Photo courtesy of the YMCA of the Blue Water Area
From Not Putting Her Face in the Water to a Lifetime of Confidence: How the Blue Water YMCA Builds Kids for Good.
She wouldn’t put her face in the water. Wouldn’t go past four feet. At 13, she’d technically aged out of group swim lessons, and because of her medical history, she’d never had the chance to learn. Her father had one hope, that she’d feel confident enough to go to a pool party with her friends.
Paired with one of the Y’s most experienced instructors, she started meeting once a week for private lessons. First, her face in the water. Then floating. Then treading water. Eleven months and 24 hours of instruction later, she was swimming independently, no floatie required.
“She didn’t just learn how to swim,” says Ajanae Coody, Pool Operations Director at the YMCA of the Blue Water Area. “She gained the confidence to participate in experiences she had previously missed out on.”
It’s a small story in some ways, seemingly centering one girl, one goal and a whole summer’s worth of Tuesdays. But it’s also the whole philosophy of the Blue Water Y wrapped into a single kid. Meet them where they are, clear whatever’s in the way and watch them surprise themselves.
The Journey Starts Early
For a lot of families in Port Huron and the greater Blue Water Area, that journey kicks off young, sometimes as early as six weeks old in the Y’s Child Care Center and sometimes with an infant’s very first swim lesson. From there, kids graduate into youth sports, fitness programs, camp, Y on the Fly and enrichment offerings, with plenty going on to join competitive swim teams and advanced programs.
And here’s the fun part. For a lot of kids, the story doesn’t end when they age out of programming. It loops right back around.
“Some of our best staff members started as Y kids, and that’s one of the things we’re most proud of. Watching children grow up at the YMCA and become the next generation of leaders in our community is truly the driver of our work.”
DeAmber Trout, Youth Activities Program Director, YMCA of the Blue Water Area
Teaching the Whole Kid, Not Just the Skill
Ask the Y what it’s really teaching in a youth sports league or a cooking class, and the answer isn’t “volleyball” or “how to make dinner.” It’s teamwork. It’s problem-solving. It’s self-expression. Broadly, it’s full youth development. Confidence and strength that remains long after the final whistle blows, showing up at school, in friendships and in everyday life.
“Even in swim lessons, a child may come in afraid of the water and leave with confidence that carries over into school, sports and everyday life,” says Coody. “The pool parties they were once afraid to attend become something they look forward to. Can you imagine how that’s showing up in areas of their lives outside our doors?”
That philosophy shows up most vividly at the pool. A kid who arrives terrified of the water and leaves swimming on their own isn’t just checking a skill off a list. They’re rewriting how they experience the world entirely.
Clearing the Way So Every Kid Gets a Shot
None of this works if cost gets in the way first. Through programs like Financial Assistance and Prescribe the Y, the organization ensures a family’s financial situation never decides whether a child learns to swim, plays a sport or finds a place where they feel they belong. Partnerships with schools, healthcare providers and community organizations stretch that reach even further.
“When we invest in removing barriers today, we’re investing in healthier kids, stronger families and a stronger community tomorrow.”
DeAmber Trout, Youth Activities Program Director, YMCA of the Blue Water Area
A Community Built on Familiar Faces
Ask anyone who’s spent real time at the Blue Water Y what sets it apart from a typical gym, and the answer almost always comes back to people, not equipment. Staff and volunteer coaches are trained to mentor, not just to teach a sport. Plenty of them are Y members themselves, bumping into their players in the hallway or on the treadmill next door. Staff coach the same kids season after season, building relationships that outlast any single program on the calendar.
“To me, the YMCA is all about relationships,” says Trout. “We stress the importance of building trust, creating positive relationships and making sure every child feels like they belong.”
That sense of belonging doesn’t clock out at the front doors either. The Y shows up at community events, school programs and festivals all year long, a running reminder that support doesn’t come with an expiration date tied to a session schedule.
Room to Try, Flop and Grow
From Camp Wanacombak to programs held outside school hours, the Y builds in plenty of space for kids to try something brand new without the pressure to be instantly great at it. Whether climbing a wall, picking up a paintbrush for the first time or giving archery a shot. Not every experience turns into a lifelong passion, but every single one teaches a kid something new about themselves and their environment.
“We want to create a safe environment where kids feel comfortable trying, making mistakes, learning from them and trying again.”
DeAmber Trout, Youth Activities Program Director, YMCA of the Blue Water Area
What’s Next for the Blue Water Y
Looking ahead, the Blue Water Y is expanding well past its traditional lineup of basketball, soccer, volleyball and swimming into newer territory like archery, alongside a growing slate of life skills programming, including cooking, music, art and babysitting safety. It’s all part of a bigger movement toward youth sports and play equity and sports and play as vehicles for lifelong growth, taking shape across the region, backed by partners including Project Play: Southeast Michigan.
“We don’t just want to offer programs,” says Trout. “We want to create opportunities, build lifelong healthy habits and make a lasting impact on the next generation and the generations that follow.”
Ready to Learn More?
To connect with the YMCA of the Blue Water Area and explore their programs and offerings, click the button below to head to their website.