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RBlackwell
New member
Copy of a letter I sent to the YMCA last week:
>>October 23, 2002
My name is _______. I have been a member of YMCA since 5/02. My membership number is _________. I had been to various YMCA’s prior to that and was not impressed. I am an avid weightlifter and the Y is not really geared towards that. Aerobics – primarily geared towards women, and other activities seem to take precedence. I really had no choice but to join, however, due to my job. I travel around quite a bit. Finding a gym on the road is a nightmare. Hotels only have cardio equipment if anything, and most gyms want you to join or pay a fee per workout. Although the fee is usually nominal if you can get passed the joining fee, it is still a hassle. I felt that being a member of a big chain such as the Y would make it much easier on me.
When I joined my Y in central Mississippi, I asked them about the travel. They explained the AWAY program to me. They said that most Y’s would honor my membership if my card read AWAY on the back, which it does. I couldn’t understand “most Y’s” as I thought it was all the same. I quickly learned what that meant.
My YMCA is nice but it is your typical YMCA: Small weightlifting area, a large room for aerobics always full of women and lots of other activities. Still in all, whenever I am home, I workout there. In all fairness, I must say that my Y has the best full time staff. They are knowledgeable and helpful.
I have grown sick of the YMCA while on the road. I travel all over and have worked out in many different YMCA’s since my full time membership in May of 2002. Each one has their own rules. Some will allow you to go and come as you please, some require your card and some do not. One I visited in North Little Rock, AR didn’t even require that I sign in! Others, however, only allow you to visit them a few times before making you join their YMCA.
The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was the YMCA in Greenville, Mississippi. This Y only allows you to visit a couple of times before making you join their YMCA. Also, this morning I went to that gym around 7:30 as I do each morning, 6 days a week. After I warmed up and did some cardio, I proceeded to the small cluttered weight room. I was met by several elderly women who quickly asked me to leave. They said that they were in a private class and the entire weight room was closed. I asked, “Surely there is another area here for me to lift weights for an hour.” She said, “Not here; the weight room is closed until 10:00 a.m. three days a week.” I couldn’t believe it. This lady I was speaking to was about 97 yrs old. Again, I was asked to leave. I proceeded to a local gym, paid $5.00 and got the workout of my life; I suppose because I was so angry. Thanks for that.
I am used to the YMCA catering to women’s programs and aerobics. I am used to weight lifting not being a priority to the YMCA. I am used to most of your weight rooms being small and cluttered. I have grown tolerant of the old tired non-motivating music played in each Y (oldies or “classic” rock). I am used to the ridiculous hours and some even being closed on Sunday. I have had to deal with your prices and joining fees not being competitive. I am used to there not being enough YMCA’s around. Some areas don’t have a facility for hundreds of miles and I sometimes have to go to a local gym and pay anyway. I have put up with all of that. I have never before seen, however, an entire weight room at a YMCA shut down in prime morning time for 2 hours three days a week every week! No men; come on! Isn’t the name Young MEN’S Christian Association? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I asked to speak with the executive director and I was told that he (J.D.) was out all week.
October 25, 2002
I returned to the Greenville, MS YMCA this morning to get in one final workout before returning home to Brandon and quitting the Y. Of course, due to the Greenville Y’s ridiculous programs, I had to get there at 6:30 a.m. to get my complete workout in.
While working out, I asked a member, who appeared to be a regular, about the programs and about shutting down the weight room. He said, “Man, that’s nothing! They shut it down again in the evenings right after work for the same crap!” I asked him if he was kidding. He said, “Nope; we tried to complain about it but it don’t do no good here. This place don’t care about us.” I didn’t ask him to elaborate on who “us” was. After all, I didn’t want to start a riot. I left at about 7:50 a.m. this morning. As I was leaving, a rather large, tattooed, gold chain wearing man entered the weight room to begin his workout. I wish I could’ve stayed to watch the fireworks when they threw him out at 8.
When I called my colleagues and told them what had occurred, they encouraged me to join what they called, “a real gym” such as Gold’s or World Gym. Most of them are open 24 hours! On that note, all of the gyms in this area (Delta, Mississippi) are open 24 hours per day!
I was not at all surprised when I went to YMCA’s main website and found no e-mail address listed for the corporate office. Also, I found no e-mail address for the Y in Greenville. My Y in the Jackson, MS area, of course, had their e-mail address listed. I had to get on the phone and do some digging to find these other e-mail addresses.
If I receive a response from you at all, I expect to hear the old “non-profit, franchise / independently owned and operated” answer. That is pathetic. It is your name – YMCA.
When I return home I will close out my membership and join another chain. You can thank two things for this decision after months of traveling to various YMCA’s – the pathetic AWAY program and the Greenville, MS Y.
When the YMCA decides to make a uniformed policy regarding membership and the operation of its programs such as classes and aerobics, let me know. I, along with many of my family and friends, will return.
I am wondering. What about the YWCA? Are men allowed there? Interesting…
I am sending this article to my favorite muscle / exercise magazines so that everyone will know about the YMCA’s current state of operations. I would hate for someone else to suffer as I have.
Thank you,
[email protected]<<
As of Tuesday, October 29, 2002, I still have not received any response.
Thought this may be of interest to you.
>>October 23, 2002
My name is _______. I have been a member of YMCA since 5/02. My membership number is _________. I had been to various YMCA’s prior to that and was not impressed. I am an avid weightlifter and the Y is not really geared towards that. Aerobics – primarily geared towards women, and other activities seem to take precedence. I really had no choice but to join, however, due to my job. I travel around quite a bit. Finding a gym on the road is a nightmare. Hotels only have cardio equipment if anything, and most gyms want you to join or pay a fee per workout. Although the fee is usually nominal if you can get passed the joining fee, it is still a hassle. I felt that being a member of a big chain such as the Y would make it much easier on me.
When I joined my Y in central Mississippi, I asked them about the travel. They explained the AWAY program to me. They said that most Y’s would honor my membership if my card read AWAY on the back, which it does. I couldn’t understand “most Y’s” as I thought it was all the same. I quickly learned what that meant.
My YMCA is nice but it is your typical YMCA: Small weightlifting area, a large room for aerobics always full of women and lots of other activities. Still in all, whenever I am home, I workout there. In all fairness, I must say that my Y has the best full time staff. They are knowledgeable and helpful.
I have grown sick of the YMCA while on the road. I travel all over and have worked out in many different YMCA’s since my full time membership in May of 2002. Each one has their own rules. Some will allow you to go and come as you please, some require your card and some do not. One I visited in North Little Rock, AR didn’t even require that I sign in! Others, however, only allow you to visit them a few times before making you join their YMCA.
The straw that broke the camel’s back for me was the YMCA in Greenville, Mississippi. This Y only allows you to visit a couple of times before making you join their YMCA. Also, this morning I went to that gym around 7:30 as I do each morning, 6 days a week. After I warmed up and did some cardio, I proceeded to the small cluttered weight room. I was met by several elderly women who quickly asked me to leave. They said that they were in a private class and the entire weight room was closed. I asked, “Surely there is another area here for me to lift weights for an hour.” She said, “Not here; the weight room is closed until 10:00 a.m. three days a week.” I couldn’t believe it. This lady I was speaking to was about 97 yrs old. Again, I was asked to leave. I proceeded to a local gym, paid $5.00 and got the workout of my life; I suppose because I was so angry. Thanks for that.
I am used to the YMCA catering to women’s programs and aerobics. I am used to weight lifting not being a priority to the YMCA. I am used to most of your weight rooms being small and cluttered. I have grown tolerant of the old tired non-motivating music played in each Y (oldies or “classic” rock). I am used to the ridiculous hours and some even being closed on Sunday. I have had to deal with your prices and joining fees not being competitive. I am used to there not being enough YMCA’s around. Some areas don’t have a facility for hundreds of miles and I sometimes have to go to a local gym and pay anyway. I have put up with all of that. I have never before seen, however, an entire weight room at a YMCA shut down in prime morning time for 2 hours three days a week every week! No men; come on! Isn’t the name Young MEN’S Christian Association? This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. I asked to speak with the executive director and I was told that he (J.D.) was out all week.
October 25, 2002
I returned to the Greenville, MS YMCA this morning to get in one final workout before returning home to Brandon and quitting the Y. Of course, due to the Greenville Y’s ridiculous programs, I had to get there at 6:30 a.m. to get my complete workout in.
While working out, I asked a member, who appeared to be a regular, about the programs and about shutting down the weight room. He said, “Man, that’s nothing! They shut it down again in the evenings right after work for the same crap!” I asked him if he was kidding. He said, “Nope; we tried to complain about it but it don’t do no good here. This place don’t care about us.” I didn’t ask him to elaborate on who “us” was. After all, I didn’t want to start a riot. I left at about 7:50 a.m. this morning. As I was leaving, a rather large, tattooed, gold chain wearing man entered the weight room to begin his workout. I wish I could’ve stayed to watch the fireworks when they threw him out at 8.
When I called my colleagues and told them what had occurred, they encouraged me to join what they called, “a real gym” such as Gold’s or World Gym. Most of them are open 24 hours! On that note, all of the gyms in this area (Delta, Mississippi) are open 24 hours per day!
I was not at all surprised when I went to YMCA’s main website and found no e-mail address listed for the corporate office. Also, I found no e-mail address for the Y in Greenville. My Y in the Jackson, MS area, of course, had their e-mail address listed. I had to get on the phone and do some digging to find these other e-mail addresses.
If I receive a response from you at all, I expect to hear the old “non-profit, franchise / independently owned and operated” answer. That is pathetic. It is your name – YMCA.
When I return home I will close out my membership and join another chain. You can thank two things for this decision after months of traveling to various YMCA’s – the pathetic AWAY program and the Greenville, MS Y.
When the YMCA decides to make a uniformed policy regarding membership and the operation of its programs such as classes and aerobics, let me know. I, along with many of my family and friends, will return.
I am wondering. What about the YWCA? Are men allowed there? Interesting…
I am sending this article to my favorite muscle / exercise magazines so that everyone will know about the YMCA’s current state of operations. I would hate for someone else to suffer as I have.
Thank you,
[email protected]<<
As of Tuesday, October 29, 2002, I still have not received any response.
Thought this may be of interest to you.
