Greater Joliet Area YMCA

GREATER JOLIET AREA YMCA

C.W. Avery, Central City, Galowich, Morris, Smith

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Employee Spotlight: Health and Wellness Director Alissa Koenig

With the new year underway, we hope that you are off to a great start on achieving your health and wellness goals. The Greater Joliet Area YMCA encourages you and your family to embrace a healthy lifestyle and take advantage of the many different fitness opportunities available at the Y.  From free group exercise classes to personal training and everything in between, our Wellness team is ready to help you achieve your goals one day at a time.

One of our Wellness team leaders is Alissa Koenig, who began her career at the Greater Joliet Area YMCA two years ago.  As a fourth-generation YMCA member, Koenig became familiar with the Y at an early age.  In fact, her very first job was at a YMCA in Wisconsin where she worked as a certified lifeguard throughout high school.  After a short time away from the Y while attending college, Koenig moved to the Joliet, IL area where she found an opportunity to work for the Greater Joliet Area YMCA.

Since beginning her career at the Greater Joliet Area YMCA, Koenig has spent most of her time working in our healthy living programs. Today, you’ll find Koenig leading our Wellness teams as the Health and Wellness Director at the Galowich and Smith Family YMCAs.

Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Koenig: I grew up in Beloit, Wisconsin and I am a true Wisconsin Badger fan! Athletics have always been a major part of my life.  Growing up, I was involved with softball and basketball. Then, once I entered high school, I participated in swimming, track and field and I even raced in triathlons.  For college, I attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point where I earned a degree in Health Promotion and Wellness.  As a college student, I swam for the Pointer Swim Team, where I competed at Nationals all four years and earned eight All-American Honors. After college, I worked a variety of jobs, which included being a corporate fitness specialist, an aquatics director, a swim coach, a special events coordinator and a personal trainer.

 Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you’re not at work?

Koenig: Whether I’m enjoying a day in the woods, biking the back roads of Wisconsin or on a lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin—I love to be outdoors!

 Q: What are you passionate about in life?

Koenig: My passion is health and wellness. I love helping people, of all ages, set attainable goals as well as supporting and guiding them to achieve their goals.  For myself, I enjoy competing in local races, volunteering for the Ironman Triathlon and supporting our young athletes, specifically the Troy Cross Country team.

 Q: What plans do you have for the Galowich and Smith Family YMCAs in the new year?

Koenig: I am excited to introduce new fitness-based programs for our youth and adult YMCA members at both of our branches in Joliet.  I am also eager to debut fun wellness challenges and workshops, welcome guest speakers, and introduce new and different fitness opportunities for our senior Y members throughout the new year.

 Q: What advice would you give Y members looking to focus on their health and well-being?

Koenig: My advice would be to try anything and everything the Y has to offer! Your body gets used to doing the same routine every day, so it’s best to add something new to switch things up. The YMCA offers a variety of opportunities to try something new.  We offer state-of-the-art strength and cardio equipment in our Wellness Centers, free group exercise classes, aquatic fitness programs and so much more!

If you have any questions about how to kick-start your fitness routine, the Y has wellness attendants, fitness instructors and personal trainers to help you along the way!

 Q: What’s your New Year’s resolution?

Koenig:  I plan to keep my New Year’s resolution simple–stay happy and healthy!

If you have questions about your health and wellness goals, new wellness programs or if you’re looking to revitalize your workout routine with the help of a personal trainer, you can stop by Alissa’s office, located near the Wellness Center at the Galowich Y, or you can email her at [email protected].

Join Us for Two New Aquatic Programs at the Galowich Family Y This Fall!

Swim Programs in Joliet

As America’s most trusted swim instructor, the Y has been teaching kids how to swim for more than 100 years.  With a wide range of swim lesson options for the entire family and convenient class times, you’ll be sure to find something the meets your family’s needs and busy schedule.

This fall, the Y is introducing two new swim programs at the Galowich Family YMCA.  Set to get underway in early September at the Y’s Houbolt Road location, the Homeschool Open Swim program and the Sensory-Friendly Swim program are both open to the community.

Homeschool Open Swim Program
Parents looking for a class to supplement a physical education curriculum will find it in the Y’s new Homeschool Open Swim program. Designed for every member of your family, this exciting new program will be held on Monday afternoons at the Galowich Family YMCA.

September 10-November 12
Mondays from 2-4 p.m.

Cost:
YMCA Facility Members: Free
Community Members: $50 for a 10-visit family punch pass

Sensory-Friendly Swimming
Sensory-friendly swim times will feature no music and little-to-no whistle use by our lifeguards. Swimmers will also be provided with an assortment of toys to play with during their time in the pool.

Sundays, from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

  • September 9
  • October 14
  • November 11
  • December 9

Cost:
YMCA Facility Member Families: Free Family Admission
Community Member Families: $8 Per Family

REGISTER TODAY!
For more information on these two new programs or our other aquatic programming, please contact:

Kenya Raichart
Galowich Family YMCA Aquatics Director
[email protected]
(815) 729-9629, ext. 320

As a reminder, our Fall 1 Session begins Monday, August 27.  To learn more, visit www.jolietymca.org.

Practicing Water Safety Skills with the Y’s “Go Blue” Program

Water Safety Programs

For many families, visiting a beach or pool during the summer is an easy way to cool off from the heat. Some may even visit a pool year-round. But it’s important to remember that even something as fun as a pool, or any body of water, can pose a serious threat if you or your child does not know how to swim.

As America’s most trusted swim instructor, the YMCA has been teaching kids how to swim for more than 100 years. Swim lessons at the YMCA will help your kids stay fit, healthy and strong when they spend time in the water. But, most importantly, they will gain confidence and learn vital water safety skills that will last them a lifetime.

The YMCA’s Swim Lesson Curriculum is based on a continuum that focuses on a skill-based progression that builds confidence and supports skill development for swimmers of all ages. Swim lessons are available six days a week for adults and children, as young as six-months-old. Enrolling your child in swim lessons at a young age will help them to get familiar with the water and teach them critical water safety skills. (Check out the Y’s many other aquatic programs offered this fall.)

SUMMER CAMP FUN

To ensure our summer camp participants have the opportunity to develop this essential life skill, the YMCA has introduced the “Go Blue” Water Safety Program into its camp curriculum. As part of the “Go Blue” Program, campers take a mandatory swim test before entering the pool. Based on their swimming abilities, campers receive a red, yellow or blue wristband. To “Go Blue” means that swimmers have enough strength, skill, and confidence to pass the blue swim test, which includes jumping into the deep end of the pool, treading water, and swimming the length of the pool using a front crawl stroke without stopping.

To improve their swimming skills, all red and yellow wristband campers participate in 15-minute swim lessons several times each week during summer camp. The goal is to help all non-swimmers and intermediate swimmers “Go Blue” by the end of summer.

GO BLUE RESULTS

Now that summer camp has come to an end, we are very excited to share the results of this summer’s “Go Blue” Program. Congratulations to our summer campers and our aquatics and camp teams for a job well done!

C.W. Avery Family YMCA:

  • Red Swimmers to Yellow Swimmers: 34
  • Yellow Swimmers to Blue Swimmers: 42
  • Overall Percent of Campers Who Are Now Blue Swimmers: 74%

Galowich Family YMCA:

  • Red Swimmers to Yellow Swimmers: 14
  • Yellow Swimmers to Blue Swimmers: 12
  • Overall Percent of Campers Who Are Now Blue Swimmers: 46%

Morris Community YMCA:

  • Red Swimmers to Yellow Swimmers: 8
  • Yellow Swimmers to Blue Swimmers: 13
  • Overall Percent of Campers Who Are Now Blue Swimmers: 47%

Smith Family YMCA:

  • Red Swimmers to Yellow Swimmers: 21
  • Yellow Swimmers to Blue Swimmers: 19
  • Overall Percent of Campers Who Are Now Blue Swimmers: 52%

Registration is underway for fall swim lessons. To learn more, visit www.jolietymca.org or contact the Aquatics Director at your local YMCA branch.

Staff Spotlight: Michael Taylor

mtMichael Taylor is the first Sports and Fitness Director in Galowich Family YMCA history. With an impressive background in sports, Michael is sure to make a huge impact in his new position. Learn more about his career with the Y, his plans for the future and more:

When did you get involved with the Y?
I got involved with the Y about seven or eight years ago. I applied, and I didn’t even make it home before I got a call back. I started in the Sports Department [at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA].

What was your role over there?
I did sports classes, camps, refereeing—anything of that nature. Then in the Youth and Family Department, I did Kidz Zone and Summer Camp. Then I transferred back to Sports to do a little internship there, where I did equipment managing and had responsibilities other than just teaching.

Now that you’re here at Galowich, what do you have in mind for the future?
We’re building the Sports Department from the ground up. Our main thing right now is Youth Basketball. But I’d also like to add a Spring Soccer League and even bring in Flag Football. That’s a big one at Avery. I also want to start implementing morning classes for the smaller kids. From a fitness standpoint, I want to build from the classes we have now. We’re eventually going to add Insanity.

What’s your favorite sport?
Basketball’s my favorite sport. I like football a lot. Baseball’s cool when the playoffs come around, but the games are too long for me [laughter]. I like boxing.

You played basketball in college, right? Tell us about that.
I played basketball a year at JJC [Joliet Junior College] down the street [from the Galowich Family YMCA]. Then I transferred to Trinity Christian College and played ball there. I played point guard, and I played shooting guard here and there, too. We had a couple of 20-win seasons. And I finished my degree in Sports and Exercise Studies with a minor in Psychology and Coaching.

Did you play any other sports growing up?
Yeah, I played football. I played basketball, baseball, soccer…I played them all. In high school, I did basketball and track.

Do you still play basketball?
Oh yeah—I’m in a couple adult leagues. Then I play at open gyms and stuff like that, so I’m playing basketball a lot.

Bulls fan?
Definitely. I’m excited to see what Derrick does this year. People might hate this, but I like LeBron. So I’m leaning with the Cavs a little bit too.

2014 Touch-A-Truck

Around 150 community members made a pitstop at the Galowich Family YMCA on Saturday, September 13 for the Y’s 2014 edition of Touch-A-Truck. The sun was shining on a late summer day as parents and children walked through the Y’s backyard to check out vehicles from organizations such as the Joliet Fire Department, the Marine Corps, Bill Jacobs and more.

Many thanks to the YMCA staff, participants and vendors that were able to attend! To see photos from the event, click here.

“Bear Down on Bullies”

IMG_0640In an effort to educate campers about bullying, Staley Da Bear, the official mascot of the Chicago Bears, paid a visit to the Galowich Family YMCA. Staley and an emcee led an anti-bullying demonstration known as “Bear Down on Bullies”—where campers engaged in hands-on activities to learn about the importance of respect and how to deal with and prevent bullying.

Staley had quite the sense of humor, so the kids had a blast learning about the five types of bullies: Big-mouth bully, hands-on bully, butt-out bully, cyber-bully, and all-around bully.

At the end of the presentation, the campers were presented with a player-autographed “Bear Down on Bullies” banner to display within the Y.

With the beginning of the school year just around the corner, parents are encouraged to talk with their children about bullying. For more information about bullying, including tips on how you can talk with your child, please visit www.stopbullying.gov.

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