GREENVILLE, Wis. — The YMCA of the Fox Cities has over 10,000 young athletes that compete in the various sports it provides in a year.
Bobby Klein signed up two of his children to play in local soccer leagues this summer. He said his 5-year-old, Capri, has played soccer for a couple of years.
He said she is learning skills that will help her succeed as she gets older.
“To me, it’s all about getting out there, competing, getting in better,” said Klein. “They are so little that it’s just about fun at this age as it should be as long as possible. But you see them learning the skills and getting better and better.”
Klein said it’s night and day from when his daughter first started playing the game. He said he is thankful for an organization like the YMCA that gives his kids this opportunity.
“There’s so many kids out here and it runs so smoothly,” said Klein. “There are fields lined with parents, siblings, grandparents, everybody cheering. Everybody’s happy and excited. Everyone’s just here for the kids, for them, enjoy and grow and learn.”
YMCA sports and recreation director Kevin Jakubek has worked for the organization for decades. He said its goal is to make sure every child has the chance to get involved.
“It’s an opportunity that I think every child, whether they’re 4 or 18,” said Jakubek. “[Children] should have that opportunity to play sports in whatever capacity that they are able to or want to.”
Klein said seeing his daughter excited about her uniform warms his heart. He said he hopes she creates lifelong relationships while having fun participating in sports.
“It’s always been important for me to have them have fun, today, this practice, this game, whatever, so that they continue to show up,” said Klein. “It’s about getting them to come back the next year. We want them to feel confident in themselves, to be able to come back again and keep playing.”
Klein said he takes pride in knowing they are learning lessons and skills that will last a lifetime.