Spring_2019_Newsletter

WHERE COMMUNITY
COMES TOGETHER
Back to Where it Began
By Paula Shepard
ROY BLUNT YMCA OF BOLIVAR- Here at the Ozark Regional YMCA we
are not just about growing our community, we are here to give back
as well. One way many do that is through sports. At the Roy Blunt
YMCA in Bolivar our sports staff is made up of people with all different
backgrounds whether
they were former college
and high school athletes,
sports majors, or former
YMCA sports athletes. We
are highlighting one of
our soccer referees, Manny
Ofori-Yeboah. Manny
told me he started participating
in Y sports here
in Bolivar at the age of “5
or 6” he thinks. Whatever
age he started he loved it
from then on. This will be
Manny’s second season
as a referee for the soccer
program. Manny loves the
Bolivar community; he is currently a middle school teacher and was
wanting to give back more to the community, and he saw the Bolivar
Y as a great place to do so since he remembered the impact it had
on him.
He remembers growing up not only learning the skills he needed
to play the sport, but he was also taught some important lessons
while playing. One of those valuable lessons was respect. “I had
such an amazing coach, I knew he had our best interest in mind
and I respected him for that ... our coach taught us to respect each
other and keep building each other up playing as a team. We would
always go up to [the refs] after the games and thank them for being
our ref. I was taught to respect the people we played against
we always had to shake hands after the game thanking them for a
great game.”
Manny is committed to helping our young athletes grow up to be
amazing people. Manny told me “while being a ref with our younger
ages I don’t have to just be a ref, I have the ability to help the kids
work on their skills. Sometimes when the ball goes out of bounds,
we have to let the kid try to throw the ball in 3 or 4 times before
they get it right.” I love this about our sports and our referees they
aren’t just there for another paycheck, they are there for the benefit
of the kids helping them grow. Manny is our head soccer ref in Bolivar
where we offer “biddy” soccer which teaches fundamentals to 3
and 4-year-olds. They can later continue developing those skills in
our soccer program offered for 5 to 9-year-olds.
At the YMCA we are not just a place for someone to come workout,
we are a family that is all about giving back to the community. One
of the best ways to do that is through our sports, it is ingrained in
our culture. The Y is where some famous athletes got their start,
from Mark Spitz, to Wilt Chamberlain, and to Frank Robinsons. With
the growing love for soccer in the United States who knows our
next big soccer star could be here at one of our YMCAs.
Upcoming Events
HEALTHY KIDS DAY
We are hosting FREE community events throughout the month of April
to show your family a healthy summer is fun and easy!
Monett Area YMCA- April 16, 6-8 pm
Lebanon Family YMCA- April 20, 8 am-12:30 pm, at Mills
Center (hosted by Lifepoint Church)
Ozark Mountain Family YMCA- April 27, 10 am- 1 pm
YMCA CAMP WAKONDA OPEN HOUSE
Tour Camp, meet the farm animals, meet staff and participate in a
variety of activities.
April 20 and May 25
ROCK N RIBS BBQ FESTIVAL
Come out to the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds for BBQ sampling and
music. Proceeds support seven area children’s charities including the
Springfield YMCAs.
April 25-27
OZARK MOUNTAIN FAMILY YMCA GOLF TOURNAMENT
100% of the proceeds of this event go to the Ozark Mountain Family
YMCA Annual Campaign to help our community.
May 31
for more information visit orymca.org
Member Spotlight
This is Taylor Porter. She has
three buckets she puts her money
in. One is to spend, one is to
save, and one is to give. She
chose to donate her "give" money
to the Ozark Mountain Family
YMCA and her parents matched
it! Twelve dollars may not sound
like a lot but to us it means the
world! Thank you, Taylor, for inspiring
us with your huge heart!