With the 2026 Youth Basketball League (YBL) season having drawn to a close, we’d like to send our sincere thanks to everyone who helped to make this winter such a memorable experience for young athletes in our community. With the support of our volunteer coaches, generous league sponsors, and community partners, we welcomed nearly 1,100 kids to basketball courts in Joliet, Plainfield, Morris, and Coal City this season.
At the Y, we know that our youth sports programs help to keep kids physically active. But, as we reflect on the past several months, we know that the impact YMCA programs can have on young athletes reaches way beyond what happens on the court during practices and games. In addition to staying active and healthy, kids who play sports develop higher self-esteem, perform better in school, and work better in groups. The YMCA’s YBL program teaches kids the fundamentals of the game of basketball while emphasizing the importance of learning to work together as a team. Most importantly, kids have a lot of fun!
YBL BY THE NUMBERS
1,089 – Athletes
108 – Teams
398 – Games Played
131 – Volunteer Coaches
More than 2,600 Volunteer Hours Served
We’d like to thank all of the athletes and their families, our volunteer coaches, and staff who participated in our YBL programs this year. We’d also like to thank our generous sponsors for helping to make this season possible:
C.W. Avery Family YMCA
Associated Orthodontists, LTD
Backroads Burger & Bar
Exxon Mobil Refinery
E-Z Auto Sales
Fighting Irish
Filotto Roofing
Floor Coverings Int’l
Greg’s Body Shop
Hamilton & Antonsen, Ltd.
Krown Lux
Martin Mechanical
Mike Pfaff – Edward Jones
Old National Bank
Plainfield Rotary
Raising Cane’s
Ron Tirapelli Ford
Sovereign
State Farm Agent Jackson Anderson
Stockton Wealth Management
Titan Construction
Turk Furniture
VNA Health Care
Joliet Community YMCA
Associated Orthodontists LTD
Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties
Exxon Mobil Refinery
Gifted Elite Academy
Hoopers 4 Life
Minor-Morris Funeral Home
MulticulturReal Communications, Inc.
Old National Bank
Pam Grant Sports Club
PeopleFirst Bank
Postnet Graphic Design & Printing
Ron Tirapelli Ford
State Farm Agent Jacks Anderson
State Farm – Howard Wright
Turk Furniture
Venas Vein Center
VNA Health Care
Morris Hospital YMCA
Advantage Realty – Steve Barr
Associated Orthodontists, LTD
Automotive Performance
Brandt Excavating, Inc.
Busey Bank
Contractors Association of Will & Grundy Counties
Country Farmhouse Cafe
Cross Town Realtors – Dana Hathorn
D. Construction, Inc
Dibble Enterprises
E-Z Auto Sales
Edward Jones
Elliott Electric
Feeney’s
Filotto Roofing
Findlay Real Estate Group
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Gene May Heating & Cooling
Honest Abe’s
L. Surges Custom Woodwork
Martin & Associates
Martin Mechanical
McCarthy Building Co.
Old National Bank
Pursuit Wealth Group
Raising Cane’s
Risen Renovations
Rolando’s Furniture & Appliances
Roth Jorstad Insurance
Sherwood Waffle Cafe
SkyHigh Coasters, LLC
State Farm – Mike Lucas
That Perennial Place
The Cove Nutrition
Turk Furniture
UC Davis – Callahan FH
Vital Signs Solutions, Inc
Zabel & Associates, PC
Zig’s Fairway Auto Repair.
We can’t wait to see everyone on the court next season!
