Rick Detrio has a total of five years under his belt as a volunteer coach for the YMCA. He first joined as a volunteer coach when he was looking for a volunteer opportunity in his area and remembered the good experiences he had at the YMCA as a child. Feeling confident that the organization was one he would be happy to support, Rick Detrio signed up to coach flag football for youth.

The YMCA’s youth sports programs offer a good option for parents looking for activities for their children after school. Through the program, youth have an opportunity to engage in competitive sports, sometimes even on a national level, while at the same time learning many important values that playing team sports imparts. The YMCA is consistent in teaching those values hand in hand with the actual sports techniques. This fact is one of the reasons Rick Detrio has been so happy as a volunteer coach for the past five years.

“I’m not just teaching kids how to play football,” he says. “And I’m not just teaching them that winning is the most important thing. There is so much more to playing a sport than that, and the Y is really good about making sure all that gets addressed too.”

In its advertisements for sports programs, the YMCA is careful to assure prospective parents that sports at the Y are about more than winning. Focusing on skills like socialization, teamwork, sportsmanship, and communication, Rick Detrio seeks to help educate youth in more ways than just athleticism.

“I get really positive feedback from them,” he says. “Kids don’t leave crying, everyone likes each other, and they’re always excited for games, and so on. Even if we end up losing a game or two, it’s still more about the fun of playing than the trophy at the end.”

Rick Detrio says the kids are very much looking forward to the start of the new season. Especially given the lovely winter weather in Florida, playing football outside is a great experience, and the team is looking forward to growing their skills even more. Many have aged up from the younger age bracket, and are excited to play at a more advanced level.