Looking for some fun, affordable and conveniently located classes for your kids after school that also offer free childcare while you work out? The Shepherd YMCA Firehouse has both. They offer a plethora of classes for your kids and even childcare for infants who are still mastering the art of crawling. And it’s all provided in the same building. The firehouse has been a popular La Jolla spot for celebrations, classes and community-related activities for decades. However, since the Y took over in December, it was converted into a modern state-of-the-art fitness center with various rooms for classes. “We’re more than just a gym… we want to be a community center hub and my goal is to do (many) community events,” said Michael Marquez, department head and Firehouse manager.
“The response has been great, people are really enjoying the facility. Once we get people in here, they are blown away by it,” Marquez explained. “People who have gone to the YMCA in the past have a certain vision of it (but, we’re different), and as word of mouth spreads, it’s growing quite a bit.”
Certainly, the YMCA has been long regarded as an organization that strives to bring the community together through fitness, development and heath programs. There’s a reason seemingly everyone over the age of 20 instinctively throw up their arms to spell out the letters “Y-M-C-A” when the infamous song by the Village People plays. And to think that song was released in 1978! And while there are many programs for kids, the YMCA also makes it their mission to build stronger and connected communities for adults. Case in point, the YMCA states that it is more than a fitness center but is also “the nation’s leading provider of child care that administer hundreds of youth development and health programs.”
And their classes aim to stretch everyone’s limits. Starting on September 7 through the 28, kids ages five through 10 can get into the groove of other country’s dance moves through the Passport to Dance class series. Kids will be immersed in dance from South and North America, Africa and Europe in the class which teaches how this art form is used to communicate and celebrate emotions. The class meets every Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. And the icing on the cake will be watching the kids smile as they perform their dance moves for family and friends on the last day.
A ballerina your child may become if they visit the Y’s ballet class. They offer both pre-school ballet classes for infants three and four years old and traditional ballet for kids five to 10 years old. If you’re afraid your child isn’t patient enough for ballet, rest assured that this is a class which helps kids strengthen their muscles through repetition while learning coordination.
Budding little hip hop dancers? Here’s a class for them! Kids five through nine can dance their way through fun tunes and learn hip hop moves that will leave their parents’ speechless.
And then there’s the gymnastics classes. Marquez assured these are the most popular of all the classes. “Our most popular classes are our gym ventures for ages five to six years old. There’s also a Level 1 class for kids ages six thorough 13.” All classes are on Tuesdays for one hour. The gym ventures starts at 3:15 p.m., while the Level 1 class starts at 5 p.m. Marquez said most of the afterschool programing is currently being run on Tuesdays. And the gymnastics classes are eliciting gold-medal praise from kids and their parents alike. “I think there’s a need for developing a specific skill set, stimulating our children’s mind in other areas,” Marquez mused. “There’s nothing like (our gymnastics) in the Village and I think that’s why it’s been so successful.” Marquez said the summer pre-school gymnastic’s summer camp for ages three to six-years-old was virtually maxed out every day throughout the summer for a three month period. “And that’s really the kind of help that served to springboard us into the fall,” Marquez recognized.
There are also two karate classes held on Thursdays. One is called mighty tots for ages three through six; the other is youth karate for ages six to 12. Mighty tots begin at 4 p.m., youth karate begins at 5 p.m. Each class is one hour.
YMCA Firehouse is open Mondays through Fridays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 7877 Herschel Ave. Lajolla.ymca.org, 858-551-9622.
Plus, added Marquez, “as part of your family membership, we have child care. We take kids six weeks to 12-years-old. You can drop them off in our child watch for up to two hours while you work out in the facility.” Family memberships start at $65 and goto $85 per month. A family membership allows access to all the YMCA’s in San Diego, child watch and all the group exercises. YMCA Firehouse is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 7877 Herschel Avenue. Lajolla.ymca.org (858) 551-9622