The registration deadline for spring soccer is March 19; focusing on children in grades K through 8. The season will extend from the week of April 9 to the week of May 14. Photo Special to the Insider
Sign up Now for Y Softball and Soccer
Beginning this spring in April, an estimated 1,800 adults will participate in YMCA Softball this year, with leagues for every level of play.
The YMCA has managed this program at the well-groomed and beautiful fields of the Grand Traverse County Civic Center for the past 41 years. Games are played Sunday through Friday evenings, including later games under the lights.
It is the YMCA's philosophy "everybody plays, everybody wins" so there are several leagues for different levels of competition.
Adult Men’s League plays Monday through Friday evenings, with the “Senior” League playing Mondays, “B” League Thursdays, “C” League Tuesdays and “D” League Wednesdays and Fridays.
Registration runs from now through March 31. Space is limited. Just like the big leagues, the teams play under the lights each night.
The YMCA offers Sunday, Monday and Friday evening Co-ed Softball Leagues, as the demand has been so great. Sunday co-ed alone can accommodate 24 teams and Monday and Friday leagues can take nine teams. Husbands and wives, business co-workers, or just a group of friends may make up any one team. Registration period runs from now through March 31.
Y Women’s Softball Leagues plays Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The registration deadline for the women’s league is April 16. When the women graduate from high school or college softball, we offer this league to keep their playing days going.
Spring Soccer
Rob Boynton, of Traverse City, is the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Soccer Coordinator. He brings with him over 35 years of experience.
“I have been playing soccer with my neighborhood friends since I was in kindergarten,” said Boynton. His first experience as coaching as an adult was with the Y Soccer program when he was 18.
Boynton was a preschool teacher, moved to working at summer camps, and then began coaching soccer as a career. He has coached YMCA Soccer, travel soccer, and “Select Soccer.” He went on to be the Traverse City Central junior varsity coach for six years.
Boynton ran the Just for Kicks Sports in Traverse City for five years. He went to Leland as the varsity soccer coach for five years before coming to Traverse City Central to coach both the boys varsity soccer team and also the junior varsity girls team.
Boynton continues to attend national training events to keep up-to-date on current soccer teaching activities and methods.
Traditionally at the Y, soccer has been played as an 11 vs. 11 format.
“In order to help player development at the younger levels, we need to increase the number of touches and time on the ball for each child,” Boynton said. “To do this, we can decrease the number of players on the field and on the teams. Teams at the Y will start with smaller teams on smaller fields so that there can be more individual attention. As they grow in years the teams and fields will grow in size to eventually get to the regulations size and to 11 vs. 11 format.”
Grades K through 2 will be working in a 5 vs. 5 format on a smaller field. Grades 3, 4, and 5 will form their teams in an 8 vs. 8 format. Middle grades will play in an 11 vs. 11 format on regulation sized fields, he said.
At the same time, Boynton intends to expand the opportunities for coaches in a series of clinics.
“This will give volunteer coaches the opportunity to see how a practice or game might be done with various techniques to give their team a broad experience in learning the skills of the game,” he added.
As with any Y program, Y Soccer will be done in the context of its four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
The registration deadline for spring soccer is March 19 – focusing on children in grades K through 8. The season will extend from the week of April 9 to the week of May 14. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.gtbayymca.org.
For more information about Y Soccer and Softball contact the YMCA at 231-933-9622.
Beginning this spring in April, an estimated 1,800 adults will participate in YMCA Softball this year, with leagues for every level of play.
The YMCA has managed this program at the well-groomed and beautiful fields of the Grand Traverse County Civic Center for the past 41 years. Games are played Sunday through Friday evenings, including later games under the lights.
It is the YMCA's philosophy "everybody plays, everybody wins" so there are several leagues for different levels of competition.
Adult Men’s League plays Monday through Friday evenings, with the “Senior” League playing Mondays, “B” League Thursdays, “C” League Tuesdays and “D” League Wednesdays and Fridays.
Registration runs from now through March 31. Space is limited. Just like the big leagues, the teams play under the lights each night.
The YMCA offers Sunday, Monday and Friday evening Co-ed Softball Leagues, as the demand has been so great. Sunday co-ed alone can accommodate 24 teams and Monday and Friday leagues can take nine teams. Husbands and wives, business co-workers, or just a group of friends may make up any one team. Registration period runs from now through March 31.
Y Women’s Softball Leagues plays Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The registration deadline for the women’s league is April 16. When the women graduate from high school or college softball, we offer this league to keep their playing days going.
Spring Soccer
Rob Boynton, of Traverse City, is the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA Soccer Coordinator. He brings with him over 35 years of experience.
“I have been playing soccer with my neighborhood friends since I was in kindergarten,” said Boynton. His first experience as coaching as an adult was with the Y Soccer program when he was 18.
Boynton was a preschool teacher, moved to working at summer camps, and then began coaching soccer as a career. He has coached YMCA Soccer, travel soccer, and “Select Soccer.” He went on to be the Traverse City Central junior varsity coach for six years.
Boynton ran the Just for Kicks Sports in Traverse City for five years. He went to Leland as the varsity soccer coach for five years before coming to Traverse City Central to coach both the boys varsity soccer team and also the junior varsity girls team.
Boynton continues to attend national training events to keep up-to-date on current soccer teaching activities and methods.
Traditionally at the Y, soccer has been played as an 11 vs. 11 format.
“In order to help player development at the younger levels, we need to increase the number of touches and time on the ball for each child,” Boynton said. “To do this, we can decrease the number of players on the field and on the teams. Teams at the Y will start with smaller teams on smaller fields so that there can be more individual attention. As they grow in years the teams and fields will grow in size to eventually get to the regulations size and to 11 vs. 11 format.”
Grades K through 2 will be working in a 5 vs. 5 format on a smaller field. Grades 3, 4, and 5 will form their teams in an 8 vs. 8 format. Middle grades will play in an 11 vs. 11 format on regulation sized fields, he said.
At the same time, Boynton intends to expand the opportunities for coaches in a series of clinics.
“This will give volunteer coaches the opportunity to see how a practice or game might be done with various techniques to give their team a broad experience in learning the skills of the game,” he added.
As with any Y program, Y Soccer will be done in the context of its four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
The registration deadline for spring soccer is March 19 – focusing on children in grades K through 8. The season will extend from the week of April 9 to the week of May 14. Registration forms can be downloaded at www.gtbayymca.org.
For more information about Y Soccer and Softball contact the YMCA at 231-933-9622.
