Member Testimonials
I like the variety of equipment and operation hours.
Clean, spacious facilities
Ease of access… especially as things have opened up.
The instructors at the Stella Link YMCA are its greatest asset. Tricia, Chris, Lisa, Julie, & Ellen are skilled, knowledgeable instructors. They consistently show up for class, on time with a challenging work out/session planned. They offer modifications for various strength levels and are open to class suggestions.
Great variety of activities and equipment in the gym. The YMCA is clean and safe, and the workers are very friendly and helpful.
I wish masks were required in the fitness area. The Delta variant spreads very easily and is very serious. I always wear a mask even though I am vaccinated. It is sweaty and uncomfortable, but can help protect me. I try to stay away from people not wearing masks.
Variety
Always friendly and helpful personnel. Wellness Center is clean and employees very conscientious in keeping the area safe and a healthy environment.
I like the class sizes now. Need more classes and some of the morning teachers are low energy.
Senior friendly
Friendly staff and great gym.
I like how you can use Les Mills on your own on the studio and pick a workout to do.
The gym
Due to COVID19, I am not comfortable using the machines and weight circuit. but
have enjoyed returning to group classes since March 2021.
I have my favorite instructors and there are plenty of options for the
classes I usually take== Bodyflow--Stella and Tomiko; Bodypump-- Eric and Bea; Pilates--Ellen.
I would give the Stella Link YMCA a 10 if you would require vaccinations (for those eligible to
receive one) and masks. Unfortunately, based on the research there is high % of vaccine hesitancy in the African-American population. Requiring vaccines and masks may not be enough to encourage some people to get vaccinated, even though it's the fastest way out of this mess.
The egym is my favorite and child watch
Excellent facility, equipment & staff
Exercise classes for seniors. Cleanliness of facility. Senior activities and trips.
my child love it!
I would like to see more spaces available in an adult aerobics class. Especially 8 or 9 AM.
I would like to see more bus trips especially one to the botanical gardens in Houston that has recently opened. Also more webinar activities like the ones we have had from agrilife. Before the pandemic I saw 1 in person at the Y and it was a great presentation from them.
Pickleball!!!
I appreciate the child watch and how it makes it possible for me to work out.
Enjoy the pool for swimming laps. Also the lifeguards are a wonderful group to interact with.
Great facilities, well-maintained, good safety policies
Variety of exercise equipment in wellness center
Many options for kids that are recreational (instead of hyper competitive/$$$$) with short-term commitments so kids can try different things.
A lot of diversity in the class offerings, as well as enthusiastic, welcoming instructors.
Swimming fun and laps. Kids activities. Loved yoga with dominique
The weight and resistance machines
There is a good variety of classes available. Also with the preregistration requirements you know before class if the class is crowded.
We have been members for over 6 years at the Weekley YMCA. I originally sought out the YMCA for after school care for my daughter who was starting kindergarten and for summer camp as well. I have grown to depend heavily on the YMCA in order to work and support my family throughout the years.
Finding such a welcoming place full of people that I trust with my daughter so I can pursue my career has been just a blessing for us. I work with many other working moms who stress over closed childcare during school holidays/in service days or transportation being inconsistent or the massive childcare costs and every time I say, you need to find your local YMCA.
My kid comes out of after school care with her homework done, and sweaty and happy from playing outside and hanging out with her friends. We attend a local magnet school and her school friends don't live in the local area like us so the YMCA has helped her find local neighborhood friends as well. The late pickup time has also saved me on so many occasions. I work in public service and if an emergency arises I have to delegate needs before I can leave, and having a 6:30pm pick up for after school care is the difference between me stressing out in after work traffic to get there on time. There have been so many times that I arrive to pick her up at 5:30pm and she begs to stay just a bit longer to hang with her friends or finish a fun activity that I'm able to get in a quick workout upstairs or just sit in the sauna and have 15 minutes of decompression time which feels like a luxury as a single mom.
This summer, during the pandemic, the YMCA was available for us essential workers as well. Having the summer program for my kid available so I could work without worrying about her was the #1 reason I was able to perform my job duties over the summer. I told my boss this 100x times over that consistent, safe childcare that has pickup to at least 6pm is why I can thrive and grow in my career instead of being stressed and worried about my family, especially during the pandemic.
My daughter is heading to middle school this year and is hoping to transfer to another magnet school with a good theatre program. One of the 'important' factors on her list in ranking the options being able to get to the 'Weekley YMCA afterschool program.
We have been so fortunate to have found the YMCA for our family - When she first started her favorite counselor was Marquetta Moss. Ms. Marquetta is now moved up the ranks to overseeing her program and it's well deserved. Ms. Marquetta always keeps us parents in the loop, communicates quickly with any issues or updates and remembers every kid's name, even if they just started there.
There have been times in the past where my finances were tight and my payments were returned or late and Ms. Moss and other Y employees in accounting worked through the issues with no judgement and with grace and I am forever grateful for that grace that was extended to me at that time. I also want to say thank you for augmenting the monthly costs for membership over the last year, I was incredibly helpful to us and our tight budget.
During the pandemic, Ms. Marquetta and her team not only rolled out the new protocols for safety and kept the kids on point but they did it with kindness - they all worked hard to help the kids transition through this rough time and with all the limitations in place (no field trips, no close contact) all of the counselors changed everything up so all of the kids could still have fun and be safe at the same time. After being locked up in the house for an entire school year, my kid and others were ready to break free and have some fun and the team all helped them re-socialize, have fun and kept them safe.
Over the years, we have had many counselors come through the after school and summer program, but this year has been has been the best group of counselors so far - according my daughter and myself! Devante Shorter has inspired many of the kids, including my daughter, to program and code for robotics after he began the robotics classes a couple of years ago.
Julio Castillo is a nice and calming presence and quick with communicating any issues that arise. Paris and Ajah both handle the kids and their unique personalities well and my daughter rates Mr Miles as her current favorite counselor because she can make him laugh. This has been a really tumultuous time for my kid and having the YMCA being open, available and flexible over the last year has made such a difference to my own mental and physical wellbeing and has been a safe space for my daughter to just get to be a kid again.
I asked her if there where anything she would add or change about the Weekley YMCA and she said only one thing. She would love to have cooking class again with Mr. Isiah! He inspired her to try different types of food and I credit her love of cooking and baking to him personally.
Thank you for these amazing programs, the pandemic has really shown that quality childcare at affordable rates is needed for families to flourish and prosper in our communities. I know it has for me. Jana Satterwhite and my daughter, Juna Satterwhite