No, your child does not have to be a member to participate in youth sports, however, YMCA members do receive reduced registration fees and all the other benefits of a YMCA membership.

Learn more about YMCA membership.

For youth ages seven and up, there is one practice during the week and one game on the weekend. Weeknight practice days and times are determined by the coach and facility availability. Youth under six will have one practice/game on either Saturday or Sunday.

For indoor sports, the games and practices will most likely be held at your local YMCA, or a nearby facility.

For outdoor sports, practices and games are held at local fields in your community. You will receive practice and game times and locations once the schedules are set prior to the start of the season.

Travel for games is dependent on the number of registrants in your child's age group. We make every effort to keep travel to a minimum if it's needed.

If a game or practice is canceled, you will receive an email from your sports director at least an hour before your scheduled practice or game.

We do our best to reschedule canceled games; however, rescheduling is dependent on the weather and facility/field availability.

Uniform shirts/jerseys, hats (for baseball), flags (for football) are provided. Some sports require additional equipment as listed below:

• Basketball – no additional equipment needed
• Soccer – shin guards, cleats (strongly encouraged)

All of our coaches are volunteers. Each volunteer must go through a background screening, child abuse prevention training and other YMCA sports specific training. Each coach is also provided a coach’s manual and is required to attend a pre-season meeting to review proper YMCA procedures and expectations.

Interested volunteer coaching? Sign up here to learn more.

Notify your coach as soon as possible

The YMCA of Greater Brandywine randomly places players on their youth sports teams. If there are significant discrepancies in ability, we try to move players around, when possible, to even teams out. 

We do take special requests into consideration; however no request is guaranteed.

Late registration with requests will not be honored.

A child is permitted to play in the level of the age he/she is or turns during the season. For example, if a child is 6 years old, but turns 7 during the basketball season, he/she may play in the 7 to 8-year-old league. If a young person is 15 when the season starts but turns 16 during the season, he/she may play in the 13 to 15-year-old league.

The YMCA offers sports leagues, classes and clinics. Classes and clinics are instructional in nature and designed to teach the basic fundamentals of each sport. Leagues are set up with weekly team practices and organized games throughout the season.