CYC Basketball Program Continues With YMCA AdministrationBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
04:10PM / Saturday, October 22, 2016 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Family YMCA has taken over the administration of the Catholic Youth Center, keeping the programs operating the same as they always had.
In July, the CYC and the YMCA reached an agreement in which the YMCA will handle the business end of the programming from program registration to managing the finances. The YMCA has put the CYC staff on its payroll to continue the youth sports programming the center has offered for years.
"Program-wise, it is the same people running it as last year," YMCA Executive Director Randy Kinnas said.
Since July, the two groups have run a flag football program as well as a volleyball season. Registration for the basketball program is now open. That program serves children from preschool age all the way through high school in various leagues. It will continue with leased spaced at the Gladys Allen Brigham Center, Miss Hall's School, Berkshire Community College and the Dalton CRA as the CYC has done since moving out of its Melville Street building.
Kinnas said the partnership has created an added bonus. In the past, the CYC program was $65 annuall for membership. Now, those looking to participate in that program pay $40 for a YMCA membership, with all the perks of that coming with it, and just $25 to play. The new structure is hoped to increase participation in the CYC program because YMCA members who previously paid a separate $65 for a season can now pay $25 and to bring more children into the YMCA.
"The slogan we are using is 'better together,' " Kinnas said.
Since taken over the CYC's administrative duties, Kinnas said there was some adjustment but now the organization has worked out any kinks.
"They basically hired an executive director," he said.
The CYC went through a shakeup in 2013 when it suspended programming because the poor condition of its 100-plus-year-old Melville Street building. That was later sold by the Diocese of Springfield to the adjacent Boys and Girls Club. In the meantime, the organization sought out a partnership with the Gladys Allen Brigham Center to host its programs.
The center also worked with consultants from Berkshire Non-Profit Solutions in managing the challenge. It was discovered that a benefit to the organization would be to partner with another organization to take over the administrative piece.
"They wanted to look at other organizations and they chose the YMCA as a partner," Kinnas said.
The timing worked perfectly for the Pittsfield Family YMCA, which also in 2013 revealed a new strategic plan that called for a "Y without walls" and had a focus on finding community partners. Continuing in those efforts two years later, the Pittsfield Family YMCA and the Northern Berkshire YMCA formed a partnership, streamlining operations in those two facilities.
The CYC's basketball season starts the first week of November. Those looking to enroll can sign up through the YMCA's website or at the North Street YMCA.
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