Rant – YMCA

[Ms. Sparkles]

I am very frustrated with the YMCA. For the second time in 6 months the staff informed me I was breaking an unwritten rule. I spoke with Allison the General Facility Manager after the first incident (I don’t believe she’s still with the Y – I couldn’t find her contact info after the second incident) and have made 4 attempts to contact the Aquatics Director about the recent incident but she has yet to respond.

The first time happened in early summer when I was jogging backwards on a treadmill – one of the front desk workers interrupted my work out to let me know I’m not allowed to go backward on the treadmill. I asked the staff where that rule was written and was told they can’t possibly write down all their rules. I then asked why that’s their policy and was referred to General Manager Allison. I spoke with her and found her ‘just because’ explanation lacking – but didn’t pursue the issue further, I just stopped using the treadmill.

Last Saturday it happened again. My daughters (ages 6 and 9) and I were in the “Hot Area” after swimming. The Hot Area consists of a hot tub, a steam room and a sauna. The sign posted in the Hot Area clearly states children UNDER 6 are not allowed in the Hot Area, and children 6 and older are to be closely supervised – is does not list specific age restrictions by Hot Area amenity.

After spending about 5 minutes in the hot tub, we went into the steam room – where I run through a series of stretches that takes less than 3 minutes. As we were leaving after those 3 minutes in the steam room a lifeguard came and told us children aren’t allowed in the steam room. I said they’re both 6 or older and she said the hot tub is fine but not the steam room – when I pressed the issue and asked to speak to the aquatics director the lifeguard said she wasn’t available, that she (lifeguard) was just enforcing the new policy and she couldn’t answer whether they plan on updating the posted rules because she’s just an employee.

I’m so annoyed at this behavior that I’m considering cancelling my membership after 12 years.

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[goodgraces]

These situations are very similar to ones our family has experienced over the years with the Y. I think the organization as a whole is a sound one, and, individually, the folks who work at the local branch are competent and kind. I think it serves a positive role in our community.

But . . . BUT! Ahh, such missed opportunities for greatness. Mediocracy is the name of the game there. Disorganization and inconsistency are rampant and communication is poor. (Who ever heard of a health club not answering the phone on Sundays — when they’re “open” but their “office” is closed? Maddening!)

Failure to return a call or email seems to be the norm. I long ago gave up on being able to find answers to questions easily and efficiently and have started to expect the “run around” or conflicting information.

One of the main reasons why it’s so frustrating, I think, is that the staff for the most part truly seems content and tries to be helpful. But . . . their answers are wrong, or incomplete, or (usually) absent altogether. I have spent a lot of time thinking about the dysfunction there and can’t quite figure it all out.

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[Ms. Sparkles]

Thank you Goodgraces for the validation.

UPDATE:

I just spoke to Sunny Robertson, the new Aquatics Dir. and she apologized for not posting the changes and for the lifeguard not being fully versed in the reason for the changes.

Appearently the National Medical Board for the YMCA has recommended no child under the age of 12 be allowed in any Hot Area facilities – even the hot tub. I personally disagree with this – but if they change the rules and POST those changes I will respect their right to set their own rules and determine if the facility still meets my needs accordingly.

Slightly off-topic:

I am feeling “lowest common denominator-ed out” – My children can’t go into the hot area because some people MIGHT let their kids stay too long and that is a health risk. My oldest can’t bring any food into her classroom that has nuts, eggs, dairy or gluten because some children have allergies and …my kid’s food might fly into their mouth? They’re 9! They know if they’re allergic and (hopefully) are way past the stage of putting everything they see in their mouths…smh.

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[Queenie]

Honestly, I am counting the days until construction is complete and LA Fitness opens in the ex-hole, at which point I will cancel my Y membership and pay, literally, half as much to work out in a brand new facility. The Y is crazily overpriced, especially for being kind of a grubby and mediocre gym.

I know that part of my membership goes to subsidize others, which is nice, and that they have a lot of valuable kids programs… but I don’t have kids, so I’m very excited to have a choice for a gym with a pool in the area.

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[Kevin]

I don’t know who the current director is at the West Seattle YMCA, however I had an issue with the pool area, and I emailed the director. The issue was resolved to my satisfaction in just a day or two.

.

Personally, I think very highly of both the West Seattle Branch, and the “hidden gem” of West Seattle (aka) – the Fauntleroy Y.

.

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[kgdlg]

Before my partner and I had a kid, we belonged to the brand new LA Fitness in Renton. It was heaven. So clean, so new and so kid-free. And, it was cheap! I think we paid 23 a month each. For what we got, this was a steal.

However, now that we have a small family, I can’t say enough good things about the Y. Yes, it is a little grubby. Yes, the building is tired. And yes, there are kids everywhere. BUT, we feel really good about having a place where we can trust that our kid is safe and having fun while we work out (LA Fitness literally put kids in front of TVs in the childcare area.) I have also never waited for a cardio machine at the Y and the staff is always very friendly, even when I lose my locker key. Thankful for all that they do for our community despite their shortcomings.

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[kgdlg]

Also from the sounds of things, it sounds like LA Fitness will have no shortage of people signing up from All Star and the Y. I predict it will be the new gym for singles and couples without kids in the greater W Sea area.

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[singularname]

I had to quit 15ish years ago for a few similar reasons. Do they still mandate your opposite-from-you-gendered 4-year-old to make his/her own way through the locker rooms on his/her own? That was never gonna sit well with me.

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[kayo]

I think the rule about walking backward on the treadmill is silly. You are an adult. You signed a liability waiver. Are they worried you will fall off and hurt someone else maybe? Still seems kind of nanny-state-ish to me.

The hot tub thing is a major bummer because my 8 year old and I like to sit in the hot tub and warm up after swimming. I am surprised they are changing the age limit to 12 even for the hot tubs. They need to do a better job clarifying that policy.

As to the food issue. The only thing banned are nuts. This is with good reason as it is really hard to police snacks at such a busy childcare and this is a potentially life threatening allergy. I do not have a kid with a peanut allergy, but I agree with this rule.

I love the Y. It is sanity for moms with small kids. Fabulous childcare staff that my 4 year old boy loves. Maybe it’s not for everyone and I wish the facility could be upgraded (and real family changing rooms added ala Matt Griffin YMCA). However, it is a non profit that does a tremendous amount of good for our community and as such you have to accept some of the challenges that come with that as a member. I love the diversity, friendly faces and adorable kids. Also the free coffee in the lobby is nice. :)

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[Queenie]

This thread is just confirming what I have always suspected about the YMCA – Namely that if you have kids (or are a senior, they seem awesome for seniors too), its amazing, and if you don’t, you might be better served somewhere else where you’re not paying for a lot of things that you don’t need. It makes me extra-glad that LA Fitness will soon be an option and I hope that they both thrive serving their different client bases and that all the non-kid people like me fleeing from them won’t negatively impact the Y too much.

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[JanS]

Ms. Sparkles..some children’s allergies are so sensitive they don’t even have to eat it, they just have to be around it. They are 9…and they share unsuspectingly.

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[Ms. Sparkles]

Kayo – re: the current Hot Tub policy, Ms. Robertson wasn’t certain if she is going to change it to 12, but that’s the recommendation by by the medical advisors at the national level. But its the definate age limit for the sauna and steam room now.

Regarding the snacks, I was talking about my daughter’s classroom at school – and while I understand the no nuts part (although my father who is allergic to all tree nuts and peanuts has survived 70+ years so far without the world accomidating him)- the gluten and dairy rule seems stupid to me because they aren’t lethal and the snack isn’t for sharing.

Singularname – the opposite sex thing is 5 years and older banned from the locker room; which is in direct contradiction to the rule saying kids 8 and younger have to be directly supervised while in the facility. I don’t get that rule – I don’t care if an 8 year old boy sees me naked in the locker room, AND I don’t think my girls would be psycologically scarred by seeing naked guys changing either. They do have 2 weird little porta shacks on the pool deck as a 1/2 done answer to family changing rooms – but then they have to shower in the hot area (again a technical violation of their own rules)

But alas I’m stuck with the Y as frustrated as I am – my girls love to swim and the Y is the only gym with a pool that allows kids to use it… and I do love the Parent Night Out program ;-)

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[waterworld]

I would not be surprised if the basis for increasing the age requirement for the hot tub and steam room is liability and insurance costs. I don’t go to the Y in question, so I don’t know anything about the layout, or the equipment they have, or if the lifeguards can monitor the area as closely as they should. But the company that insures more than half of all YMCA branches (Redwoods Group) has reported that hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms are one of the major sources of liability for Y facilities. In fact, Redwoods publishes notices concerning many, if not all, child fatalities in Y pools and hot tubs, along with a general sort of safety-related analysis of each incident. It is depressing, to say the least, to read these reports. Nationally, over 1,500 children drown each year, and many thousands more are injured in and around pools and hot tubs.

Also, the minimum legal requirements and industry-recommended guidelines related to hot tub safety have been changing in response both to child fatalities and to an increasing amount of medical reporting on the risks of hot-tub use (although this stuff is not just about children, there are medical issues for people of all ages). For non-profit organizations like the Y, it may be that posting warnings and counting on adults to adequately monitor their children is no longer enough to meet all of the guidelines and keep their insurance rates reasonable.

If I were a parent of a young child, I think I would be on your side in all this, Ms. Sparkles. I have a hot tub in my back yard and it’s a wonderful thing. It’s also true, though, that hot tubs are dangerous and the data is painfully clear that many parents are not as careful as you.

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[StringCheese]

MsSparkles, there is a HUGE developmental difference between a 5 year old and an 8 year old! Third graders are reading chapter books and starting to have crushes at school. We’re not just talking about someone’s son seeing their mother naked, it’s potentially seeing their female classmates naked. Imagine if you had to share a locker room with your male coworkers… Not OK.

If they’re old enough to go to school, they are old enough to use a bathroom/locker room on their own or wait patiently in the hallway outside or on the couches in the lobby while you change. Still not helicoptery enough? Don’t use the locker rooms at all. Change at home before and after.

Honestly, though, kids aren’t nearly as incapable and helpless as we like to think. There is simply no reason that a 7+ child needs to be next to their parent every second of the day.

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[maryws]

I agree with you, StringCheese. And I love the Y. I was a member at Allstar until about 2 years ago then switched…very timely considering the mess that Allstar has turned into from what I read on these forums.

The Y is not a gym for profit. They do a lot of other things for the community, provide other services besides exercise facilities. Volunteers often service the desks and I think that’s great; they always have a bright smile and now most greet me by name. Other pools bar opposite genders in locker rooms after age 5 or so; my son took swimming lessons a long time ago at Seattle Pacific and the only thing they could offer me was to have him change in a utility closet, tho I am sure they have other options now. I think the poolside changing booths the YMCA offers are great compared to that.

Obviously the Y is not the best fit for everyone. And no facility or organization is perfect. But I think it is a great benefit to West Seattle that it is there and I love the pool.

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[Ms. Sparkles]

StringCheese – I literally have zero modesty, and never have, so I’ll take your word for it with the issues with children older than 5 in the opposite sex locker room. And yes I would share a locker room with my male collegues without batting an eye – but again I accept that I’m probably a werdo.

The direct supervision of children 8 or younger isn’t my thing, it is posted at the Y. My point was that they have contradictory rules posted. And yes changing at home is the obvious solution …but then you’re technically discriminating against single parents / kids who only have 1 parent willing to bring them to the Y.

My issue is and remains consistency and clarity of the rules – and the Y has a long way to go in that department.

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[Bonnie]

Remember that one of the pluses of being a Y member is that you can go to the Matt Griffin YMCA and use their pool which has FAMILY LOCKER ROOMS. They are great. I would suggest checking it out if you haven’t already. I don’t know the rules regarding the hot area there as to if they are the same.

If you don’t wish to go south to the Matt Griffin pool you can go over to Coal Creek and many other Y’s in the area. The newer Y’s have the family changing area which I like a lot. Unfortunately our Y is a bit older.

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