Can you believe that July is almost over? Soon kids playing in the sprinklers and running around the house will be sitting in classrooms and playing tag in playgrounds.

I’m sure parents agree that kids can be aggravating - regarless of their age and size. They can drive you nuts! Many parents are eager for their kids to be in school again and out of their hair. Please, don’t forget, though, how precious summers are for kids. This time of the year is when they make memorable childhood memories of days spent in the backyard with the sprinkler and Spot, riding bikes up and down the street, eating popsicles with the kids ext door… They need this time to be active, silly and and carefree.

If your kids are too much of a handful during the day, try taking them to the YMCA for some fun. You can spend time with your child on the basketball court, playing in the pool and on the YMCA playground. Enjoy the opportunity to bond with your children and giggle with them. Though they’re often stressors, they can also be stress relievers. Don’t forget to show them (and often tell them) how much you care. They need your love.

Someday you and your children will look back on your summers together and recall what you did together. Make positive, healthy memories with your kids now. This is one of the best times you’ll have to get to know your child better and help them grow. Be there for them. They’ll appreciate it, if not now, then years later.

I promised to be more wordy, yet I didn’t follow through. I’m sorry. Lately I’ve been swamped with my summer camp job as an Resident Assistant/Counselor at Upward Bound. It’s been hard to think about anything YMCA related since I arrived on the college campus where UB is based. Though I haven’t been in a YMCA since I left Stillwater, Upward Bound has helped me better understand the YMCA’s mission and the community’s need for it.

At Upward Bound we work with at-risk high school students, ages 15 - 18, high school freshmen to college freshmen. These students typically come from lower income families with backgrounds full of abuse, drugs, alcohol, sex, neglect, suicidal thoughts and more than I can fully grasp.

When I joined the Upward Bound staff, others said that I was in for quite an experience, that they felt sorry for me and that I’d be exhausted. They were right about some things - my experiences have been incredible and I’ve struggled a few times to be strong. Yet others have no possible reason to feel sorry for me. I wouldn’t trade working with these kids for anything. They’ve touched my heart with their stories, spirits and friendship.

The teens have illustrated how much we need positive, caring influences in our lives, especially as kids. So many of them have been taught that they’re basically a waste of space and don’t deserve to do or be anything incredible. This has affected their self-esteem and personal success in many aspects of their lives, including academics, social arenas, emotional balance, physical abilities and more. Teens need others to show them how lovable and worthy they are. This might help reduce so many issues that teens face on a regular basis.

Yet how do we help them develop into confident, successful individuals? We should begin loving and instilling a sense of value in others from 6 days old to 110 years old. Everyone needs love and respect no matter their age.

Parents and non-parents can help our youth develop positively right now, wherever they may be. Kids need positive, caring influences in their lives. You have no idea how you might help change a life for the better simply by caring.

So, how does this link back to the YMCA mission? 

Stillwater Family YMCA’s Mission Statement:

To serve Stillwater and surrounding comminutes by providing programs based upon Christian values, which promote the health and well-being of youth, families, and senior citizens regardless of their economic ability.

We want to help our community members to be healthy and have overall well-being. Our kids and teens need us to be there for them, to care and to teach them how to succeed. They need us to care when no one else seems to care, to encourage and guide them.

Some of our youth are basically journeying through life alone. They need and deserve more than that. They need you to help them.

True, volunteering your time can be difficult to manage with several other committments, but it’s worth it. More than anything, youth teach you what it’s like to feel young again, how to care deeply and how to become a better, stronger person.

We may not like it, but youth look to us for guidance in how to become adults. They may accept or reject our lifestyle choices, but do you really want to only offer a negative model for them? I doubt that.

We’ve been silent for almost a month, which hasn’t been helpful to either you (the reader) or us (the YMCA). I apologize.

Why haven’t we updated the YMCA’s blog sooner? I should explain how the blog works.

As a YMCA intern, one of my tasks is updating the YMCA blog with news and tidbits about the YMCA. However, doing this properly during the summer is difficult because I’m not and won’t be in Stillwater until August. So, it’s harder to post up-to-date information about YMCA events and programs.

Also, as a college student at Oklahoma State University, my schedule tends to be erratic. Let’s face it - I struggle with meeting unspecified deadlines. Of course, I need to conquer this weakness to manage any job successfully.

With all this information in mind, I promise to do my best to update the YMCA blog with newsworthy YMCA tidbits and facts. Though the YMCA is an active hang-out for many members of the Stillwater community, special events and new programs aren’t starting or ending each week. Gracious! The YMCA would be so overwhelmed if it was that way!

In the meantime, what would you like to talk about on the blog? Health issues? Exerising tips? Updates on YMCA schedules? Strategies for strong families and strong communities? YMCA facts? The blogger herself? These are a lot of questions, but I need your help to best serve you and the YMCA. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Have a great week!

If you’d rather offer suggestions in a less public environment, you can e-mail the YMCA at stillwaterymca@hotmail.com with “YMCA blog” in the subject line.

For more information about the Stillwater Family YMCA, visit www.stillwaterymca.org.

The YMCA’s Biggest Loser Finale was on Thursday. All attending participants weighed in for the last time with hopes of losing big.

Our winners and their percentage body weight loss is below:

• Team - 1st Place: Sherryl & Lyndsey - 14.45& total; 4.4% each
• Individual - 1st Place: Orlando - 19.71%
• Individual - 2nd Place: Sally - 13.7%
• Individual - 3rd Place: Joanna - 12.46%
• Individual - 4th Place: Byron - 12.12%
• Individual - 5th Place: Mary - 11%

Though only six individuals won prizes, each participant gained personal rewards from participating in the Y’s weight loss program.

A few benefits:

• More healthy eating habits
• Increased physical activity
• More self-confidence
• Lost weight
• Less stressed
• Encouragement from family and friends
• YMCA memberships

We’re proud of our Losers at the YMCA. Those who stuck with the program demonstrated the importance of determination, commitment and enthusiasm. Great job, everyone!

Our Losers also won several door prizes from local businesses. These include:

• Belk
• Goody’s
• Dupree’s
• Chris’s University Spirit Store
• Swick’s Mini-Glow Golf
• Carmike Cinema 6
• Nutrition Supply LLC
• Stillwater Family YMCA
• Frontier Lanes
• Pita Pit

Thank you to all our sponsors! Your support was much appreciated!

Thank you to everyone who made this program a success. You truly are making the YMCA a better, stronger place for our community.

See you at the YMCA!

You know what’s nice about the Stillwater Family YMCA? You can leave your stress at the door.

You can put aside whatever is troubling you and clouding your thoughts, and just enjoy hanging out with the YMCA family. Seriously, the YMCA is like a family, with its quirks, laughs and little kindnesses. Of course, no family gets along perfectly, but that’s also what makes the YMCA special - it’s genunine. People really do care about each other and enjoy each other’s company. Working out and hanging out goes hand in hand at the YMCA. It’s not just a gym - it’s a place where people really do develop their minds, spirits and bodies, and have fun while doing it.

I joined the YMCA family almost a year ago and couldn’t imagine leaving it. It’s such a pleasure to spend time with people who care about each other and have common goals - taking care of minds, spirits and bodies. You can see it in the faces you greet and the hands that care. You can see it in the kids’ faces as they run around giggling and playing sports. You can see it as the parents chat and watch their children play. It’s visible as people hang out around the front desk just to chat. It’s everywhere.

The YMCA’s mission is also unique from other gyms - it’s all about developing a strong community and individuals inside and out. The YMCA doesn’t focus on making money, rather it’s focused on serving the community.

We’re still figuring out how to best serve the community, which is a work in progress. We’d love to hear feedback from our members and other readers. What would you like the YMCA to do for you? What would you like to do for the YMCA?

Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

We’ve been silent for a week. We’ll try to do better next time! Spring is a busy time of year for us – sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything!

Spring fever has also hit Stillwater and it just keeps getting hotter. In-between the rain storms and brisk breeze, the Stillwater community is enjoying the Oklahoma spring weather. School is coming to an end, winter is (hopefully) leaving until fall and energies are high.

Symptoms of spring fever:

• Feeling antsy
• Frustration with common tasks
• Laziness
• Daydreaming
• Wanting to run around outside

So, how can you fuel your fever into something productive? Sunny days like today make working hard at the office hard to do. Below are a few suggestions to remedy a serious case of spring fever.

• Walk dogs at the Humane Society
• Start a garden or help others with theirs
• Walk, run, skate or bike around Boomer Lake with a friend
• Join a fitness class at the YMCA
• Write a short story or poem
• Take a day off from work to play
• Clean your home
• Go bowling
• Learn a new skill – knitting, skating, cartwheels…
• Call an old friend
• Dance in your socks to your favorite music
• Giggle with your kids
• Watch a funny movie
• Streeeetch your body when you feel restless
• Lay in the grass and look for faces in the clouds
• Volunteer your time as a YMCA Youth Sports coach
• Sing a song, whistle a tune…

What do you feel when spring fever hits? What do you do to cure it?

Leave a comment – we’d love to hear from you!

Biggest Loser participants agree – losing weight isn’t easy, but it’s possible.

Participants met last Thursday to weigh-in, work out and discuss their progress. The group had an energizing areobic session that was full of kicks, squats, jumping and laughter. After loosening up, the group sat down for a cozy chat about losing weight.

Most of the participants agreed that beginning the program was easy, but as time passed, it became more difficult to remain devoted to losing weight. Many lost several pounds when they first began the program, but were frustrated when they reached a weight loss plateau.

Many of them have stuck with the program for loved ones, including their kids and significant other. Fitting into their skinny jeans was also a motivating factor!

Below is what the participants discussed during the forum.

Issues they struggled with:

• Portion control
• Feeling deprived
• Overcoming excuses to eat well and work out
• Changing their eating habits

Foods they don’t eat anymore:

• Coke
• Candy, sweets
• Fried foods

Tips & Tricks:

• Drink at least 8 cups water a day
• Drinking 2 cups of water before each meal
• Eating apples before meals, which gives you a sense of fullness
• Determing portion size before eating
• Joining exercise classes
• Working out with a buddy
• Accepting their genetics

Great advice:

• Say “I don’t eat this food” instead of “I can’t eat that.”
• Your diet should be what you eat - not a bad thing.
• Maintaining a healthy weight, diet and exercise routine is not a one-time thing - it’s a lifestyle.
• Split your meals into 1 part meat (the size of your fist), 1 part starch, 1 part fruit and 3/4 cup leafy vegetables.

Recover from post-spring break stress at the YMCA’s free Zumba party this Saturday March 29!

The party is 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the YMCA gym. It’s open to everyone in the community. Free childcare will be available.

At the party:

1 - You’ll learn Zumba basics.

2 - You’ll de-stress.

3 - Door prizes will be given to attendees.

4 - Those who cheer the most while working out will get prizes.

5 - You can cheer, shout and roar to your heart’s content.

6 - You’ll start toning your thighs and upper body.

Wear comfortable workout clothes and tennis shoes that can slide across the floor. Bring a bottle of water to prevent becoming dehydrated. You might also want to bring a hand towel in case you get really sweaty.

For more information about the benefits of Zumba, go to: http://www.stillwater-newspress.com/archivesearch/local_story_258233356.html.

For more information about the party, call the YMCA at 372-5833.

Only 4 days left until Stillwater kids and college students are free to run wild.

Spring break begins this Saturday March 15 for both OSU and Stillwater schools. What is your family doing for the break?

Are you visiting family? Taking a road-trip? Camping? Shopping? Swimming? Or simply staying in Stillwater? Spring break gives families the opportunity to spend quality time together.

Those not leaving town should consider hanging out at the YMCA. You can play basketball, racquetball or volleyball with your kids. You can swim in the YMCA indoor pool that is perfect for finicky March weather. You can also lift weights and do aerobics while your kids play basketball together.

But what if you can’t take off work during the day to play with your kids? Send them to the YMCA anyway! Our Spring Break Mini-Camp is designed to give kids who can’t leave town an active, learning-oriented and creative spring break.

During the break, kids will swim, sing karaoke, play games, and make arts and crafts. They’ll also have a bubble festival, St. Patrick’s Day party and Eater egg hunt. Visiting the Jasmine Moran Museum and watching “High School Musical” are a few highlights of the camp.

So, if your family can’t leave town - that’s okay. Drop by the YMCA to hang out with your kids and stay in shape at the same time.

Research has shown that kids are becoming more and more stressed, which is unhealthy for them physically, emotionally, socially and mentally. At the YMCA, March is a busy month for kids, but only in fun ways. We’ve designed activities to help kids stay healthy, interact with others, learn about life, and have fun being kids.

Below are a few March activities for kids. We’ll update the site as more opportunities arise.  For questions about events and programs, call the YMCA at 405.372.5833 or drop by the YMCA at 204 S. Duck.

Basketball End of Season Swim Party

• Sunday March 8 3 - 5 p.m.
• YMCA indoor pool
• For basketball participants and families
• Why come?
  • Celebrate a good season with fellow teammates and families

Spring Break Mini-Day Camp

•  Monday March 17 - Friday March 21 from 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• At the Stillwater Family YMCA
• For kids 5-12 years old
• Why come?
  • It’s a simple, easy vacation for kids.
  • Kids hang out with their friends all week long.
  • They are actively engaged in learning activities.
  • Kids play in highly creative activities.
  • They get a free T-shirt.
  • It’s only $100 for the week.