aren’t in the pool with them please stay near them and actively supervise on land while they are swimming. Always try to have an adult accompany them in the water as at any given moment something can happen and they might need assistance.

•Communication between adults supervising the pool area is key! If you are going to be walking away from the water for a quick second communicate that with other adults so that somebody is supervising the children in the water

•Be cautious of surrounding swimmers! If in a panic, a distressed swimmer can latch on to surrounding swimmers for safety. Be careful of situations like these as children are sometimes not strong enough to help themselves under those circumstances.

 •Go over emergency procedures with the children (while in the car driving to the water, eating a snack, applying sunscreen, right before entering the water, etc.)

-If they are tired when swimming they can roll on their back and float OR swim to the closest wall to grab on.

-Treading water is a survival skill that they can use in case of an emergency.

-In case of an emergency don’t hesitate to scream for help loud enough to get the lifeguards attention. I suggest practicing this at home with the kids a few times. Go to a different room in the house and have them scream for help as loud as they can. Let them know if they are loud enough or whether they should be louder.

 •Practice makes perfect!!! Set aside 10 minutes every other day to do a mini lesson or just a couple of times during the week. Children like to PLAY in outdoor pools, not practice their freestyle, backstroke, etc. If you stay committed to the learning process through out the summer then they will improve a great deal.

•ALWAYS wear sunscreen and keep hydrated through out the summer.

•If you are at a private pool party make sure that there is a lifeguard on deck or that you are supervising right next to the pool.

•If at a pool with a diving board make sure to stress to the kids that they can’t jump until the person that jumped before them is at the wall and that there is nobody in their way.

•Practice swimming without goggles for a little bit each day so that they are comfortable swimming without them if there should be an incident when they fall in the water.


Please note that these are only a few tips to promote water safety in the next few months. For more tips or any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at Vickie@ryeyymca.org! Enjoy the summer!
 

We are Spartans

Ed Philipp, Rye Y Chief Operating Officer

A while back I wrote a blog post about staying motivated to lead a healthy lifestyle. One of the things that I mentioned was that I liked to appeal to my competitive nature to keep me motivated and that I was going to compete in the Spartan Race (www.spartanrace.com) on June 4th. I am happy to say that I trained hard and was one of the 73% of participants that completed the race. I am also happy to say that I was part of a team made up of mostly Rye Y staff that competed that day. While it was an extremely difficult race, all of us finished, albeit with cuts, bruises and covered in mud.

The race was billed as a 3.1 mile race with 10-12 military style obstacles that 99.9% of those that start finish, with the fastest time around 30 minutes. In my mind it was going to be like a 5k with mud and monkey bars. I figured if normally the winner of a 5K finishes in 17 min. and I can do it in 30 min, I should be able to finish this race in about 50 min. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The first thing I noticed when we arrived at Tuxedo Ridge Ski Area was that we weren’t going to be racing on the flat sections of the Ski Area, but rather on the mountain itself. I should have known that we would be running up and down the mountain, after all the race was at a Ski Area, it just never sunk in until I actually saw the course with my own eyes.

The race began at the base of the mountain which we were to run straight up. Half way up we were sprayed with water and had to jump over fire, the race was on. It was at this point I realized that there was no way I was going to last very long if I continued to run, so the race quickly became a brisk hike. Since most of the race was over rocks/boulders, up steep inclines and down equally steep declines, it would have been very easy to get hurt if I became too careless.

For the most part the obstacles were the “fun” part of the race; some of them were relatively easy such as the monkey bars, cargo net, 8 foot wall, inclined soapy wall, and tire carry. Others were difficult such as the balance walk, rock wall traverse and the spear throw. I failed on all 3 of these and my punishment was 30 burpees for each obstacle. As I said, for the most part the obstacles were fun; however, there were some downright insane obstacles.

The first insane obstacle was the 5 gallon bucket carry. We had to fill our standard orange Home Depot bucket ¾ full with gravel and carry it up the mountain about 200 yards and then back down. The bucket weighed about 25 lbs. filled and was awkward to carry. I actually had to stop a few times on the way up and down to rest; this is not something I readily want to do again. (I was amazed to learn at the finish that one of my teammates, Kaleena Ladeairous, carried two buckets in order to help out a teammate.) The next insane obstacle was the barbed wire mud crawl. Keep in mind that the website for the race said this was going to be 40 yards long, in reality it was 400 meters long and up the mountain. It must have taken me 20-30 mins to complete and I was completely covered in mud. At one point my sunscreen combined with sweat and got in my eyes, I was in such pain I couldn’t open my eyes and I surely couldn’t wipe them due to all the mud on my hands/arms. Thank goodness there was water being sprayed on us at that point and eventually I could open my eyes and see again. The final insane obstacle was the barbed wire ice crawl. You would think after going up and down a mountain on a warm June day that you would welcome the opportunity to crawl around in some ice, and I did. I was wrong though, by the time I finished the 40 foot crawl I was in pain from the cold. The good news was the finish line was near.

After another jump through fire, the only thing between me and the finish line were 3 “Spartans” armed with pugil sticks. I made it through all 3 without getting knocked over and finished…in 1 hour and 33 minutes. My teammates were close behind and I was able to cheer them on as they finished. What a sense of accomplishment we all had as we talked after the race (and that was before we realized only 73% of the racers finished the race and not the advertised 99%). I think all of us said the race was the hardest thing we had ever done, some on the team had run full and half marathons, and we vowed we would never do this again.
Follow me on twitter at RyeYCOO

Summer can be a learning opportunity

Next week YMCAs across the country are challenging kids and parents to stay academically sharp over the summer by celebrating Summer Learning Day on June 21. Many students lose more than two months of learning over the summer. Summer learning loss has the potential to be an enormous obstacle for kids when the school year begins next fall.

Here are a few resources suggested by www.summerlearning.org to make learning a part of your summer routine.

Visit your local library.  Libraries often sponsor reading activities during the summer and librarians can suggest grade level books that will interest your child. 

Take educational trips.  Several Westchester County libraries, including the Rye Free Reading Room, offer free museum passes to museums like the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and the American Museum of Natural History.

Get outside and play.  Physical activity and exercise contribute to healthy development.

Keep a schedule. It makes sense to continue daily routines during the summer and to continue to provide structure and limits. The key is providing a balance and keeping kids engaged.

Prepare for fall.  Find out what your child will be learning during the next school year by talking with teachers at that grade level.  Preview concepts and materials over the summer.

Do good deeds. Students learn better and “act out” less when they engage in activities that aid in their socialemotional development, such as community service.

There are also several websites filled with activities and ideas for summer learning.  Here are just two:

The Family Education website has reading lists, science, math and arts activites for ages preschool through middle school.

http://school.familyeducation.com/summer/family-learning/36089.html

The Thinkfinity website is another resource with educational games and activities.

http://www.thinkfinity.org/summer-fun-activities

What are some of the summer learning activities that you enjoy with your family?

Happy Birthday YMCA!

167 years ago the Y was founded!


The Y’s contributions—both past and current—are far-reaching as evidenced by these highlights on the Y’s timeline.

Y housing began in the 1860s. By 1940, rooms exceeded 100,000, more than any hotel chain. Andy Rooney, Dan Rather, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Jack Kerouac stayed at the Y.

In 1881, Boston Y staffer Robert Roberts coined “body building” and developed exercise classes. 

Camping became a cornerstone in 1885 when the Y started Camp Dudley, America’s first known summer camp program, at Orange Lake, N.Y.

In the 1890s, Y instructor William Morgan merged basketball, tennis and handball. In 1896, his invention became known as volleyball.

In 1891, James Naismith hung peach baskets to the bottom of a second-level running track and taught men his new game: basketball. It’s second only to soccer in popularity.

In 1893, evening classes began at the Boston Y. By 1950, Ys operated 20 colleges, many of which became institutions of higher learning.

In 1909, George Corsan arrived at the Detroit Y to teach swimming using radical methods: group lessons and confidence-building land lessons. He taught 800 boys to swim in four weeks.

In 1910, 25 Ys for African Americans were built in 23 cities. They included clean, safe rooms and eating facilities, which were a boon to black travelers in a segregated era.

During WWI, the Y operated 1,500 canteens, set up 4,000 recreation and religious huts and raised more than $235 million—equivalent to $4.3 billion today—for relief work.

During WWII, the Y and five other organizations founded the USO.

In 1950, Y volunteer Joe Sobek invented racquetball. Like previous Y inventors, Sobek was not paid; he bestowed his invention as a gift to all who play the game today.

Many Ys became rallying points for Civil Rights. In 1967, Ys banned racial discrimination.

In 1991, Y-USA formed the Public Policy Office in the nation’s capital. It champions the Y mission with lawmakers, and helps Ys advocate for kids, families and communities.
 
In 1992, Ys held the first Healthy Kids Day, the nation’s largest free health day for kids and families. An annual April event, it underscores play in keeping kids healthy and happy.

In 1998, Y-USA established the arts as a national program, spotlighting their importance to imagination, critical thinking, communication and social skills.

In the 1990s, baby boomers with families became prominent members. Ys created programs like family swim and fun night; providing positive opportunities to play and interact.

The Y responded to Sept. 11, the Pacific Rim tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake through rebuilding programs that rekindled hope, especially among youth.

In 2004, before a U.S. Senate hearing, Y-USA launched Activate America, beginning a partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Activate America is helping millions of people in more than 150 Y communities make healthy choices.

In 2008, the Armed Services YMCA and Y-USA partnered with the Department of Defense in the YMCA Military Outreach Initiative, which funds memberships for families facing deployment. 

Positioning the Y as a partner in preventing disease and childhood obesity, Y-USA garners the support of public officials. In 2010, First Lady Obama launched her “Let’s Move” campaign at a Y. 

In 2010, the Y revitalized its brand and began officially referring to itself by its most familiar name—the Y—for the first time.

The Y is for Social Responsibility

523 Week: 423 children were able to use the Y's services last year because of financial assistance. We hope to reach another 100 more children this year. This is Project 523's goal!

THE WORST OF TIMES
THE BEST OF TIMES
An actual letter written by a Y Cares financial aid recipient
I have to say that the first good thing that happened to me after losing my job was walking into the Y and meeting with Barbara Hughes. I am a single mother, with not much family or money, and Barbara offered me a lifeline.

I was awarded financial assistance and immediately put my family to work at the Y. I enrolled my son in camp, went for a workout, took group exercise classes and was enveloped in the Y family. It was just good to get out of the house and be productive. All of this has had an extremely positive impact on my overall well-being and confidence.

I don’t know where we will end up once I get a job, but I do know that the Rye Y and the people that work there have been an incredible support and community to me during one of the worst times of my life. I will never be able to find the words to tell you how much I appreciate what you have done for me.

*******************************

How Can You Make a Difference? Project 523 is our goal to reach over 523 children through financial assistance, a hundred more children than we connected with last year. We’re stronger when we work together. Click here to learn more about the  Y Strong Kids Campaign and donating online.

March Healthy Family Home

The March Healthy Family Home newsletter focuses on  healthy eating and sleeping well plus several tips, tools and activities.    Click here to read.

I am a Spartan

Ed Philipp, Rye Y Chief Operating Officer

OK, not really. I did play varsity basketball and soccer for the Spackenkill Spartans but that was a long time ago and that still doesn’t make me a Spartan. I am however, someone that struggles to maintain my motivation to be as healthy as I possibly can. Growing up I was an athlete, not only did I play varsity sports, but I was constantly playing pickup sports in my yard, at the park, or at the Y with my friends. It was easy to maintain an active lifestyle, eat whatever I wanted to, and stay in shape. Most of us have figured out that all changes as you grow older.

For me it was first college, then the career, then the spouse and then the kids. Each one of these steps in life changes your lifestyle in a way that you don’t expect. In my case the changes were all positive, except I started to have less time to “play” and stay active. It becomes so easy to skip a workout because you have to stay late at the office, or pick the kids up from daycare/school. So how do we get motivated and stay active? For many it is making the commitment and joining a facility like the YMCA but that doesn’t work for everyone. For others, it is joining a group; the support you can get from the members of a group can be amazing. (The stories I have heard from some of our members experiences in our small group personal training program are remarkable.)

For me the motivation to be active and healthy is my kids. As a parent it is my responsibility to model a healthy lifestyle for them and additionally I would like to be around to see them grow up and have children of their own. The challenge for me is this; how do I do this on a daily basis?

I have found that if I appeal to my competitive nature, it is easier for me to stay engaged in an active lifestyle. I have been using the FitLinxx system here at the Y for the last two years, it allows me to track my progress but also measure myself against others, including my boss. A few years ago I entered into a bet with a couple of friends to see who could become the “fittest”. We trained for 6 months and then took a fitness test, and while I didn’t win, I did lose 20 lbs. in the process.

This year my plan is to compete in the Spartan Race on June 4th in Tuxedo Park, NY. The race is described as a muddy 3+ mile event with 10 or more obstacles. Now that I have registered and the training has started, I am going to see if I can get some of the staff here at the Y to join me in the mud. Sounds like fun and maybe I will become a Spartan after all.

Follow me on twitter at RyeYCOO

If you want to join me, you can get more info on the Spartan Race at http://spartanrace.com/

Healthy Family Home

The February Y Healthy Family Home newsletter is out.  The issue includes ideas for active play and healthy eating.

Click here to view.

New Year's Resolutions

Set New Year’s Resolutions as a Family

The New Year is a time for new beginnings and for many to set goals that make them stronger in spirit, mind and body. For the Y – a leading nonprofit for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility – one of the most important resolutions is to build or maintain family connectedness. Following are five things the Y recommends families do to be healthier and stronger throughout the year:    

1.    Eat Together – Sitting down for a meal together is a great time for parents to talk with their children, helping the family become more connected with one another. Set aside time for the family to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner at least once a week or every day if scheduling permits.

2.    Volunteer – Giving back and supporting neighbors benefits everyone involved. It helps develop new relationships and teaches children and teens the value of helping others. Find an opportunity in your community that the entire family may enjoy, such as cleaning your neighborhood park or distributing food at a local food bank. Click here to find out about volunteer opportunities at the Rye Y.

3.    Learn Something New – Step out of your comfort zone, have fun and grow by exploring personal interests. Try something new together that you’ve always wanted to do. View our spring program guide for ideas.

4.    Start a New Tradition – Traditions are an excellent way to create activities that bring families together. Talk with each other to discover common interests and then create an activity everyone can participate in weekly, monthly or yearly.

5.    Be Active – It’s important to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Incorporate physical activity into your daily routines and spend more time walking places instead of driving improve your health and well-being. The Y offers many fun opportunities for families to be active together. Visit our calendar for upcoming family events like the  Family, Skate, Swim and Dinner on January 15 or Ski Trip on January 29.  Try the Family Fitness class (for children ages 8+) in the Freestyle Fitness Zone at 11:00 am on Saturday and Sunday. 

(Adapted from ymca.net)