When metro Detroit mom Danielle Perczyk was searching for a great swim program for her two daughters, she reached out to the Boll Family YMCA. “We live in Michigan! My kids need to be swimming,” Perczyk says. “I looked into a YMCA membership because I remember loving being at the Y as a young adult.”
What surprised and delighted Perczyk was the affordability of a family membership — especially when she added up the savings on programs like swimming lessons for her husband and kids. “If you take three classes in each session, the discount on the classes you get as a member pays for your membership,” she says. “People don’t always understand that as a member, you get a discount and that itself is a value. The price point proves itself.”
For less than $3 a day for their family membership, the Perczyk family takes full advantage of the benefits of belonging to the YMCA, especially family swim and open swim. This is when Perczyk says she helped her 5-year-old learn some swimming basics to get comfortable in the water.
In addition to a lap pool, the Boll Family YMCA’s aquatic center includes a splash pad and a family pool, which are perfect for young children and their caregivers to build confidence at their own pace. When she just missed grabbing a spot in a session of swim lessons, Perczyk and her daughter enjoyed open swim three to five times each week.
“This is where she learned the basics and conquered her fear because it’s a very touchable space,” she says, describing how her daughter gradually learned to swim in shallow water, then mastered “rocketing up” to the surface in the 5-foot-deep family pool. “And now she can swim in the lap pool, after just three months.”
From gymnastics to ballet to Ninja Warrior classes, Perczyk says her daughters are very busy at the Y, and she says she appreciates that her children can move to intermediate classes to continue challenging themselves physically and mentally.
A big hit is the rock climbing wall. “My little one took the rock climbing class, which was a small group, and the kids really took their time learning the grips,” she says. “Now she can move on to intermediate level where she can really reach. They both can get much more fulfillment out of what they’re learning.”
Fall family YMCA programs
As the weather gets colder, Perczyk says they’ll be visiting the Y even more. “There’s a really great sports sampler class, and during the fall they have sessions that are appropriate to the season. So if your child wants to sign up for soccer or baseball, they aren’t committing to a whole season. This gives them the chance to learn skills and try the sport without feeling like it’s a competition,” she says. “Overall, the Y’s programming builds confidence in children to move forward into other activities.”
Between Child Watch — where she enjoys seeing her kids foster new relationships with peers and caring adults — and Parents’ Night Out, plus a host of fall programming and free classes, Perczyk says the Y is a family-oriented environment that has a lot to offer. The same is true no matter which of the seven YMCA facilities in metro Detroit you visit. You’ll find a pool at each of the seven YMCAs, and your membership gives you access to all of them.
As a community organization, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit is committed to helping all families achieve health and wellness, regardless of ability to pay. The Y for All YMCA Membership program offers a reduced rate for families earning less than $49,000 annually, and there are other financial assistance programs available, too.
Content brought to you by YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit. Find out more at ymcadetroit.org.
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