Week 2 began earlier today across the Mountain State, part of Gov. Jim Justice’s phased reopening of West Virginia businesses and facilities. Normal is returning, folks, just in small increments—baby steps.
Small business with 10 or fewer employees, grooming services, and small-numbered religious and funeral services may be held again. Restaurants can now serve outdoor dining in addition to curbside and pick-up services.
As more folks get back to work, it will increase the need for dependable, and safe, childcare for area youth.
The YMCA is ready to do its part as the Chambers facility in the Elm Grove will be offering childcare first before other services.
Executive Director Adam Shinsky said he and his staff have been working diligently with the county and state health departments to get approval to reopen as a youth care facility.
“Last week, our childcare staff and anyone in the building got tested for COVID-19,” Shinsky said. “We all got our results back so now we’re waiting for everything to get approved. Anyone that closed down in March had to reapply to open back up. Approval takes about a week, so our target date is May 11. We’re not sure yet how many kids we’ll be able to accommodate.”
Shinsky noted that according to a YMCA press releases recently circulated, Camp-Y Adventures style care was slated to begin Tuesday, May 26. However, given the slow, rolling reopening of all types of businesses and attractions, he’s not envisioning a normal summer that kids are used to experiencing at the Y. Fun will still be held, just, it will take place primarily at the facility as opposed to planned trips and excursions.
“It will probably be like that all summer,” Shinsky admitted. “We will have summer childcare, but not even sure if we’re going to have traditional summer camp.
Shinsky added he knows the importance of summer childcare, noting, “Once the governor gave the time frame for things to open back up, we started receiving a ton of calls. I’d say 95 percent of them were about childcare.”
Fitness Revival
Job-going adults seeking care for their children aren’t the only inquiries being made of the YMCA. Members are looking forward to getting back inside to continue their fitness regimens. Gyms are supposed to start reopening during the Week 3 portion of the phases.
That too could take place as early as Monday, May 11. But in what capacity and what all fitness-wise will be available at first?
“The governor said he would announce a week beforehand about when Week 3 would begin,” Shinsky said. “So that gives us a target date of May 11, 18, or 25. We’re not sure what the restrictions will be to start. YMCA USA has done a pretty good job of telling us what’s happening in other states, but those states have been hit harder than West Virginia.”
Shinsky is envisioning things like not all cardio machines available at once, limiting the number of people who can use free weights and limiting the numbers participating in the fitness classes themselves. The staff will continue to keep extra sanitary supplies on hand and will ensure things are wiped down, cleaned and sanitized, as the staff did prior to the closing. The good news is the gym and outside the facility will be available for classes.
“Once we know the guidelines, we can get a better idea of what we can offer. But when the weather is nice, we can go outside and utilize all that space to spread out,” Shinsky said.
Training Online
The YMCA training staff didn’t want to leave their members hanging without fitness guidance during these unprecedented times. So they’ve been not only making pre-taped workout videos and uploading them to the Y’s YouTube Channel as well as live workouts on its Facebook page.
“We have several options now for digital workouts and training session,” Shinsky said. “This way, people can catch a class at their convenience, either on Facebook or YouTube, or when there is a live workout. Last week we had a dumbbell free weight class, we’ve had a kettlebell class, and once a week, Jeremy Hays goes live for a workout for basketball players.”
Hays, owner and lead trainer at Fadeaway Fitness, has offered up his services to get the Y’s youth basketball players working on skills and drills at home, in addition to his #BeatheTrainer challenge videos he posts to Twitter and Facebook.
“At one point, we had 230 people tuned into a basketball workout,” Shinsky said. “These were uncharted waters for the Y, but we are a service organization, and that’s what we’re doing. A lot of gyms have held private workouts that they limited to members, but we have opened up ours to the community. Anybody can view and participate.”
Shinsky said he can see the online offerings expanded as the slow crawl to normalcy continues, but potentially, continuing on into the future, adding “There will be a need for the foreseeable future. Some people are staying at home and wanting to stay healthy as they aren’t comfortable coming out and we’ll provide that option.”
What About Summer Basketball?
The Wheeling Recreation Department’s summer basketball leagues are a Wheeling institution; a much looked forward to sense of competition for middle school and high school athletes each summer. When the YMCA began partnering with the rec department a few years ago, it only improved the popular program.
That too may be in jeopardy, though no final decision has been made yet.
“We spoke briefly a couple of weeks ago,” Shinsky said. “We weren’t sure we’ll be able to do it, and, if I had to give my opinion, I don’t think it’ll happen this summer. I can’t see any sports program happening—that’s my personal belief. I hope I’m wrong.”
Shinsky noted the Y is partnering and hosting the inaugural Boogie Johnson Football and Cheering Camp for later summer. He thinks that may be the first event actually held, followed by flag football and so on as the calendar turns to fall.
