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Y Without Walls offering many programs

Photo courtesy of Coosa Valley YMCA 

Since the YMCA of the Coosa Valley closed its downtown facility in April 2003, many people mistakenly believe the Y no longer operates in our local community.
That’s not the case.
The YMCA remains active under our new motto, “Y Without Walls,” which reflects our commitment to reaching beyond a single location and serving more than 14 locations across Etowah County.
The National YMCA emphasizes in its mission statement that, “The YMCA aims to improve our nation’s health by providing programs and activities that promote overall well-being, no matter where you are on your journey toward better health. The future success of children and teens is fostered by caring adults who help them feel confident, secure, imaginative and empowered in the present. That is why Y staff and volunteers are also mentors and role models, sharing a part of this important and inspiring responsibility in helping everyone to realize who they are and what they are capable of achieving.”
The YMCA of Coosa Valley focuses on teaching healthy living to children in our communities through our afterschool and summer programs. After-school programs include childcare, tutoring and mentoring along with physical activities. We work to ensure that lunches and snacks provided are healthy and nutritious. We remind parents the importance of offering their children opportunities to make healthy choices at home.
Y Without Walls offers water safety that includes swim lessons, lifeguard classes and how to be safe around water. In the spring and summer of 2024, the Safety around Water class was taught to nearly 2,000 youths.
The YMCA offers Youth in Government, a youth-led program where students simulate government and national processes while embracing the Y’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Our Workforce Development program empowers tomorrow’s leaders to prepare for the future, identify and achieve their goals and strengthen their communities.
These are just a few of the programs offered at the YMCA of the Coosa Valley. There are other programs in place for this summer and several that we are working toward making available. We plan on joining YMCAs across the country for Healthy Kids Day as well as day camp, hiking, outfitting, biking and many other activities.
Our students are taught many things in an informal way that are important to the student’s growth and success in life.  One such thing is Emotional Intelligence, or EI. Daniel Goleman, a pioneer in social and emotional intelligence, underscores the importance of understanding and teaching EI in his book, “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.” Goleman identifies five components of EI that contribute to personal success and well-being.
Self-awareness: Understanding our own emotions.
Self-regulation: Managing and controlling our reactions to emotions.
Internal motivation: Recognizing what is truly important in life.
Empathy: Understanding the emotions of others.
Social skills: Building and maintaining social connections.
“Emotional Intelligence is the ability to perceive, analyze and control your emotions appropriately,” said Maymunah Y. Kadiri, M.D. “A child with a good EI can empathize with others and may have good communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills. Emotionally intelligent children can also understand others better and keep a level head in difficult situations.”
Children with a good EI are better at maintaining current relationships and establishing new friendships with other kids and better at controlling negative thoughts and emotions, which in turn helps them manage stressful situations and environments. Negative emotions such as anger, sadness, jealousy and disappointment hinder a child’s ability to think and function. This not only causes a child to struggle in social functions and activities but can have a great impact on how he or she performs in a classroom. When children possess the ability to control their emotions, they are able to maintain focus on the task at hand. A higher EI leads to a higher IQ.
In today’s world, young people face numerous challenges, making it difficult to navigate and overcome obstacles. The YMCA of the Coosa Valley has developed programs to help students lead healthy and balanced lives. By fostering emotional health, we empower kids not just to survive but to thrive.
To learn more about the many programs available at the YMCA visit our website at ymcacoosavalley.com. You can also discover how to support our mission of building a stronger community through volunteering or financial contributions.
Submitted by Mike Hammonds, CVO, YMCA of the Coosa Valley

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