Y Stories • YMCA Youth Programs
Get in the Game: Basketball at Mississauga YMCA
16 March 2016 - by Talía Noya
March Madness is now in full swing: the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship bracket was announced and first rounds start this week. College athletes aren’t the only ones with drive, goals and determination; our very own YMCA players are a source of great inspiration! Meet some of our Mississauga basketball stars and learn why they work so hard at the sport they love.
Age: 13
Signature move: Defense. “I like helping my team and making sure the other team doesn’t get the ball,” explains Tina.
Motivation: Her friends and YMCA staff because “they’re supportive, nice, motivational and they’ll help you whenever. There is no negativity.”
Motto: For Tina, basketball is all about teamwork: be nice to everyone and treat others the way you’d like to be treated. “You have to get along with others to succeed in life,” she says. “In your team, you need to cooperate to win. You need to work together.”
At the Y: Tina learned how to play basketball when she joined the Y league. She also spends a lot of her time at the Y training for triathlons. “The classes at the Y are the reason why I like sports,” notes Tina. “I do all my sports here and that’s why I’m on a lot of the teams at my school and the leagues.”
Age: 13
Signature move: Lay-ups and playing defense.
Idols: LeBron James before he left Miami. Now she follows the Toronto Raptors.
Motivation: Her coaches and teammates in the YMCA league. “When I first joined the league I wasn’t very good but everybody still tried to help me,” recalls Crystal. “Everybody helped me grow with learning how to defend, how to shoot or do lay-ups.”
Goal: Work on sportsmanship. “I try to spread out and get the ball to everybody evenly so that everyone gets a chance.”
At the Y: Being involved at the Y has always been a family affair for her. Two of her siblings volunteer at the front desk and for Teen Night. Apart from the basketball league, Crystal also does swimming, Tae Kwon Do. “I grew up here,” says Crystal. “I meet a lot of new people.”
Age: 12
Signature move: Defense is her expertise.
Motivation: Her parents always give her encouragement. “They tell me I can do this and I just go for it,” she explains. “They’re trying to get me to reach my goals.”
Motto: When she’s on the court, Maya thinks about what she has learned from her YMCA Youth Leadership Development (YLD) leader: “Just keep on going forward. You are your own limit and your own boss.”
At the Y: Maya, who has been a member since age 3, is involved in swimming and the YLD program. When she isn’t playing on her school’s basketball team, she’s practicing her skills at the Y. She hopes to continue volunteering and become a staff member one day!
See Tina, Crystal and Maya in action in YMCA Canada’s It Starts Here campaign video! Can’t get enough of basketball? Get to know other players involved in YMCA basketball programs at our Central and Scarborough centres.
[mks_icon icon="icon-social-dribbble" color="#dd3333" type="sl"] Tina
Age: 13Signature move: Defense. “I like helping my team and making sure the other team doesn’t get the ball,” explains Tina.
Motivation: Her friends and YMCA staff because “they’re supportive, nice, motivational and they’ll help you whenever. There is no negativity.”
Motto: For Tina, basketball is all about teamwork: be nice to everyone and treat others the way you’d like to be treated. “You have to get along with others to succeed in life,” she says. “In your team, you need to cooperate to win. You need to work together.”
At the Y: Tina learned how to play basketball when she joined the Y league. She also spends a lot of her time at the Y training for triathlons. “The classes at the Y are the reason why I like sports,” notes Tina. “I do all my sports here and that’s why I’m on a lot of the teams at my school and the leagues.”
The YMCA helped me get healthier; I used to struggle. It makes me feel like a better person. I like being inspiring and motivational. I like to help others.”
[mks_icon icon="icon-social-dribbble" color="#dd3333" type="sl"] Crystal
Age: 13Signature move: Lay-ups and playing defense.
Idols: LeBron James before he left Miami. Now she follows the Toronto Raptors.
Motivation: Her coaches and teammates in the YMCA league. “When I first joined the league I wasn’t very good but everybody still tried to help me,” recalls Crystal. “Everybody helped me grow with learning how to defend, how to shoot or do lay-ups.”
Goal: Work on sportsmanship. “I try to spread out and get the ball to everybody evenly so that everyone gets a chance.”
At the Y: Being involved at the Y has always been a family affair for her. Two of her siblings volunteer at the front desk and for Teen Night. Apart from the basketball league, Crystal also does swimming, Tae Kwon Do. “I grew up here,” says Crystal. “I meet a lot of new people.”
I’ve learned how to work with a team. No matter the different strengths or opinions that we have, we still have to work together with everybody.”
[mks_icon icon="icon-social-dribbble" color="#dd3333" type="sl"] Maya
Age: 12Signature move: Defense is her expertise.
Motivation: Her parents always give her encouragement. “They tell me I can do this and I just go for it,” she explains. “They’re trying to get me to reach my goals.”
Motto: When she’s on the court, Maya thinks about what she has learned from her YMCA Youth Leadership Development (YLD) leader: “Just keep on going forward. You are your own limit and your own boss.”
At the Y: Maya, who has been a member since age 3, is involved in swimming and the YLD program. When she isn’t playing on her school’s basketball team, she’s practicing her skills at the Y. She hopes to continue volunteering and become a staff member one day!
Sometimes I feel like you can express your feelings in sports. And it’s really good to get active. It’s therapeutic in a way.”
See Tina, Crystal and Maya in action in YMCA Canada’s It Starts Here campaign video! Can’t get enough of basketball? Get to know other players involved in YMCA basketball programs at our Central and Scarborough centres.
