Staff Leadership Academy: You Are #3
Remember that you are outside, playing with kids, running around, and coming home every night knowing that you made a difference. In fact, for some, you may be the only person making a difference in t
Jul 19, 2024
Summer Jobs: A Silver Bullet for Teen Stress
I know that many of our young people struggle with school, social media, friends, life balance and so much more. For some reason, life seems to be much “higher stakes” for them.
Feb 28, 2023
Get to Know Your Y Masters Swim Coaches
If you’ve always dreamt about rubbing shoulders with Olympians in the pool or on the pool deck, we’ve got great news for you.
Feb 1, 2023
4 Reasons Why Swim Lessons Are a Year-Round Commitment
In the summer, swimming is a staple activity for all ages. Because of that, it’s an especially common time for families to enroll their kids in swim lessons.
Nov 9, 2022
CEO: Apologies to Leonard
I need to apologize to my friend Leonard. I wish he lived next door to me because he is such a nice and caring guy, and since he is such a nice person, I want to apologize.
Aug 5, 2022
How to Keep Your Child's Brain Sharp This Summer
School may be out for summer, but that doesn’t mean that your kiddo should take a break from learning. As the old saying goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.
Jul 20, 2022
5 Surprising Ways To Lower Stress
First, a big shout out to everyone who has stayed on top of their yoga and meditation practice during these past several months.
Jul 6, 2020
Looking For A New Way To Improve? Try Self-Exploration.
This field trip is about getting to know yourself. During this time of transition, confusion and stress, you can take the extra moments that you once spent commuting or going to movies or traveling an
Jun 4, 2020
How to Help Your Teen Develop Perseverance
That’s a bold claim for the power of perseverance, especially considering this is the formulator of the theory of relativity talking.
May 18, 2020
Mix Up Your Daily Diet With These Meatless Meals
First challenge: Cook every meal at home. Next round: Bake for your family when no yeast is available. And the current round: Go vegetarian.
May 18, 2020
Your Kids Are Stressed Too You May Not Even Know It.
Stress is coming at us in forms we hadn’t dreamed of a few short months ago. Whether it’s the news of what is happening in the outside world or the tension created by the dramatic changes inside our o
May 13, 2020
Bringing Summer Camp Home
Ahhhh, summertime. Flip flops, barbecues and the perpetual question of how to keep the kids busy with enriching activities. For many families, overnight or day summer camps are the perfect ways to che
May 6, 2020
4 Signs Your Child is Ready for Overnight Camp
Remember back in the day when you were gathered around a camp fire roasting marshmallows, singing camp songs and laughing with your friends during the summer
May 1, 2020
Small Group Training: The Perfect Fit For Your Fitness Goals
Training with a small group has never-ending benefits. You'll enjoy more individualized attention and instruction as you work toward your ever-progressing wellness goals, with the motivation, safety a
Apr 30, 2020
Four Ways Yoga Can Boost Your Mental Health
Did you know that 50% of mental health issues appear by age 14, and 75% by age 24? Feeling overwhelmed or stressed is common at any age — you might feel bogged down and unmotivated, especially during
Apr 29, 2020
Walk It Off: How To Make Walks More Challenging
It can be tough to stay motivated and keep moving when fitness options are, well, um … when there are so few options. However, don’t underestimate the power of walking. Yes, walking.
Apr 13, 2020
How to Prep for Your First 14er
Maybe you've lived here your whole life and never ventured above 14,000 feet. Maybe it’s because you “never have time” to train, you’re too scared or you don't think you can make the trek.
Mar 9, 2020
Is High Intensity Interval Exercise Right For Endurance Athletes?
High intensity interval training (or HIIT) has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. HIIT in its simplest form is an exercise or workout done at a high intensity (you are so out of breat
Jul 15, 2019
The 3 Most Important Things Your Kids Get Out Of Camp
The number of experiences and benefits your child gets from summer camp is endless. We could go on and on and on. Give one of the YMCA of Northern Colorado's summer day or overnight camps a try and yo
Mar 11, 2019
From Couch to Classes at the Longmont Y
A few years ago, you’d never find me anywhere near a fitness class. A few years before that, you’d never even find me near a gym, but that’s another story. When I joined the Y in Longmont, the closest
Jan 29, 2019
4 Ways A Personal Trainer Will Rock Your Workout
You see yourself running through the finish line of your first marathon or spending an entire weekend effortlessly skiing one run after another. You see yourself in new clothes or old clothes that had
Nov 16, 2018
Ryder’s Fund Supports First Responders, Reserve Crisis Fund
Ryder’s Fund, a charitable endowment that honors the life of Ryder Johnson, has announced it will provide financial support to Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) volunteer first responders as well
Jun 5, 2018
A Mom's Guide to Infant Swim Lessons
I was not the type to sign up for something that included song singing. Not that I have anything against songs or singing. But being a new mom, the increasing requests for nursery rhyme performances h
Apr 12, 2018
At Camp, Disconnect and Reconnect
We all know that technology is as addictive, as craveable and as ubiquitous as sugar. It’s everywhere, and it’s nearly impossible to quit.
Mar 19, 2018
6 Tips For Workout Recovery
Statistics show that 80 percent of the New Year's resolution crowd stops going to the gym in the middle of February. Considering that studies say it takes 6 weeks of practicing a certain behavior in o
Jan 25, 2018
5 Steps to Setting “Smart” Goals
We’ve all experienced the disappointment that comes with not achieving a goal. More often than not though, the reason we are unable to achieve our goals isn’t because we aren’t capable.
Jan 8, 2018
Gardening Tip: Winter Is Coming (In a Few Months)
Time to start watching the low temperatures! The first frost usually occurs at the end of September or even the beginning of October, but it can occur earlier. Frost will damage heat loving crops like
Aug 29, 2017
Three Supplements You Actually Need
We all go to Whole Foods or Rite Aid, where there are bottles upon bottles of supplements that tell us they will make us younger, feel great and stay healthy. But how do you know what you need? Everyt
Aug 8, 2017
Gardening Tip: Tomatoes and Cover Crops
The pride of gardeners everywhere: the vine-ripened, garden fresh tomato is simply unsurpassable. As gardeners, we are able to grow incredible varieties that are not available in the supermarket.
Aug 1, 2017
Gardening Tip: Weeding
July can be a discouraging month to garden on the Front Range. More than likely, you will have small green fruits on your tomato plants, but you will still be waiting patiently for the delicious fruit
Jun 30, 2017
6 Tips for Safer Swimmers
Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children ages 5 to 14, with children from communities of color at greatest risk. With summer around the corner, it’s time for parents to remember the
May 1, 2017
Treading Water & Blowing Bubbles: Swimming Basics
That means swimming is a big part of our lives. It can be a hobby, an exercise, summertime favorite and a competitive endeavor. It can be something you enjoy or something you loathe. Either way, both
Apr 17, 2017
10 Fitness Hacks From Y Trainers
The fitness world can be an intimidating place, and finding a routine that works best for you can be a challenge. Here are a few tips and tricks from Y trainers to help you navigate through your fitne
Oct 25, 2016
The Education of a Camper's Mom
The knot settled into my stomach on Saturday night. Our 9-year-old son was headed off the next day to a weeklong YMCA summer camp, and I was starting to question if it was the right thing to do. He ha
Mar 20, 2015
American Heart Month Tips
February is American Heart Month, and as a leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the nation’s health and well-being, the YMCA of Boulder Valley offers the following tips to help families in our com
Feb 6, 2014
CEO: A Grownup Tantrum Sets a Bad Example for Kids
There seems to be a new behavior in America when we disagree with others’ decisions. We either impeach or we recall. Even when we know there is no chance of either option working, we still WASTE signi
Oct 5, 2021
Rethinking Law Enforcement
The cry to defund the police department has been a surprising rally cry. On the face of it, a town without police is not a good idea. There are simply evil people out there who will do horrible things
Jul 6, 2020
CEO: Ockham’s Razor
Also known as a “The Law of Parsimony,” basically stated, Ockham’s Razor says that the simplest of the competing solutions is usually the correct answer. William of Ockham created this principle in th
Jun 2, 2020
CEO: Let's Greet Them
Since December, about 890 new memberships have joined our YMCA (A single membership can include anywhere from one to nine people). This makes us very happy because it is the second-largest incoming cl
Feb 3, 2020
CEO: There Is A Silver Bullet To How You Feel
In 1835, Alexis De Tocqueville wrote one of his most famous works entitled Democracy in America. The world was fascinated by the American Experiment in Democracy, so this work by De Tocqueville was ex
Jan 2, 2020
CEO: Being Triggered or Finding Grace?
Many of you don’t know this, but I teach one college class a semester, alternating between CU and Metro State. Through this experience, I have realized just how easily offended people have become.
Nov 1, 2019
CEO: Guns, Guns, Guns, Guns and More Guns
I know about guns. I was a policeman. The difference between me and most of you is that I am highly trained, and I keep in practice. Right now, in this country, there are 329 million people and about
Sep 3, 2019
CEO: The Uncomfortable Medium — Buddha Wants You To Do It
At the Y, our pools are kept at around 83 degrees. It is not easy to keep them at that temperature because of the fluctuations in temperature of the surrounding environment, and it is a lot of water t
Aug 2, 2019
CEO: 500 Kids And Counting
As you read this blog, the YMCA of Northern Colorado is caring for thousands of kids at our camps, pools, summer sports, swim lessons and ice programs.
Jul 1, 2019
CEO: The Bad and The Good of Summer
The school year provides great structure and consistency for the family. Whereas the summer provides an ever-changing landscape of activities and decisions for our kids.
Mar 4, 2019
CEO: Susan Got Choked Out in the Holy Land, and a Gift For You
For Thanksgiving, we took a trip to visit our daughter who is doing a semester abroad on the island of Cyprus. After spending time with her, we all went to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Land to see all
Dec 6, 2018
CEO: Vote (And Here’s Why)
In 1920 my Grandpa was 20 years old, and in 1965 I was 2 years old. I am ignoring the 1870 date because I don’t have any trite tidbit to throw in there.
Nov 1, 2018
CEO: Why Do Your Kids Play Sports?
The reality is that very very very few kids will get any college money for sports, and even fewer will get pro money for it. Look at the difference between college sports and professional sports; the
Oct 10, 2018
CEO: The Rise of the Superhero and the Death of the American Hero
Why do we love Wonder Woman, the Avengers, Star Wars and Star Trek? What is it about the fabricated universes that hit home for so many people? What is the psychology behind it? Hero worship is not ne
Aug 30, 2018
CEO: In the Line of Fire
I was in an Uber a couple of weekends ago in downtown Denver and was chatting with the driver. Small-talk type of stuff. Of course the standard question is about the crazy things that have happened to
Jun 7, 2018
CEO: Here's How College Grads Can Stand Out
I have three kids. One will graduate in May from Leeds School Of Business at CU, one will be a junior at DU and one is a high school sophomore. Two out of three are still incubating, but the college g
May 4, 2018
CEO: How Badly Do You Want Change?
The hottest topic right now is gun control. I am not going to wade into this issue because the Y is pretty neutral ground. However, surveys indicate that a majority of Americans want more regulation a
Apr 2, 2018
CEO: The Public Health Crisis Impacting our Teens
We have watched a lot in the news recently about the “opioid crisis.” I by no means want to downplay this as an issue. It is horrible, and it deserves the attention it is getting.
Mar 5, 2018
CEO: Does Your Kid Need to Visit Willy Wonka?
It is a cautionary tale of a bunch of kids with issues created by over indulgent parents. They spend the movie getting culled from the tour like they were in the Hunger Games. In the case of Augustus,
Nov 28, 2017
CEO: In Trying Times, We Can Rely on Us
It often feels like we live in a time that defines us by our differences. However, the ties that bind us together—while frayed—are not broken.
Oct 3, 2017
Colorado YMCA CEOs: Join Us in Acceptance
If you have turned on the TV recently, you have seen the tragic stories of Hurricane Harvey, the lives lost and the lives in chaos. So many people have suffered so much. Their homes have been destroye
Sep 5, 2017
Poverty & Joy: A YMCA Service Trip to Peru
Our bus pushed through the intense traffic of Lima, weaving through cars like a mouse in a maze. The girls chatted excitedly and looked out the window at the congestion of cars as I watched the scener
Aug 28, 2017
Poverty & Joy: A YMCA Service Trip to Peru
Our bus pushed through the intense traffic of Lima, weaving through cars like a mouse in a maze. The girls chatted excitedly and looked out the window at the congestion of cars as I watched the scener
Aug 28, 2017
CEO: Let's Focus on Asset Development For Kids
The YMCA has an entire department at our national offices in Chicago responsible for improving the quality of our programs. That is why you see us change program models and design from time to time.
Aug 1, 2017
Letter From the CEO: June 2017
I know that this title is sexist, and it should probably read “The Society of Humankind.” However, in my defense, the book was written in 1966 by a professor named Louis Halle. The 60s were not known
Jun 1, 2017
Letter From The CEO: April 2017
I had breakfast with a gentleman this morning to discuss if he would like to join our Board of Directors. We appear to be the kind of guys who prefer to get to know each other before we get to busines
Apr 4, 2017
Letter From the CEO: Jan 2017
One of the questions I am always asked is about the "C" in the YMCA.What does it stand for? How Christian of an organization is the YMCA? These are not easy questions because every Y in the country is
Feb 2, 2017
Letter From The CEO: Dec 2016
My daughter is in college and is dating a boy who we will call Bill for the sake of anonymity. I don’t like it one little bit! I was in college and I was a boy, but I must admit I do like this kid. He
Dec 1, 2016
Letter From the CEO: Nov 2016
We are about to enter the season of giving. During the coming weeks, many of us will spend a lot of time and money on our loved ones and some not-so loved ones (admit it, we all have one of those hang
Oct 26, 2016
Letter From The CEO: Oct 2016
Today, I'm asking you to support the Y. There are many ways you can do it: You can buy a ticket to our upcoming Y Splash gala and fundraiser, you can bid on silent auction items (even if you can't mak
Oct 3, 2016
Letter From The CEO: Aug 2016
This is an extremely important subject for parents: our kid’s friend group. To prep for writing this particular blog, I read a number of research articles on our current level of understanding around
Aug 2, 2016
Letter From The CEO: July 2016
Recently there was an article in The New York Times about the summer and how it is not as idyllic for some families as it is for others.
Jul 6, 2016
Letter From the CEO: June 2016
The YMCA Board of Directors sets policy, and I operationalize that policy. Your next question is probably, "How does the board make decisions?" They do that in basically two ways: the first is their p
Jun 2, 2016
LETTER FROM THE CEO: MAY 2016
What is the one thing we worry about most when we send our kids into the care of other adults? We worry about how we can protect our kids from sexual predators.
May 4, 2016
Letter From the CEO: April 2016
We have a third family car that the teens can drive. We go on trips. The kids will only have about $35,000 in college debt each.
Apr 5, 2016
Letter From The CEO: March 2016
In the past three generations, the range that our children can “roam” from our homes has shrunk from miles to feet. And at the same time our children's body mass index as well as expected life span ha
Mar 2, 2016
Letter From the CEO: Feb 2016
Several weeks ago, a young man named Ryder Johnson left work at Eldora Mountain Resort and never made it home. It is the worst nightmare a parent can imagine, not knowing how or where your child is. M
Feb 2, 2016
Letter From the CEO: Jan 2016
This election cycle, we seem to have no candidates who 1) are exciting the public, 2) show true statesmanship and 3) are non-polarizing. I am talking about a real leader who we can all get behind and
Jan 5, 2016
Letter From the CEO: Nov 2015
This past month was a rough one at my house, so I'm going to write about something a little different in this letter. I've been through the ringer, and because of that, I feel like I have some new wis
Nov 3, 2015
Letter From The CEO: Oct 2015
There was a time when businesses or organizations could call themselves "green" just by placing blue recycling bins around their offices.Sure, those are important and valuable changes to make. But our
Oct 1, 2015
Letter From The CEO: Sept 2015
If you saw the paper last week, you probably saw that we have entered into negotiations to join forces with the Ed & Ruth Lehman YMCA in Longmont. This is a very big deal for both associations, and ev
Aug 28, 2015
LETTER FROM THE CEO: June 2015
Here is my response as CEO of the YMCA of Boulder Valley: There will be no apology, and if you are offended by our support of Out Boulder and the LGBTQ teens of our community, then maybe our organizat
May 29, 2015
LETTER FROM THE CEO: MAY 2015
The next few weeks at the Y are like the calm before the storm. School’s out soon and camp will begin shortly after, the bubble will come down and the hot dog cart will roll out (yes, a hot dog cart i
Apr 30, 2015
LETTER FROM THE CEO: APRIL 2015
I was at a meeting this past week in Dallas to meet the new CEO of YMCA of the USA and hear about the state of the Y nationally. During those two days, leaders of Ys from across the country attended a
Mar 30, 2015
LETTER FROM THE CEO: MARCH 2015
We spent the first day learning about what is on the national agenda and what we should expect. We were given a booklet that showed a round up of the work being done by Ys across the US and how we are
May 2, 2015
LETTER FROM THE CEO: JAN 2015
I bet that most of us had a great Christmas/holiday season. We saw friends and families, gave and received gifts, and enjoyed that little bit of extra warmth that the season seems to bring. It would b
Dec 26, 2014
LETTER FROM THE CEO: DEC 2014
Today I was having lunch with a woman who is a long-time Y volunteer and one of the pillars of this community. I thought she knew everything about the Y. However, today she asked me what was new with
Nov 25, 2014
LETTER FROM THE CEO: Nov 2014
That's bad grammar, but it offers a certain mystery, which I thought seemed cool and would hook you. "What could he mean by this?" you are saying. "I must read more!'
Oct 28, 2014
Letter From The CEO: Oct 2014
So last week we put up the long-awaited bubble over the Arapahoe Y pool. Yesterday a police officer came by the Y with a decibel meter to measure the outside sound; someone had called the police to co
Oct 2, 2014
Letter From The CEO: Sept 2014
I truly love summer because our Y kids have so much fun, and everything is a little more laid back. However, summer is difficult at the Y. We have around 7,000 kids who come through our programs, and
Sep 2, 2014
Letter From The CEO: August 2014
First off, thank you very much for your patience during our recent shutdown at the Mapleton Y. We have to do this annually at both Ys so we can focus on deep cleaning and maintenance on our wooden flo
Jul 30, 2014
Letter From The CEO: July 2014
Summer is now fully on us, and that means our outdoor pool is exceptionally busy. The question I have to ask myself every day is how do we balance safety and fun. There is always a static tension betw
Jun 27, 2014
Letter From the CEO: June 2014
With summer break here, camp has once again become the heart of what we do. Last week, a number of our staff members went up to our resident camp, YMCA Camp Santa Maria, and helped the camp staff get
May 29, 2014
Letter from the CEO: May 2014
We have a lot of interesting stuff going on at the Y in the coming months, and I know you are very curious about what is in store for our facilities, people and programs. Here are some updates on what
Apr 30, 2014