Youth Development — Greater Joliet Area YMCA

IGNITE THEIR PASSION: Volunteers Needed for the 2026-2027 Youth Basketball League (YBL) Season

September 9, 2026

The YMCA is seeking volunteers to serve as coaches for the 2026-2027 Youth Basketball League (YBL) season. Weekly practices will begin in December, with games getting underway in January 2027 at locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties.

Whether you’re an experienced coach or someone who loves working with kids, volunteering with the YMCA’s YBL program is a rewarding opportunity to help young athletes develop skills, confidence, and a lifelong love of basketball.

A New Benefit for YMCA Volunteer Coaches

As a special thank-you for the time and commitment our volunteer coaches give to YMCA youth sports programs, we are introducing a new Volunteer Appreciation Benefit this fall. Beginning with the 2026–2027 YBL season, YMCA volunteer head coaches will enjoy 25 percent savings on their league program fees for the season they are coaching. The 25 percent savings will be provided as a credit applied to the volunteer’s YMCA membership account at the conclusion of the season. The credit may be used toward future membership or program fees and can be used by any individual on the volunteer’s membership unit.

To learn more about volunteering as a YMCA youth sports coach, contact the Sports Director at your local YMCA:

C.W. Avery Family YMCA
Maria Freeh, Sports Director
[email protected]
(815) 267-8600, ext. 217

Joliet Community YMCA
Zach Jarosz, Sports Director
[email protected]
(815) 782-0813

Morris Hospital YMCA
Kaeli Ford, Sports Director
[email protected]
(815) 513-8080, ext. 523

Village of Shorewood YMCA
Chris Interal, Sports Director
[email protected]
(815) 763-5900, ext. 605

APPLY TO VOLUNTEER

SHARE THIS:

Celebrating a Successful 2026 Summer Camp Season at the YMCA

September 3, 2026

As we prepare to celebrate the unofficial end of summer this Labor Day weekend, the Y is taking a look back at the 2026 YMCA Summer Camp Season! It was another amazing summer filled with friendship, learning, and meaningful life experiences for everyone involved!

We’d like to thank all of our camp families for spending the summer with us here at the YMCA and wish everyone all the best during the new school year.

We’d also like to thank all of our wonderful community partners who opened their doors and their hearts, allowing us to provide much-needed summer child care at locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties.

Finally, we’d like to thank our top-notch summer camp team for their boundless enthusiasm, compassion, and creativity. Their hard work and tireless dedication helped to ensure that each of our campers had a summer full of fun and adventures.

As we take a look back at the summer that was, let’s take a closer look at YMCA Summer Camp ‘By the Numbers:’

Eight Summer Day Camp Locations
With a little help from our friends, this year we hosted summer day camp at our YMCA facilities and at offsite locations throughout the community. Thank you, Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center, Messiah Lutheran Church, Plainfield School District 202, and Valley View School District 365U for opening your doors and helping us serve kids in our community this summer.

Two Teen REACH Summer Camp Locations
We want to thank our partners at the Salvation Army and Joliet Junior College for helping us provide a free summer day camp program for 6th-8th grade students in Joliet, allowing campers access to life skills education, mentorship/career exploration, STEAM, and service learning activities.

33 Summer Day Camp Volunteers
Student volunteers from local high schools, as well as volunteers from Catholic Charities of Joliet and Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness, were a pivotal resource in our camp programs this summer. These wonderful volunteers provided assistance to Y staff and helped to ensure campers participated in a wide range of learning opportunities. We are proud to say that during the 2026 summer camp season, our incredible team of summer camp volunteers provided more than 1,600 hours of assistance in our camp programs.

More than 300 Counselors
YMCA summer camp programs would not be possible without the dedication, versatility, and inspiring leadership of our camp staff team.

More than 4,000 “Go Blue” Swim Lessons Taught
We are so thankful for the efforts of the aquatics teams at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, Morris Hospital YMCA, and Village of Shorewood YMCA for helping campers learn the important life skill of swimming. You can learn more about the “Go Blue” initiative by visiting our blog.

More Than $205,000 Raised by the Y’s Mission Strong Campaign
At the Y, nobody is turned away due to the inability to pay. And, this summer, 1 out of every 2 campers who attended summer day camp programs at the YMCA received financial assistance through our Mission Strong Fund. This was made possible thanks to precious funds gifted by generous donors.

Thank you all again for a wonderful Summer Camp season! We look forward to seeing campers back at the YMCA next summer. Camp registration for the summer of 2027 will get underway next March!

SHARE THIS:

2026 “Go Blue” Water Safety Program Helps Summer Day Campers Learn Important Life Skills

September 3, 2026

As America’s most trusted swim lesson instructor, the YMCA has been teaching kids how to swim for more than 100 years. Swim lessons at the YMCA help kids stay fit, healthy, and strong when they spend time in and around water. But, most importantly, they gain confidence and learn vital water safety skills that will last 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 swimmers of all ages. This summer, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA was proud to once again provide swim lessons through our “Go Blue” initiative.

The “Go Blue” Water Safety Program was offered as a part of summer day camp activities at the C.W. Avery Family YMCA, Morris Hospital YMCA, and Village of Shorewood Family YMCA. At the start of the summer, campers completed mandatory swim tests before entering the pool and, based on their swimming abilities, received a red, yellow, or blue wristband. To “Go Blue” meant that swimmers had enough strength, skill, and confidence to pass the YMCA’s blue swim test, which included 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 participated in 15-minute swim lessons each week with the goal of “Going Blue” by the end of summer.

This year’s program served 767 campers and provided 4,345 swim lessons over the course of the summer. Here are the exciting results!

	Start of Summer	End of Summer
Red Swimmers	31.68%	25.68%
Yellow Swimmers	36.90%	23.86%
Blue Swimmers	31.42%	50.46%

During the first week of summer camp, only one third of the campers attained the highest swim level when tested. By the end of the final week of testing, more than half the campers had gone ‘Blue.’ Additionally, 46 campers that were previously required to wear life jackets when using YMCA pools as red level swimmers improved to a swim level where a life jacket was no longer needed.

We would like to thank the staff members on our amazing YMCA aquatics teams as well as the generous efforts of volunteer swim instructors for helping children learn these life-saving skills this summer.

SHARE THIS:

2026 Morris Hospital YMCA Coloring Contest

September 3, 2026

Calling all Y Kids! To celebrate this very fun time of year in Grundy County, the Morris Hospital YMCA is holding a special Coloring Contest! Open to kids, ages 4-12, this is the perfect opportunity to let your artistic talents shine.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Download the official entry form below.

Coloring Contest Form

2. Grab your crayons, markers or colored pencils and color away!

3. Drop it off at the Membership Desk of the Morris Hospital YMCA or give it to your Kid Zone counselor.

4. All entries must be submitted by Noon on Sunday, September 20. Contest is open to children ages 4-12. One winner will be selected in each of the following age groups:

Ages 4-5
Ages 6-7
Ages 8-9
Ages 10-12

PLEASE NOTE: One entry per child, but multiple children per household are allowed. Submitted artwork becomes the property of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA. Official Entry Form must be signed by a parent or guardian, 18 years or older.

Good luck!

SHARE THIS:

Early Bird Pricing for YMCA Youth Basketball Leagues Available Through September 21

September 2, 2026

YMCA Youth Basketball Leagues heavily emphasize teamwork and sportsmanship while teaching kids the basics of the game: shooting, dribbling, rebounding, passing and defense. Most importantly, everyone plays and everyone has fun.

SIGN UP TODAY AND SAVE!
Early Bird Pricing is available through Monday, September 21.

The Y offers five convenient youth basketball league locations throughout Will and Grundy Counties to serve your family:

C.W. AVERY FAMILY YMCA – Plainfield
Games and practices will be held at the YMCA and at Plainfield District 202 schools.

CO-ED DIVISIONS
Junior YBL, Grades K-12

GIRLS DIVISIONS*
Grades 3-4, 5-6

JOLIET COMMUNITY YMCA – Joliet
Games and practices will be held at Joliet Junior College, Messiah Lutheran Church, or local schools. Grades Pre-K-6 will play games on Saturdays at Joliet Junior College. Grades 7-8 and the High School Division will play on Tuesday evenings at a Plainfield school and on Saturdays community partner location.

CO-ED DIVISIONS
Junior YBL, Grades K-12

GIRLS DIVISIONS*
Grades 3-4, 5-6

MORRIS HOSPITAL YMCA – Two locations in Grundy County

Morris League
Games and practices will be held at Morris Grade School.

CO-ED DIVISIONS
Junior YBL, Grades K-8

GIRLS DIVISIONS*
Grades 3-4, 5-6

Coal City League
Games and practices will be held at Coal City Intermediate School.

CO-ED DIVISIONS
Grades K-6

GIRLS DIVISIONS*
Grades 3-4, 5-6

VILLAGE OF SHOREWOOD YMCA – Shorewood

Practice and game locations TBD.

CO-ED DIVISIONS
Junior YBL, Grades K-12

GIRLS DIVISIONS
Grades 3-4, 5-6

*In order for competitions to run in the Girls’ Divisions, a minimum number of participants must be enrolled. The Y will determine if these divisions will be able to run by November 13, and families will be notified.

SHARE THIS:

Stronger Today Because of Yesterday: Greater Joliet Area YMCA Unveils History Wall

August 27, 2026

Centennial History Wall

In celebration of the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s Centennial Anniversary in 2026, the Y unveiled a new history wall within the Village of Shorewood YMCA this week. This installation celebrates the visionary leaders, pivotal moments, and enduring milestones that have guided the Greater Joliet Area YMCA’s journey and deepened its impact across the community over the past 100 years.

We remain deeply grateful to the members, employees, volunteers, donors and community partners whose dedication to the Y’s mission and the residents of Will and Grundy Counties made this historic milestone possible. As we begin our second century of service, we remain guided by our mission, inspired by our history, and committed to strengthening our community and transforming lives for generations to come.

SHARE THIS: