YMCA membership appeals to all ages BY SHARON SEMANIE For Ohio Community Media MIAMI COUNTY — Jim McMaken characterizes his first year on the job as executive director of the Miami County YMCA as “exciting,” “opportunistic” and “positive.” McMaken, a 1992 graduate of Piqua High School, is successfully navigating his way through the Y’s myriad programs, a job formerly overseen by Lowell Nees, who retired in 2011 after 28 years. Surrounded by a cadre of professional staff and enthusiastic volunteers, the Piqua native is clearly enjoying his new administrative role supervising YMCA branches both in Piqua and Troy. Growing up as a youngster, McMaken was involved in the Y’s youth program, but sheepishly admits he wasn’t a “Y rat.” His first “real” job was as a lifeguard through his freshman year of college at Ohio University. Today, the son of Craig and Kathy McMaken of Piqua relishes the opportunity to witness the YMCA’s rapid expansion and programs, which appeal to everyone from infants to active seniors in their 90s. Membership, he suggests, leveled off between 2008 and early 2010 due to the recession, with 13,500 members recorded in 2009. Rather than spend $35 to $40 per month on a membership, explains McMaken, families were faced with limited discretionary funds for recreational purposes. Through advocacy and financial affordability, however, the YMCA has successfully demonstrated why being a member is an “investment in one’s health and well being,” all the more reason for joining the ranks of today’s 14,000 members residing in Miami County. To make memberships affordable, a financial assistance program was established to provide discounts to those meeting certain criteria. McMaken reports 2,060 individuals have qualified for discounts — ranging anywhere from 10 to 90 percent — at a total value of $340,000. He acknowledges the YMCA’s sustaining membership program as responsible for offsetting some expenses, and providing financial support to youth programs and memberships based upon a person’s ability to pay. In addition to membership growth, McMaken adds, opportunities also have been afforded for facility maintenance and upkeep. “As buildings age, there
OCM PHOTO/ANTHONY WEBER
Sue Peltier conducts a group cycling class March 8 at the YMCA Robinson Branch in Troy. The Miami County YMCA recently began offering the classes at the Robinson Branch with new, state-of-the-art stationary spinning bicycles. have been opportunities to make maintenance upgrades” in both Piqua and Troy, such as the repair of a swimming pool leak, exterior painting, masonry work and repair of concrete sidewalks, all projects placed on the “back burner” due to the recent economy. He also faced staffing challenges this year, such as transfers, and vacancies became available. Today, the affable McMaken oversees 18 full-time staff and up to 280 part-time staff at both Piqua and Troy branches. When queried about the need for so many part-timers, he explained that the child care facility alone requires 20 staff, while pools have between 45 to 50 aquatic staff members. “We are more hour intensive,” he suggested, citing the 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily operations of both campuses. “We are highly dependent upon part-time staff” to maintain hours of operation. Between both campuses, there are 30-plus programs ranging from aquatic classes for “skips,” a parent/child class for youngsters over 6 months of age, to advanced “shark” swimmers and the Marlin Swim Team. Group exercises also are popular, and include cycling, aerobics, step, kickboxing, yoga, Pilates and “hybrids” of the above workouts. Nearly 125 children are enrolled in the full-time, state licensed child care center at the YMCA Alexander-Davis facility, ranging in age from six weeks to 12 years, the latter which is the school-
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age program. McMaken said full-time childcare also is available during the summer for children ages six weeks through 6 years old. In addition, the YMCA offers a summer day camp program for boys and girls, grades one through six. A variety of activities are offered including swimming, hiking, arts and crafts, sports, nature studies, bowling, skating and more. The YMCA provides a different theme each week with parents receiving a calendar of events, which include daily activities, overnights and the “trip of the week.” Among the upcoming summer camp sessions are trips to the Columbus Zoo, the Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Indians baseball game, the Cincinnati Creation Museum, Beach Water Park, COSI, Kings Island, Toledo Zoo, Zoombezi Bay Water Park, Cedar Point, Coney Island and Cincinnati Museum. Registration, which began, April 16, is ongoing. Why join the YMCA? “We’re welcoming,” McMaken said. “We offer all fitness levels from beginner to advanced and classes designed specifically for you. Belonging to the Y is also good for family time plus it’s affordable. If not, we’ll make it so.” For more information on the programs offered at both the Piqua and Robinson branches, visit the YMCA website at miamicountyymca.net.