AYP magazine, June 2016 by Association of YMCA Professionals

A publication by the Association of YMCA Professionals

Inspired Leadership for the YMCA Professional Vol. 6 No. 3 June/July 2016

FEATURE To Move Forward, Put It in Reverse Page 23

FEATURE The Blessings of Ttâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grotto Page 28

Why several progressive Ys are rethinking traditional performance reviews.

Culture of Coaching

Congratulations to the newest graduates of the 2015 YMCA/JCC CRI Training Coach program.

Learn, Grow, Succeed Education and Training For YMCA/JCC Professionals Most Recent Alumni Jean Fry Jennifer Brownlow John Binnie Joseph Granza Justin Noel Karen Buckley Katelyn Szafir Kathy Dew Kelli Holder Krystal Snider Kyle Britton Lincoln Huth Lisa Becht Lisa Horton

Luke Brookner Matt Sallinen Maureen Wilcox Megan Brazill Melanie VanderHorn Melissa McGlynn Melissa Wright Meredith Frazier Patrick McGahan Peta McMillan Peter Christenson Peter Rana Robyn Cohen Santiago Prada

Sarah Faulkner Seth Hazen Shannon Hughes Sharon Allen Shelley McCarty Stacey Hatch Tim Cedrone Tim Lebling Travis Randle Trevalyn Bell Troy Henrich Valerie Prenzlow Victoria MacKenzie Wade Messner

Since its inception, Cybex has hosted over 300 YMCA/JCC professionals, representing over 600 branches at our world headquarters for a unique learning experience, the YMCA Training Coach program. This four-day comprehensive workshop combines classroom instruction with practical hands-on training. Topics covered include anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, and motor learning. The program was created to help further the participants’ education in exercise science. It also provides cardio and strength product training to equip their staff with safe and effective ways to better serve their members on the wellness floor. In 2016, the Cybex Research Institute (CRI) Training Coach team, led by Dr. Paul Juris, will once again offer YMCA and JCC health and wellness professionals this highly personalized and exclusive opportunity. Availability is limited. For more information on attending one of the 2016 sessions, contact Al Rousseau at +1.860.621.8888. Visit cybexintl.com to learn more.

“The workshop provides the education and training for our staff to be experts for our communities and members.” Bobbi Wiliams Associate Executive Director Merrimack Valley YMCA

Scan the QR code to see what people are saying about the YMCA Training Coach Program.

Aaron Mayfield Christina Patel Abel Albanes Colleen McLain Adrian Sadowski Collette Cosby Alex Ciambrone Craig Lewis Alex Shelton Dan Chambers Amber Nelson Dan de Saussure Andrew Jeffrys David Trubiani Ann Johnson Fiona Kriaris April Hix Harriet Shirley Bonnie Livingston Heidi Zarder Brandon Brugger Hiliary Nichols Bryan Einwalter J Morgan Carlos Garcia Jamie Lyell Carma DeVillers Jayne Miller Morgan Catherine Santamaria

perspective

AYP Reinstates Regional Representatives Regional representatives are crucial to maintaining member and engagement. I am thrilled to announce the reinstatement of the regional representative role to the structure of AYP. Several years ago, with a governance change, came the elimination of this role that also had a seat on the national board. This created a vacuum in the lines of communication throughout the regions as well as the chapters that they serve. Chapters felt that they were on their own without coaching, sharing, or guidance. The national board unanimously voted in November 2015 to reestablish this role with the service description to coach and communicate with the chapters to ensure a cohesiveness, sharing of best practices, and, of course, camaraderie across the country. This role is very similar to that of a district executive/vice president in a large corporate YMCA, requiring regular communication with and between regions and chapters to ensure a sense of purpose and shared goals. I am happy to introduce to you the newly recruited, on-boarded, and trained regional representatives — some of the best in the business.

Jay Parker — COO of the YMCA of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Virginia., and member of AYP Chapter 25

Natalie Norton President and CEO, AYP

NORTHEAST Rick MacPherson — president and CEO of the Metro West YMCA in Framingham, Massachusetts, and member of AYP Chapter 4 MID-EAST Fred Wasiak, M.S., CPC — principal and owner of Humanics Consulting, LLC and interim executive director of the Family Center Branch, YMCA of Montclair, New Jersey, and member of AYP chapter 17 SOUTHEAST Tricia Puryear — vice president of community engagement and collaboration, YMCA of Greater Richmond, Virginia, and member of AYP Chapter 25

GREAT LAKES Still recruiting — if you are interested or know someone who would be great, contact Natalie Norton, natalie@ayponline.org. The states this region serves are West Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana NORTH CENTRAL Missy Huppert — marketing project coordinator, YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, Minnesota, immediate past president of AYP, and active member of AYP chapter 42 SOUTH CENTRAL Heidi Brasher – director of financial development, YMCA of the Greater Houston Area, Texas, and member of AYP Chapter 67 PACIFIC Mike Lubbe — president and CEO, YMCA of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, and member of AYP chapter 80 Please help me in welcoming these leaders to a new and rewarding role in their careers.

share wares “The problem with leadership is that it’s like exercise — you can’t measure its effects on a daily basis.” speaking at the 2015 AYP Annual Conference

Simon Sinek, author,

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 1

16 Interested in contributing to AYP magazine? Contact Carla Kalogeridis at 313-884-0988 or ayp_edit@networkmediapartners.com.

Custom Publishing Services provided by Network Media Partners, Inc.

Advertising Contact: Holly Klarman hklarman@networkmediapartners.com 410-584-1946 AYP magazine is published bimonthly by the Association of YMCA Professionals. ©2016 by the Association of YMCA Professionals. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission. Address copyright queries to ayp_edit@networkmediapartners.com Annual subscription to AYP magazine is $35 (international is an additional $75 a year) and is included in the membership dues for AYP members. If you are unsure of your subscription status, please contact Josh Cruz at josh@ayponline.org or call 413-748-3884. Statement of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or members of AYP. AYP magazine connects, inspires, and advances the leaders of the YMCA through an exploration in leadership arts, thereby inciting creativity, strength, and strategic thinking.

Association Media & Publishing 2015 Silver EXCEL Award, General Excellence 2015 Bronze EXCEL Award, Design Excellence 2012 Silver EXCEL Award, Most Improved, 50,000 or fewer APEX 2014 Award of Excellence, Magazine, Journal & Tabloid Writing 2013 Award of Excellence, Magapaper & Newspaper Writing 2012 Grand Award, Design and Illustration 2012 Award of Excellence, Design and Illustration 2012 Award of Excellence, Magazine & Journal Writing Printed in the United States of America

2 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Culture of Coaching By Carla Kalogeridis Why are some YMCAs overhauling — or even doing away with — the traditional performance review process? Here’s what’s trending.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 3

AYP National Board of Directors Chair Sandy Morander, YMCA of Greater San Antonio Chair-Elect Sal Cisneros, Channel Islands YMCA Treasurer Kelly Kay, YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City Secretary Kimberly Moser, Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA Immediate Past Chair David Byrd, YMCA of Greater Kansas City Theresa Hillis, Kandiyohi County Area Family YMCA Harry Rock, Springfield College Kim Moser, Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA Tracy Miller, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington Michael Bright, YMWCA of Newark and Vicinity Ted Wenta, YMCA of Snohomish County Craig Heinrichs, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Terri Radcliff, YMCA of the USA Lisa Ramirez, YMCA of Greater San Antonio Ebony Young, YMCA of Greater New York Jon Agnew, Philadelphia and Freedom Valley YMCA

EAF Board Chair Eric Ellsworth, YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Chair-Elect George Romell, YMCA of Greater Rochester Secretary/Treasurer Bob Hastedt, YMCA Retirement Fund Teresa Rogers, Volusia-Flagler YMCA Karen Leslie, YMCA of Greater Providence Rig Riggins, YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh Dick Bennett, Lake County (Ohio) YMCA Krystal Canady, YMCA of Eastern Union County Joan Lovell, YMCA of the USA Jim Havlick, Association of YMCA Retirees Tracy Miller, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington Andy Vamis, YMCA of San Francisco Rob Wilkinson, Kishwaukee Family YMCA Sean Elliot, Philadelphia and Freedom Valley YMCA Alan Hostrup, YMCA of Greater Los Angeles

AYP President and CEO Natalie Norton

perspective Share Wares

Notes from the field

postings News from AYP chapters and members

got a minute?

treasure talks

Association of YMCA Professionals Stitzer YMCA Center, 2nd Floor Springfield College 263 Alden St. Springfield, MA 01109 www.ayponline.org Tel: 413-748-3884 Fax: 413-748-3872

AYP Mission The Association of YMCA Professional inspires, connects and empowers Y leaders to achieve personal excellence to support the movement.

AYP Fundamental Principles Innovate, Lead, Support — these guide the AYP focus and Its leadership Data Driven, Defined Outcomes, Relevant, Network Plus — these shape the development, delivery and direction of AYP experiences

4 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Worry Overcoming worry may be key to mental health

feature To Move Forward, Put It in Reverse Reverse mentoring can help the young and the more experienced Y professional zoom ahead

Kristin Hess, Central YMCA and East Valley Family YMCA

A Better You — More Than Just the AYP Motto

feature The Blessings of Tt’s Grotto A heartfelt project brings new joy to campers and personal growth to staff

With Christopher B. Berry, YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City

marketplace

spirituality

AYP Editorial Advisory Group Kimberly Moser, Peninsula Metropolitan YMCA Theresa Wittenberg, Kandiyohi County Area YMCA Richard Bennett, Lake County YMCA

the science of...

Items of Interest from vendors and partners

The Journey God is with you through all of life’s twists and turns

body, mind, spirit Get ready for wearables, and a howling good puzzle

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postings CHAPTER 42

Minnesota

Luke Callaghan

CHAPTER 66

Missouri, Southwest Illinois, Kansas Luke Callaghan came to the U.S. in 2012 as a British soccer coach. He had such an “amazing time” that, in 2013, he returned to coach soccer camp at Adair County Family YMCA in Kirksville, where he met his wife. In 2015, Callaghan joined as program director. “It’s a huge honor for me,” he says, “because I truly love helping people, and now I get to combine that with my passion for sport and recreation.”

CHAPTER 21

AL, MS, LA and Northwest FL (Panhandle) Y staffers from Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida will gather at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, for Chapter 21’s Fall Conference on September 15 - 16, 2016. The conference theme of “A Better You — A Better Y” shares the chapter’s goal of making a difference in the growth of YMCA professionals. A preconference cookout at Shipwatch Beach and Yacht Club Condominiums, Unit E105, kicks off the event. Bring a chair and ice chest for food, fun, and fellowship. The event includes a preconference golf outing on September 14th. Speakers and presenters will be announced soon. Make a reservation at www.perdidobeachresort.com/reservations.

6 AYP magazine June/July 2016

YMCA Twin Cities has implemented a mentoring program that has brought benefit to participants and their Ys. “The mentoring program has brought together team members who normally would not interact,” says Mark Ihrke, executive director at the Ridgedale YMCA. “It is a fun and rewarding experience for the mentees as well as the mentors. They are both learning from each other.” To participate in the program, a Y staffer who wants a mentor completes a form with past positions held, what they hope to gain from participating in the program, and sharing challenges they face. “We suggest they meet on a quarterly basis, but some meet more often,” explains Ihrke. “It is the mentee’s responsibility to schedule the meetings and provide topics of discussion.” One of the mentors in the program is Theresa Hillis, executive director at Kandiyohi County Area Family YMCA, who says the most important thing she has taken from the program is the opportunity to stretch her mind to work with another YMCA professional to help her grow in new ways of thinking. On the flip side, Hillis says, “During our discussion, my mentee mentioned the fact that her Y was piloting the new MOSSA group fitness program, and I was able to get her input on it and ask her about opportunities for our Y to offer it. So it was a mutual sharing of ideas and experiences for us both.” Hillis recommends others take the time to connect with other Y professionals to grow themselves as well as the movement. Hillis is paired with Director of Healthy Living Cathy Quinlivan, who says, “Theresa has helped me navigate some challenging situations by asking difficult questions about how I want to lead. Rather than give me solutions to problems I am facing, she coaches me through my own problem solving. It has also been beneficial to compare how we have dealt with similar situations when leading a team and serving our greater communities.” Asked what she would tell someone who is considering the program, Quinlivan explains, “As a mentee, you have to come to your mentor with a clear agenda of what you want to gain from the experience. When Theresa and I meet, I have a specific idea of what I want to discuss with her and what I hope the outcome will be. When looking for a mentor, find a leader either inside or outside of your organization who you respect and who will challenge you.” Colleen Haubner, executive director at the New Hope YMCA, has been energized by the benefit the program has been for the pair. “I was really surprised at the success of the program with a mentor/mentee pair that has mainly been over the phone.”

SPREAD THE WORD

Your News is Our News AYP members and chapters are encouraged to submit personnel announcements and promotions, YMCA news, and other stories to Beverly Sturtevant at ayp_edit@networkmediapartners.com.

CHAPTER 16

Washington, DC, and Maryland Eighty-nine Chapter 16 members from the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, Y in Central Maryland, and the YMCA of the Chesapeake gathered at YMCA Camp Letts in Edgewater, Maryland, for the chapter’s spring program. The day began with the 2015 Recognition Awards, followed by four dynamic speakers who shared their 20+ years with the YMCA and why they made the Y their career. Vanessa Wright shared her EAF testimonial, and everyone in the audience was touched by her story and the loss of her younger brother. A delicious lunch prepared by Camp Chef Keira Jarrett featured homemade cookies and a lovely chocolate cake in honor of Camille Taft’s farewell. The rest of the afternoon was spent in a whirlwind game of Bunco, a great way to meet everyone and have fun. The winner of the day’s 50/50 raffle, which benefitted the Emergency Assistance Fund, was Uchenna Obinabo, who graciously donated his share back to EAF. Award Winners John Derwent — AYP Rookie of the Year Tracy Miller – Distinguished Program Achievement Award Uchenna Obinabo – AYP Service Award Suzanne Green – Distinguished Program Achievement Award Nick Dorazio – AYP Leadership Award

CHAPTER 3

Connecticut, Western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island AYP Chapter 3’s spring event featured Sharon Padgett, COO of the Gaston County Family YMCA, who talked about how some childhood toys have leadership qualities that we may never have considered. For example, LEGOs are reliable, compatible, and reusable: Reliable Quality tests are performed and only 18 elements in every million produced fail to meet the company’s high standard. How often do you do quality checks on your relationships with the staff you supervise? Compatible Lego makes over 3,000 types of bricks, yet they all fit together. You can buy a LEGO brick anywhere in the world and they will fit. A brand new brick will fit together with a 1958 brick. Reusable Build a dinosaur today; build a house tomorrow. Don’t think of a relationship as disposable — repurpose it. Don’t get stuck — re-invent yourself. She also discussed how Play-doh and Mr. Potato Head relate to leadership. A great time was had by all, and we now have a new appreciation for these familiar toys.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 7

got a minute?

kristin

HESS

Marketing Communications Manager, Central YMCA and East Valley Family YMCA — San Jose and Communications Chair, AYP Chapter 82 What is your idea of perfect happiness? Filling out long AYP questionnaires What is your greatest fear? The depths of the ocean Who is your favorite fictional hero? Roald Dahl’s Matilda Who are your favorite real-life heroes? Women who get it done What’s your greatest achievement? Surviving the sixth grade Favorite plant? The Giving Tree Favorite food? Thai Where would you rather be more than any place else? On the coast What is your greatest extravagance? Buying magazines I don’t need What is your ultimate vacation? Road-tripping a continent What tops your bucket list? Becoming fluent in Spanish What trait do you deplore in others? Lack of empathy On what occasion would you lie? Never…oops, just did! What word or phrase do you overuse? Long hashtags What is your greatest regret? Perming my hair Which of your talents would you most like to share? How to moonwalk What is your current state of mind? Playful If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY MORROW

8 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Wish I had internal GPS What do you like best about your YMCA co-workers? That they have different strengths than me What do you like best about your YMCA members? Their courage to tell their story What inspires you more than anything else? Confidence What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The loss of a loved one Where would you like to live? Universal-access-to-medicine land What is your dream occupation? One that I created What quality do like most in a friend? Patience What quality do like most in a co-worker? When they laugh at my jokes What quality do you like most in a child? Their questions Who is your favorite writer? Piers Paul Read What is your favorite movie? When Harry Met Sally What keeps you up at night? My phone What are your favorite names? Nicknames What do you dislike more than anything else? The Great Unknown Most important thing to secure the viability of the YMCA movement? Being humble enough to change What is your motto? Always a pleasure, never a chore How did this interview make you feel? Unbelievable

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T I LIM ME IT OF ED FE R

You can find AYP Professional Partners featured in AYP magazine, at www.AYPonline. org, and at AYP events throughout the year. Consider supporting the companies that support your association — just look for the AYP Partner logo.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 9

treasure talks

A Better You — More Than Just the AYP Motto and

with

Christopher B. Berry YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City

10 AYP magazine June/July 2016

In this year’s Treasure Talk series, next up is Chris Berry’s AYP National Conference session on how a better you can make for a better Y and a better life. Chris Berry’s passion for the Y began in 1988, starting with playing T-ball at the Edmond YMCA. He started officiating soccer at age 16 and worked for the YMCA through grad school. He has been a camp counselor, member services associate, sports director, and associate executive director. In April 2015, he was named executive director of the Shawnee Family YMCA, followed by serving as executive director of the Troy and Dollie Smith Family YMCA. He accepted the role of executive director of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City in June. In this interview, Berry shares some thoughts from his Treasure Talk topic.

WE MUST TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES FIRST, SO THAT WE CAN ALSO TAKE CARE OF OTHERS. WHY THIS TOPIC? I always joked that I was the most active Fat Guy you knew. I liked to climb, hunt, hike, play softball, and travel. Then, I had a health scare in March 2013 — I thought I was having a heart attack. I was rushed to the emergency room of a local heart hospital and went through all the tests and blood work. I was 625 pounds, 30 years old, and realized I would not see 40 if I kept going the same way. Real motivation came when I walked out of the hospital that night. A gentleman passed away from a heart attack while I was in back. I saw his family and friends gathered in the waiting

room consoling each other. I knew then that I needed to make some serious changes if I did not want my family and friends to be in that same situation. WHAT’S A KEY TAKEAWAY? A quote from Audre Lorde hangs above my desk now: “I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self-indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival.” We must take care of ourselves first, so that we can also take care of others. And that’s what I did. I made it a priority to take care of myself.

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WHAT’S THE SECRET? After years of not eating or drinking the right things and not consistently working out, my weight soared and health issues started to arise — strokelevel high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and joint pain to name a few. I needed to take better care of myself, but sometimes that is easier said than done. Between April 2013 and January 2014, I lost 83 pounds by eating better and exercising five to six days a week. In January 2014, I had gastric sleeve surgery and have lost an additional 267 pounds. I had planned on going to California to visit friends in the fall of 2014. I thought it would be fun to complete a 5K while out there. After a few short runs passing the 5K distance, I felt really good! I decided to attempt a half marathon. In October 2014, I participated in the Long Beach International City Bank Half Marathon. I even beat my initial time goal by 21 minutes. This is something I never even thought possible prior to the weight loss. My goal now is to complete a full marathon.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT What is awesome is the energy and motivation you gain when you take care of yourself. You are able to reach even greater levels and help others. Some of these for me included: Being recognized as a 20 Under 40 Leader Subject of several articles and publications in magazines and newspapers Opportunities to serve and speak with different groups Greater career opportunities WHAT SURPRISED THE AUDIENCE I challenged them to figure out what they will do this year to make “a better you.” WHERE TO GET HELP Berry’s advice is to work with a nutritionist on a weight loss plan, and get jump started on workouts with other Y staff. Use the Lose It! app to track everything.

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TREASURE TALKS ARE LIKE TED TALKS, and they were the hit of the AYP National Conference. AYP magazine will feature a different Treasure Talk from the conference in each issue of 2016.

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the science of... WORRY

Don’t Worry, Be Happy Overcoming worry may be key to mental health. By Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman

ith a sufficiently negative outlook, even the happiest moments in life can become a source of anxiety and stress. When we worry, we become preoccupied with an aspect of our lives, desperately trying to anticipate what might go wrong and what might happen if it does. Although we might believe worry is constructive, actually all it usually does is lower our mood. And when we start worrying, it can be difficult to stop. So worry can be an immensely powerful psychological mechanism, but might it also be a defining factor in the development of mental illness? Can studying it deepen our understanding of what mental illness is, how it comes about, and how it differs from psychological health? The number of officially recognized psychiatric disorders has mushroomed in recent years, and now stands at around 300. That giant total has attracted a lot of criticism — and with some justification — but in fact many of these conditions are pretty similar. It is better to think instead of three main groupings of disorders: internalizing (most commonly, depression and anxiety); externalizing (addiction, for instance, or anti-social behavior problems); and psychosis (with its characteristic symptoms often bracketed under the label of schizophrenia).

14 AYP magazine June/July 2016

However, even these three broad groupings share many of their causes, which has led some researchers to speculate that underlying and unifying all mental illness may be a single cause — excessive worry. When worry gets out of hand, it now appears, a very wide range of mental health problems can follow in its wake. This kind of transdiagnostic approach represents a major shift in the way we think about worry. Traditionally, problematic worrying has been demarcated as a specific condition: generalized anxiety disorder — and in that box it has remained. (The exception to this rule is depression, for which persistent worry about the past is a recognized symptom. But it’s not called worry; it’s called rumination. Worry is defined as anxious thinking about the future.)

Yet real life seems to show a lamentable lack of respect for systems of psychiatric classification. Rather than being a separate disorder, excessive worry has been shown to play a significant role in the development and persistence of paranoid thinking, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and drug dependence, and insomnia. It has also been linked to eating disorders. The idea that many psychological problems have excessive worry in common seems plausible. As most of us know from bitter experience, worry brings the most unlikely — and unpleasant — ideas to mind, keeps them there no matter how hard we try to shake them off, and convinces us that the events we dread really may happen. If persistent worry is potentially so damaging to our mental health, what can be done to combat it? Interestingly, we tend to worry less as we grow older. People aged 65-85 report fewer worries than those aged 16-29. But besides simply waiting for the years to pass, the evidence is strongest for an adapted form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This relatively brief, one-to-one treatment is based on a detailed model showing how problematic worry is caused, maintained, and overcome. Patients discover that when they’re worrying, they can interrupt this habitual thinking style and try alternative ways of reacting to life’s problems. How does CBT tackle worry? For one thing, it helps people re-evaluate their beliefs about its benefits. Like many of us, individuals who are prone to excessive worry tend to assume that it helps them. They believe that worrying helps them to anticipate and solve problems; that it provides the motivation necessary to tackle those problems; or that it prepares them for the worst if a solution can’t be found. They may even feel that by worrying about an event they can prevent it occurring. Learning to challenge these kinds of beliefs can be a huge step forward. CBT also supports confining our worrying to a set period of 15 minutes each day. When worrying thoughts arise at other times, the trick is to save them for later and let them go. Expressive writing can be effective too: You describe your worries in as much detail as you can, focusing on what it feels like, and resisting the temptation to analyze what’s causing your thoughts. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of distraction: Work out when you’re most likely to worry and plan a pleasurable, absorbing activity you can do instead. Many of CBT’s techniques for tackling worry are not rocket science; with the right guidance, we can all put them into practice. By doing so, we’re not merely sparing ourselves hours of futile fretting — if excessive worry is truly the factor it seems to be, we’ll also be addressing one of the key determinants of our mental health.

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Daniel Freeman is a professor of clinical psychology and a Medical Research Council Senior Clinical Fellow in the department of psychiatry, University of Oxford. Jason Freeman is a psychology writer. This article is courtesy of Guardian News & Media Ltd.

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 15

Culture of Coaching Why several progressive Ys are rethinking traditional performance reviews.

WHO’S INSIDE? Kelley Maltais, YMCA of Central Bay Area Hannah Fuller, Meadeville Family YMCA Fernan R. Cepero, YMCA of Greater Rochester

By Carla Kalogeridis

ast year, the YMCA of the Central Bay Area did away with performance reviews. It was a radical move — in fact, Kelley Maltais thinks her Y may be the first in the nation to do it. “About five years ago, we realized the system wasn’t working,” says Maltais, who serves as vice president of human resources for her Y and has worked in HR for 19 years. “On top of that — when we calculated the supervisors’ time, employees’ time, HR, payroll, and our CFO’s time — we estimated that over $100,000 was being spent per year on the performance appraisal process, for something that wasn’t working.

NOW WE DO MORE on-the-spot coaching. People want immediate feedback instead of an annual summary of what happened. Kelley Maltais Vice President of Human Resources, YMCA of Central Bay Area

IF THE STAFF PERSON needs a review, it happens when it needs to happen. And the review is based on clear job goals that are in front of them every day. Hannah Fuller Vice President of Operations, The Meadeville Family YMCA

18 AYP magazine June/July 2016

“The analogy we’ve heard and loved is it’s like FitBit sending you your step count once a year. Nobody’s behavior would change.” Under the old system, HR has to track each employee based on their anniversary date. Different evaluation forms were used because some employees were working on multiple jobs within the Y, and each one needed an appraisal. Furthermore, with employees wearing multiple hats and everyone working full throttle to get things done, it was difficult to find the time to meet for the appraisals. “HR used to hold all salary increases until the appraisals were in, and we had some employees that were waiting three years for a salary increase because the performance appraisal paperwork wasn’t turned in,” says Maltais. “By the time the reviews came in, we would have to look back and figure out how much they were due and issue retro pay. The CFO had to take time verifying that the retro pays were accurate. With 750 employees, it was a tremendous strain on everyone’s time.” Three years ago, Maltais and her team analyzed their workforce. “We looked at what performance reviews mean to them and what our people were getting from them,” she says. One eye-opening discovery from the analysis: 43 percent of their Y’s employees were working less than 5 hours per week. “Basically, we were chasing a lot of employees for performance reviews that weren’t there enough of the work day to get or give feedback,” says Maltais. “If other YMCAs did a similar analysis, I think they might be surprised, too.” The first step her Y took in 2013 was to do away with multiple reviews for those with multiple jobs. Secondly, they dropped performance reviews for temporary and on-call employees. And then came the big decision: Beginning in July 2015, the YMCA of the Central Bay Area entered a one-year trial period with no performance reviews at all. All employees are automatically eligible for a 3 percent salary increase on their anniversary — no paperwork required. The only exception is if a struggling employee is on a performance improvement plan. “Now we do more on-the-spot coaching,” says Maltais, “and getting rid of the annual performance reviews allows this to happen more naturally. People want immediate feedback instead of an annual summary of what happened.” She also sees the change as particularly appealing to her Millennial employees. “Millennials want more frequent, consistent feedback,” she says. “They are into micro-learning in small, bite-size chunks. Our Millennials are really engaged.” To ease the transition from annual reviews to a culture of coaching, Maltais’s YMCA has engaged the services of an executive trainer for three two-hour sessions over the period of a week (see sidebar, Key To Performance Reviews: Frequency and Asking The Right Questions). “She’s coaching us on how to give feedback to employees,” says Maltais. “It’s about expanding your communication skills and improving your ability to influence others.” Coming up on the end of the 12-month trial period, Maltais says that no one seems to miss the review process. “Managers like having more time and focusing on people instead of processes,” she says, “and employees are happy because they qualify for an automatic 3 percent increase and it is on time.”

The next decision will be whether to make the no-performance-review trial period a permanent thing. “We looked at so many different ways to make it work — performance reviews in abbreviated forms, having them on the same date for everyone — and nothing made as much sense as doing away with them altogether,” says Maltais. “Other Ys that have heard about the changes we’ve made are intrigued, and I’ve gotten calls from them asking about what we’re doing with performance reviews and how it’s working.”

REVIEW STRATEGIES FOR EMPLOYEE RETENTION The Meadeville Family YMCA has also done some soul-searching about performance reviews. “We were looking at department turnover in our childcare division, trying to figure out how to retain our people,” says Hannah Fuller, vice president of operations, who has been with the Y for nine years and in her current position for one year. “We were hiring young people out of college, but they were looking at us as an interim position while they waited for a school district job to open up. They were working at half their potential salary and didn’t see the longevity of a Y career.” Fuller says she spent nine months looking at it, and two months ago started focusing on Millennials. “It was particularly important to me because one of the staff we lost was a family member,” she says. “I said, ‘Can’t you see the bigger picture?’ but she couldn’t.” In her experience, the Millennial generation is not as goal oriented. “They want money, status, and the better job,” she says. “They don’t want to hear that they don’t have the skills or tools.” As a result, her Y’s leadership was nervous about holding their Millennial staff members accountable. “We were trying to retain them, not lose them,” Fuller says. “We were worried about sending them over the edge. And the employees from other generations were like, ‘What?! It took me so long to get to that position.’” The performance review system involved a formal process for salary reviews — a six-month performance review and an annual review for salary. To better address the needs of the Millennials and other staff who were looking for more frequent career nurturing and support, her Y changed its feedback culture. “Now, if the staff person needs a review, it happens when it needs to happen,” Fuller says. “And the review is based on clear job goals that are in front of them every day. We are investing more time in each staff person.” The salary review is still annual, but directors don’t get automatic raises. Employees can also request a performance review at any time. There’s an opendoor policy where staff can engage with directors at any time. Her Y went from five directors to 18 directors, and to salary pay instead of hourly. “The employee’s performance review is based on goals, so each person’s review is different based on their department and the numbers they are trying to achieve,” she says. “They write their goals based on the needs of the Y and its budget.” To keep things positive and give people a chance to showcase their successes more frequently, her Y instigated weekly Wow Meetings, where everyone shares what they’ve done well that week. They also launched a mentoring program where all staff have someone that they can go to “to ask the dumb questions” instead of going to their supervisor.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 19

MILLENNIALS LIKE performance reviews because they like feedback. Talking about their performance more frequently allows them to think about their career path. Fernan R. Cepero Chief Human Resource Officer, YMCA of Greater Rochester

20 AYP magazine June/July 2016

An example of a dumb question, says Fuller: “I already worked my 40 hours for this week…Do I really have to work Saturday?” Fuller says over the last year, her Y has spent more time focusing on staff turnover than ever before. “Cross-mentoring across departments is key,” she says, “because sometimes turnover is directly related to a leader who is refusing to change with the times. The younger staff need to have someone they can relate to instead of feeling they have no choice but to leave.” Last year, her Y tried a monthly bonus system. “If they hit their numbers for the month, they got the bonus,” she says. “It was great until we missed the numbers one month, and then it really sucked.” Fuller says her Y is keeping its six-month calendar bonus system. “If our Y is ahead, they get the bonus, and same thing with the year-end review,” Fuller explains. “The old way, it was hard to decide who gets the bonus and how much for people who started mid-year. There was no rhyme or reason to the bonus. Now, the bonus structure is 3 percent if the Y is doing well, 7-8 percent if the Y is in a high-growth mode, and 1 percent if the numbers aren’t doing well.” For her Y, what’s working is having a structured time for raises but more frequently visiting goals and coaching as it’s needed. “Now, our reviews are based specifically on goals,” she says. “The conversation lasts about 10 minutes because the employee has already filled out their own performance review based on whether or not they reached their goals.”

WILL ANNUAL REVIEWS DISAPPEAR? Fernan R. Cepero, chief human resource officer for the YMCA of Greater Rochester, has been in the HR field for decades. “For the 30 years I’ve been in management, whether or not to have annual performance reviews has been a perpetual question,” he says. “I don’t see performance reviews going out the window, but I do see that the content of these reviews needs to be updated to reflect the specific objectives of the organization’s strategic plan. The important part is to keep the performance review updated and relevant as your organization’s needs grow and change. If you do that, the performance review will always be needed.” He also agrees with Fuller and Maltais that the employee needs to be engaging with a performance discussion throughout the year instead of just an annual review of goals, and he agrees that this new approach is related to the influx of Millennials in the workplace. “Millennials have high expectations of themselves and their trajectories for advancement,” he says. “They like performance reviews because they like feedback. Talking about their performance more frequently allows them to think about their career path. I’ve found Millennials to be very interested in the performance review process.” Whether it’s the rise of workforce Millennials or the simple discovery that traditional annual performance reviews aren’t meeting their needs anymore, YMCAs are exploring new strategies for providing feedback. Maltais, Fuller, and Cepero all recognize that a culture of coaching is growing more prevalent in the more progressive Ys, even if they still have traditional performance reviews. And high-potential young employees want frequent advice on how to progress their careers — they aren’t satisfied with one-and-done reviews.

KEY TO PERFORMANCE REVIEWS: FREQUENCY AND ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS “Performance reviews are obviously changing, there are tons of articles being written about it,” says Julie Stewart, an executive coach who strongly advocates self-awareness on the path to great leadership. Stewart, who has worked with clients such as Apple and Clif Bar, is currently working with the YMCA of the Central Bay Area in California. Stewart says an important question for organizations evaluating their performance review process should be: How do we give better feedback? “Actually, I don’t like the word feedback because it has a negative connotation,” she says. “People come into their performance reviews already on edge, thinking, ‘What did I do three or four months ago that I don’t even remember?’ Organizations need to be more inspiring and motivational during performance reviews.” Instead of feedback sessions, Stewart says organizations should be having “curious conversations,” exploring questions about specific projects and initiatives. “A performance review structure of some sort has to be in place,” she says, “but instead of annually or semi-annually, maybe the question for the organization becomes: How can I engage our people on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to advance their personal development and our business development? Organizations have got to get curious on how to support their people and help them be better at what they’re doing, helping them self-assess — not judging them or telling them what to do. You’ve got to look at what’s positive and what’s possible, not what’s wrong. Reviews should be a way to stimulate growth.” Stewart’s advice to YMCAs is to create a culture of coaching. “What really works is regular conversations, building relationships, and weekly check-ins,” she says. “Ask: What are you working on? What help do you need? What’s working well and what’s not? The key is to look for an opening into the conversation regarding where they are struggling.” It's no surprise that much of her work with organizations involves helping supervisors and managers become better listeners and learn to ask the right questions.

Julie Stewart is an executive coach currently working with the YMCA of the Central Bay Area in California.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 21

“The key is to keep their goals in front of them and don’t get bogged down doing something that does not directly link to your Y’s mission and goals,” says Fuller. “Investing more time in the staff person, more frequent touches on their goals and successes, keeps them vested in the Y and its mission.” “We have to move away from staff using the Y as the stepping stone to the job they really want,” says Maltais. “To accomplish that, we’re finding that retaining people means more frequent feedback, more communication, and taking a more active interest in their success. Why make people sit and wonder for a year if they are doing well or not? The feedback needs to be frequent and ongoing — for the good of the individual and the good of the Y.”

Carla Kalogeridis is managing editor of AYP magazine.

MOTIVATE YOUR MEMBERS OR SOMEBODY ELSE WILL Get in touch today and begin your journey toward creating relationships beyond memberships.

22 AYP magazine June/July 2016

1.844.LESMILLS info.usa@lesmills.com lesmills.com

THE POINT Younger Y staff can mentor more experienced staff, too

TO MOVE FORWARD, PUT IT IN REVERSE

Pair team members from different generations for reverse mentoring â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with a focus on complementary skillsets â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and watch both individuals zoom ahead in their professional development. By Thomas Marcetti

By Thomas Marcetti

YOU’LL MISS THE MARK if you simply set up the younger to teach the older. What do they want to learn from each other? Carol Grannis Founder and Managing Partner, Leading Edge Coaching & Development

PEOPLE ARE MORE aware of the generational stereotypes and are working on it instead of letting it work on them. Missy Huppert Marketing Coordinator, YMCA Greater Twin Cities in Minnesota

24 AYP magazine June/July 2016

t’s the classic setup for a buddy cop movie. A younger, rising-star detective is teamed up with an older, streetwise veteran for a big case. One has a lot of new ideas and unorthodox methods. The other has experience and institutional knowledge. They don’t want to work together. They even go so far as to sabotage each other. They try to prove their way is the best way. Hilarity ensues. But halfway through the movie, when the situation is most dire, they have a breakthrough. They realize how much they have in common. They appreciate the other one’s strengths. They work together and make the arrest of their careers. Cast Amy Schumer and Betty White as the leading roles, and we’re looking at a blockbuster. Assuming you’re not already a movie star, the more realistic scenario is that your supervisor, co-worker, or someone on a team you lead is not of the same generation. You may, however, run across some of the same problems our imaginary detectives did. In your scenario, there is probably not a vicious crime boss to unite disparate generations — it’s likely going to be up to you. The good news is you have an incredible resource already at your fingertips — your YMCA’s multigenerational team. Many organizations are engaging in a practice known as reverse mentoring (also known as reciprocal mentoring), which is based on coaching programs that match younger workers with older ones. But before you start pairing off your team, there is one crucial piece that needs to be in place at the beginning. “You’ll miss the mark if you simply set up the younger to teach the older,” says Carol Grannis, founder and managing partner of Leading Edge Coaching & Development. “Part of the objective is that both are involved in the setup. What do they want to learn from each other? It is important to match people based on their skills, to bring together complementary skillsets so that both are learning. If someone goes into it feeling superior — ‘I’m better because I’m older,’ or ‘I’m better because I’m younger,’ — it’s going to fail.”

MULTI-GENERATIONAL TEAMS In 2015, Millennials surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation, according to the U.S. Census. With that, they also became the largest portion of the U.S. workforce. Millennials overtook Generation X in both categories in the late 1990s. As Millennials’ portion of the workforce grows, so too will their roles in leadership positions. Therefore, it’s incumbent on YMCAs that want to succeed and flourish to create high-performing multigenerational teams. Grannis is working with AYP in Minnesota on a training program specifically targeting generational divides. Grannis says the approach includes allowing people to tap into their strengths and share those strengths with other members of a team. She says everyone has a gift to share and that some people just need an excuse to pair up and invite someone to see what they can do. With just a

little help creating an initial connection or relationship, people start sharing their strengths, and that makes the whole group stronger. Missy Huppert, marketing coordinator of YMCA Greater Twin Cities in Minnesota and regional representative for AYP, started a mentor program that is already proving successful after a little more than a year. Huppert says the program does not have a specific reverse mentoring component yet — the chapter board is working toward that — but has ended up pairing younger Y professionals with older or more experienced leaders. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide mix of people from different generations,” she says. “That has been very valuable, given the different experiences people bring…You have people who can speak from past experience working with people who are bringing a completely fresh perspective to the table.” Mark Ihrke, executive director of the Ridgedale YMCA and board member of AYP’s Chapter 42, is one of the people facilitating the mentor-mentee pairing. He says the program is already enjoying success because they take steps to ensure both parties can get something out of their mentor-mentee relationship. In order to be paired, each person fills out a short questionnaire on areas they wish to improve in and skills they feel they can share with others. Not only does this create strong matches from the beginning, it also helps the participants by clarifying what they can expect from the program.

BENEFITS OF REVERSE MENTORING 1. Close knowledge gaps. Mentors and mentees bring different strengths to the relationship. In addition to helping with technology and best practices, mentor-mentees can share soft skills and emotional intelligence experience. 2. Empower leaders. Improving professional skills and confidence is crucial to developing and empowering emerging and established leaders. 3. Future collaboration. Overcoming generational, motivational, or communication differences is a transferable skill that will aid Y professionals in the future. 4. Innovation. Combining new ideas and approaches with experience and institutional knowledge can lead to more creative and effective problem solving.

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 25

FOUR KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL REVERSE MENTORING

MENTORS ENJOY working outside of their team, learning from different perspectives and from different experiences. Mentees are taking away how to be better managers and leaders. They can learn from someone who has addressed similar problems. Mark Ihrke Executive Director, Ridgedale YMCA and AYP Board Member, Chapter 42

1. Two-way street. Both people have to be invested and willing to learn from the other person. The best pairings will not have a static mentor-mentee setup. Both people will learn and teach. 2. Defined expectations. Each person should clearly define a successful outcome. Both need to be fully committed to the relationship and be clear about the rules and time frame for the mentoring. 3. Trust. Ideally, the participants will be able to push each other outside of their comfort zones, to try new approaches to thinking, working, and even personal relationships. Without trust, real risk — and therefore, real reward — is not possible. 4. Transparency. Trust also will ensure that both people are comfortable and open about opinions, feelings, and what they are thinking. This can be crucial in reconciling differences in communication styles.

“It’s working because both mentors and mentees are taking an interest in their development,” he says. He also notes that the form used to pair the participants serves as a jumping-off point. It provides some background on those involved so people go into the relationship knowing a bit about the other person. After an initial face-to-face meeting is set up, the pair is asked to arrange their own meeting at least once a month in whatever capacity works for them. Though it was not part of the original goal of the program, Ihrke says mentors have reported learning a lot from their mentees. “Mentors enjoy the experience. They enjoy working outside of their team, learning from different perspectives and from different experiences,” he says. “Mentees are taking away how to be better managers and leaders. They can learn from someone who has addressed similar problems.” For example, Ihrke says his mentee came to him and asked how he would deal with a sensitive situation she was currently dealing with. Ihrke asked her how she thought she should handle it and then they talked through the process. “She had some really good ideas,” he says. “As we talked about it, she became more certain about how she wanted to handle it, and now that’s probably how I’d handle that situation as well. … It was really a two-way learning process.”

ENGAGING TEAMS A 2013 Gallup study found significant differences between generations regarding engagement levels and reasons for engagement in the workplace. While the study found that Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials all respond positively to having opportunities to do their best work, the generations tend to differ in ways to reach that goal. For Millennials, opportunities to learn and gain new skills led to greater engagement. For Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, having a strong sense of connection to their company’s mission and purpose created more engagement. Well-structured and facilitated reverse-mentoring programs can provide for all of these areas, and therefore for all generations.

26 AYP magazine June/July 2016

This is one of the areas Grannis thinks the YMCA has advantages. “I love the YMCA and AYP. They are so full of energy. They love the mission,” she says. “They bring together people in communities. They bring people together internally. That’s what makes a strong society. That’s what makes a strong team.” Huppert says that especially in the Y, working closely with people who have a different skillset than you can be a great asset. She remembers working with a fellow AYP member who wanted a job in fundraising, but he didn’t have any fundraising experience. So when he got a chance to work on the chapter’s board, he took it and worked as closely as he could with the board members who had experience. She says within a year he had a job doing fundraising.

STEREOTYPES Of course, even in the most well-meaning and supportive teams, there can still exist age-based stereotypes that derail the mentoring process. That’s why part of Grannis’s training session, called Generational Intelligence, tackles the stereotypes head on. She uses a series of skits that act out some stereotypical generational mindsets and phrases and asks participants to match them to decide who said them. The skits are designed to be funny because Grannis wants to create a comfort level with them. She calls it “equal opportunity fun-making.” “We want people to claim the stereotype, to make fun of it, but to also own it. We want people to be self-aware,” she says. “We remind people that in every interaction, they can decide how they come to the situation. They can come as the superior, the subordinate, or as equals. We want people to come from an equal place. We believe that if the members of a group are emotionally intelligent and caring, then it can be very successful.” Stereotypes, such as younger people being lazy because they like to chat between tasks, or that older people are lazy because they avoid technology, are not only counterproductive, but they can actually hide the strengths each group possesses. Reverse mentoring can help address issues where they exist, but they can also prove how untrue they are and lead to better working relationships with people outside the mentor-mentee pairing. Before she came to the Y, Huppert says she was the supervisor for a team of people older than her. She remembers it being very difficult because the people on the team didn’t like working for someone younger. But that was almost 15 years ago. “I think that happened more often years ago than it does now. The outlook is changing,” she says. “People are more aware of the generational stereotypes and are working on it instead of letting it work on them.”

“

If it weren’t for

SilverSneakers, I probably would

never have

“

enrolled.

–Harriet S., Phoenix, AZ

SilverSneakers and YMCAs nationwide are helping older adults like Harriet start their well-being journeys.

In fact, 43% of SilverSneakers participants said this was their frst ftness membership.1 We’re proud to help older adults get healthy, but we can’t do it alone. That’s why we partner with hundreds of YMCAs to create healthier communities.

Learn more at

go.silversneakers.com/ayp and download your free beneft guide.

Thomas Marcetti is a freelance writer based in Florida.

1. According to the SilverSneakers® Fitness 2014 Annual Participant Survey.

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 27

Dozens of volunteers showed up at Camp Jewell every weekend for over a year to create the memorial to a young camper.

THE BLESSINGS OF TTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GROTTO

A heartfelt project brings new joy to campers and personal growth to staff.

By Carla Kalogeridis

estled peacefully in the hills of Northwest Connecticut, Camp Jewell YMCA has an inspiring story to tell.

In May 2015, the Camp Jewell held a ribbon-cutting for a new splash pad-type facility at its residential camp. Called Tt’s Grotto, the facility — with its three pools and waterfall, all using lake water — is quite impressive. But, what’s more impressive is the story behind how and why it was built. It is a story about taking a heartbreaking experience and turning it into one of community, love, and opportunity. Two of the camp’s alumni, Dean and Kristin Manning — a couple who grew up and met at the camp — lost their 13-year-old daughter, Taylor aka “Tt ,” unexpectedly in 2012. Looking to memorialize her, the Mannings reached out to Camp Jewell’s executive director, Ray Zetye, to discuss how they could move forward with that idea. The Mannings chose to pursue the most significant “dream project” on his list. It would take the next three years to make it a reality. “The Mannings were the spearhead and the movers and shakers of the project, raising more than $100,000 to fund almost all of its cost,” says Ruthie Napoleone, communications specialist, alumni and fund development, Camp Jewell YMCA. “Weekend after weekend, they came from their Massachusetts home a few hours away with a team of family and friends to build it. They helped clear the land, pour the concrete, and plant the landscape — all the while sharing tears, memories, and laughs.”

THE STORY OF TT’S GROTTO IN VIDEO AYP readers will be touched by this three-minute You Tube video highlighting photos of the project and the volunteers who made it happen: https://youtu.be/Axygr2yeHL8.

* According to a research study, walking at 2 MPH at 30% incline for 20 minutes burns the same amount of calories as walking at 2 MPH at 0% incline in 72 minutes.

877.363.8449 | sales@freemotionftness.com

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 29

We make it our business to know your business.

Chelsea Reinhardt (left) and a Camp Jewell lifeguard, Liz Kiefer

We make it our business to know your business. When something happens at your YMCA, it may not be a disaster. But no matter what kind of claim you may have, it’s reassuring to know West Bend will handle it with efficiency, professionalism, and compassion. That’s because we understand your business. When a summer camper fell out of a bunk bed and suffered a head injury, getting good care for him and taking care of the medical bills quickly was important. So that’s just what we did. Your Y is important to you, the people you serve, and your community. It’s also important to us. That’s why we make it our business to know your business.

30 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Since its completion, thousands of children and families have enjoyed the opportunity to play in the safe, shallow-water environment of Tt’s Grotto and congregate at one of the most beautiful areas of camp. “Without the Mannings, this project would have remained just a dream,” says Napoleone.

A PROFESSIONAL CHALLENGE An interesting dynamic to the project was how it challenged the staff to grow and develop. Chelsea Reinhardt worked at Camp Jewell for years as summer and yearround staff, and she was “significantly impacted” by the waterfront project. “I planned on working there one summer as a counselor and four years later, Camp Jewell turned into my home,” says Reinhardt, who worked in the waterfront, served as a lifeguard, and launched Camp Jewell’s swim lesson program. Although Reinhardt did not know Tt, she was waterfront director for the past two summers and is currently in nursing school. While the entire waterfront project was accomplished by volunteers over the course of a year, Reinhardt sometimes felt stressed by what it would take to implement the new water play area into Camp Jewell’s swim program. “I may not have known Taylor, but I appreciated what her friends and family wanted to do for her legacy,” says Reinhardt. “But as waterfront director, I felt a heavy responsibility to make sure that we had policies in place to keep everyone safe. Everyone was so excited about it — and I was, too — but I also saw it as a huge challenge.” For example, the waterfront project had a lot of features, and Reinhardt was worried about the kids playing around it with bare feet. “It was stressful for me initially,” she says. “I wrote some policies and trained the lifeguards, and that helped me feel better. But handling my concerns — and wondering if I was thinking of everything that needed addressing — challenged me professionally.” Reinhardt says she was very careful about voicing concerns. “I didn’t want to sugar-coat my safety issues,” she says. “But as the project progressed, I realized how good this experience really was for my professional development. I saw that

in some instances, I made a bigger deal out of things because they were unknown to me. And I discovered that in a project of this size, sometimes there are gray areas where things were not always going to work out exactly as I imagined them.” Reinhardt says that instead of continuing to feel stressed, gradually, she got confident that it would all work out. “I learned to take things as they came, to adapt and go with the flow.” In 2013, trees started coming down at the waterfront site. “The first six months was basically spent getting rocks and trees out of the way,” she says. “Without the volunteers who raised money and provided manpower and professional services like tree removal and excavation, the project would have cost about $1 million. Their commitment lowered the cost to about one-tenth of that.” Finally came dedication day in May 2015. “It was crazy, we were still rushing around that day trying to get it opened,” recalls Reinhardt. “But then everyone was there, wearing pink, and the pink balloons…everyone’s hard work culminated in this awesome memorial. At that point, I had to just let go, let the kids go at it, and let the counselors deal with it. This experience taught me not to worry and stress.”

FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH “Ultimately, Tt’s Grotto is an example of how a purposeful, genuine goal can make a bigger impact than any of us can initially imagine,” says Napoleone. “It’s about taking a tragedy and turning part of the experience into something that makes an exponential impact on the lives of others. What started with one couple in mourning has turned into a wonderful improvement to camp that has allowed access to our waterfront to many young children and non-swimmers.” “I didn’t really understand how amazing and useful it would be until it was done,” says Reinhardt. “When I expressed my worries in the beginning, the executive director kept saying it would help me with the water program, and it did.” One of Reinhardt’s biggest challenges in the swimming program has been that some kids were afraid to get into the lake water. “We were always struggling to convince them that they were safe and there were no alligators,” she says. “The new waterfront area integrated the lake water naturally into the pools and splash pad. I would say, ‘Come get in the lake,’ and when the campers were afraid, I would point out to them that they had been playing in lake water all along.” By sharing the Camp Jewell story with a greater audience, they hope others will find inspiration in loss as well. “I learned that whenever change brings something you aren’t used to, you have the fundamentals needed to make it work — and the new stuff won’t change that,” says Reinhardt. “It’s just more ground to cover, and you’ll learn as you go.”

Carla Kalogeridis is managing editor of AYP magazine.

$733,000 IN AID TO MEMBERS

YO U Since 1904, AYP members in need have found financial support and caring through the

Emergency Assistance Fund of AYP. It is only possible through your contributions.

The next person in need might be you.

Please send your EAF pledge today. www.ayponline.org/donations

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 31

marketplace How a YMCA Reduced Chlorine and Improved Sustainability in its Pool The YMCA of Boulder Valley reduced chlorine use from 3.0 mg/L to 1.0 mg/L with a new pool system, providing a healthier environment for swimmers and staff.

The new EXOS-Precor partnership unites online and offline cardio workout experiences.

EXOS and Precor Bring Prescriptive Workouts Worldwide EXOS, a leader in proactive health and performance solutions, has partnered with Precor to bring EXOS Energy Systems Development (ESD) Technology to Precor equipment via Preva, the largest fitness cloud in the world. The new partnership unites online and offline cardio workout experiences. ESD Technology evaluates a user’s state of fitness to build personalized interval programming that includes time-efficient cardio workouts and data tracking — all from a touchscreen interface — that allows staff to spend more time on the floor building a relationship that drives member attraction and retention. EXOS programming can be enabled on any new P82 console, as well as the entire network of networked consoles installed since the 2010 launch of the original P80 console. To learn more, visit www.TeamEXOS. com and www.precor.com.

32 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Effective Disinfection with Less Chlorine The Clear Comfort system sanitizes pool water with hydroxyl-based advanced oxidation, enabling commercial pools to: R educe chlorine use by up to 70 percent D estroy cryptosporidium and other chlorine-resistant organisms Eliminate disinfection byproducts (chloramines) and pool smell “We found great results in the pool: a lower chlorine level, getting rid of the traditional enclosed-pool smell,” says Keith Williams, vice president of facilities. “It’s a new approach to balancing and maintaining the water, and it’s been really successful.” Achieving Sustainability Goals Some pools are using UV systems for secondary sanitation, but UV comes with additional expense and high energy use. With Clear Comfort, energy use is low and maintenance is minimal. “Our Clear Comfort system is one of the most sustainable commercial disinfection systems available, using less energy than other systems,” says Chris Coker, YMCA of Boulder Valley CEO. “Not only is that good for the planet, it’s good for our bottom line.” Find out more at www.clearcomfort.com/commercial or by calling (303) 872-4477 or emailing info@clearcomfort.com.

Expresso Raises Over $41,000 in New Annual Event Expresso raised $41,135.18 in its first annual “Rally for the Y” fundraising challenge. The company reports that 2,190 members representing 156 YMCAs participated by biking 100,000 miles on Expresso bikes. Branch and rider standings were tracked online as devoted members rode and gathered donations from friends and family. Expresso kickstarted the event by donating 10 cents/mile to all participants. Members gathered pledges from over 700 supporters, spreading the campaign beyond the walls of their Ys. For more information, visit expresso.com/Challenge/Teams/RallyfortheY and check out the YouTube video at youtu.be/UspAVOk7hQE.

Les Mills International Acquires Fitmarc Distributorship Global group fitness leader Les Mills International has unified its distribution and customer service operations across the United States with the acquisition of the South Central territory formerly under the management of its prior distributor, Fitmarc. With this acquisition, Les Mills U.S. will support the group fitness and business needs of its customers in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. “Recognizing Fitmarc as a valuable Les Mills partner, Les Mills U.S. is committed to continuing its high-quality customer service, marketing, sales support, and instructor training in the 12 states formerly serviced by Fitmarc,” said Jesper Magnusson, CEO, Les Mills U.S. Les Mills International is the creator of 13 global group fitness and team training programs, as well as the SMART TECH™ equipment line that combines innovative ergonomic design with quality construction to help people get better results from their workouts in less time. For more information, visit Les Mills at www.LesMills.com.

J OIN OT HER Y M C A S

Reduce Chlorine in Your Pool

AYP Partner Daxko Wins Bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Daxko, an AYP Partner, recently earned a Bronze Stevie Award in the Customer Service Department of the Year category in the tenth annual Stevie Awards. The awards were presented at a gala banquet on March 4, 2016, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. Daxko was one of more than 2,100 nominations for the 2016 Stevie Awards. Organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated, and finalists in each category were determined by the average scores of 115 worldwide professionals acting as preliminary judges. To win the bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year, Daxko excelled in the most competitive category of the Stevie Awards. “Daxko puts a focus on providing its customers an exceptional experience from implementation to post-launch support,” says Molly Harrison, senior vice president of services at Daxko. “I believe it’s our focus on service at every stage of the process that really makes Daxko unique.” Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com and learn more about Daxko at daxko.com.

VENDORS: ENGAGE WITH AYP COMMUNITY AYP recently released the AYP Partner Program, which gives the YMCA vendors and suppliers better access and engagement with the AYP community. The Partner Program offers marketing packages within your member resources, including this magazine. Know an outstanding company that should become a Partner? Send an email to ayp@networkmediapartners.com.

Effective, healthy pool disinfection Up to 70% less chlorine Destroy Cryptosporidium Better than UV, ozone and salt

We found great results: a lower chlorine level and less pool smell. Keith W., YMCA VP of Facilities

303.872.4477 info@clearcomfort.com

June/July 2016 AYP magazine 33

spirituality

The Journey Perhaps it’s just a result of turning the corner on one of those milestone birthdays, but since I turned 60 last year, I’ve been spending more and more time reflecting on the journey that has been my life. It’s been filled with its share of ups and downs, highs and lows, adventures and misadventures, successes and failures, opportunities and road blocks, joys and sorrows — all of which created a quilt of memories, life lessons, and relationships. I was privileged to be brought up in a Christian home. Though I quickly learned that my parents weren’t perfect, I was keenly aware at a young age that my parents were deeply committed to their faith despite their personal flaws. This part of my journey was safe and secure, unlike the experience of so many others. The first real challenge in my personal journey happened when I was 15. A mugging at the hands of a drunk man more than twice my size resulted in injuries that forced me to drop out of high school. At 17, I took a GED so I could join the Air Force, hoping one day to get to college with the help of the GI Bill. My journey had taken a major, unexpected detour. The years that followed flew by… military service, an early discharge to go to college, meeting my future wife, and our big church wedding. Then came life as newlyweds going to college; moving everything we owned to Texas when I rejoined the Air Force to finish my commitment; the birth of our first son the day after my wife was severely burned when a deep fryer spilled burning hot cooking oil onto her hands, arms, and stomach;

34 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Larry Wittlesey As national director of the US Mission Network for the YMCA, Larry Whittlesey helps YMCAs incorporate their rich Christian heritage and purpose into their programs. He also trains YMCA staff and leadership nationwide, including a growing representation of chaplains.

working as a part-time youth pastor; packing up our house while my wife was in the hospital giving birth to our second son two days before my discharge from the Air Force; our car blowing up on the way to our new home with our 18-month-old son and his week-old baby brother; living in a Motel 6 my parents were managing

for six months; finally landing my first full-time ministry job; the birth of our daughter; finishing my education at seminary; launching out to plant a new church in California —and that’s only the first 10 years after our wedding! I had no idea what the journey would hold in the future. This year, my wife and I celebrate our 40th anniversary. There have been countless diapers to change, classes to take, relationships to build, holidays to celebrate, bills to pay, funerals to attend, Christmas programs to organize, parent-teacher conferences, school plays, Little League teams to coach, Bible studies and sermons to prepare, board meetings to lead, couples to counsel, trips to the hospital, disagreements in the home, apologies that had to be made, vacations to enjoy, and countless life obstacles to overcome. And unless I’m totally mistaken, your life isn’t all that different. The reality is, life is a journey, and the hills and valleys of our life experience deeply impact who we are. We all experience moments of joy and happiness, as well as moments of heartache and sorrow. The human experience is not lived in a vacuum. Our bodies are subject to limitations, illness, injury, and death. Our minds can be amazing instruments enabling us to do incredible things, but they can also be cluttered with useless, incorrect, or misleading information that will hinder our decision-making process. Our emotions are subject to outside circumstances — often beyond our control — and can be manipulated for good or bad by others around us. The sum total of our life experience will empower some and cripple others.

THE ONLY THING WE KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT the unexpected will be part of our life journey, and that God will be with us along the way.

Fortunately, we do not have to walk through this journey alone. God has promised to be a source of light and guidance as we seek to find our way. Obstacles can be overcome; circumstances can be endured; broken hearts can be healed; estranged relationships can be reunited. The life principles laid out in the Bible are not bound by time or situation. In essence, they provide a road map for navigating this journey through life. It starts with the basics like the 10 Commandments and the Golden Rule, but there’s much more to be found in the pages of scripture. In Psalms 32:8, God says, “I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.” There are time-tested guidelines for raising a family, setting priorities, dealing with adversity, developing a proper work ethic, enjoying physical intimacy, handling one’s finances, accepting our human frailties, handling conflict, accepting others, facing death, and much more. In today’s world, most of us would not consider traveling somewhere we’ve never been before without taking along a good map or a solid connection to GPS on our phones. Yet many of us try to walk through this journey of life without the guidance of the Author of Life or the instructions He’s left for us to follow. Who knows how much wasted time and unnecessary pain

we’ve endured — or caused — simply because we chose not to follow the instructions. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” None of us know what is around the corner or what the next chapter will hold. There may be joy and happiness beyond our current comprehension or sadness and sorrow we had no idea were coming. At times, we may have a good idea of what to expect; at other times, the journey is very much a surprise. The only thing we know for sure is that the unexpected will be a part of our life experience, and that God will be with us along the way. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I don’t have to face this journey alone. God has promised to walk with us through it all...I just need to remember to follow His instructions and look for His presence and direction along the way.

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June/July 2016 AYP magazine 35

body, mind, spirit SPIRIT

THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF MY GENERATION IS THAT HUMAN BEINGS CAN ALTER THEIR LIVES BY ALTERING THEIR ATTITUDES OF MIND. William James (1910-1942)

MIND

What EMOTION is an anagram of a homonym of an antonym of a homonym of an anagram of WOLF?

Wearables Will Impact Ys If you’ve been ignoring wearable fitness tehnology, now might be the time to start paying attention. The American College of Sports Medicine crowned wearable fitness technology as the number-one fitness trend of 2016. It’s not a matter of if digital technology will disrupt the fitness space; it’s a matter of when, says Brian Kane, head of Precor’s marketing research and commercial management team. 36 AYP magazine June/July 2016

Answer: Fear. The anagram of wolf is fowl. The homonym of fowl is foul. The antonym of foul is fair. The homonym of fair is fare. The anagram of fare is fear, which is the emotion.

BODY

Courtesy of www.braingle.com

VIRTUALLY EVERY ONE OF YOUR YMCA MEMBERS—FROM YOUNG ADULTS TO THE ACTIVE AGING— CAN GET THE EXERCISE THEY NEED ON THE NUSTEP RECUMBENT CROSS TRAINER. Low impact. Easy to use. Arms and legs can be exercised at the same time or separately at a variety of speeds and resistance levels, from easy to the most aggressive. With a 22-inch wide seat that can accommodate users weighing up to 600 lbs. Take That Step today by adding NuStep to your YMCA. CALL 800.322.2209 or VISIT NUSTEP.COM

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