Youth Advancement Director, Muncie YMCA

My name is Malik Perry. I'm the Youth Advancement Director at the Muncie YMCA here in Muncie, Indiana. Here I do a lot of different things involving youth. I run out our youth sports situation. So it's a lot of basketball, football, baseball things of that nature. Also with summer day-camp and winter day-camp. So I'm in charge of everything Y-related with regards to youth in Delaware County when it comes to youth sports and youth advancement. A lot of things I'm getting my hand in is more of the programming aspect and more of the day-to-day operations. So for basketball, for instance, for me it's coordinating different schedules, making sure rosters and teams are together, making sure information is put out to all the community schools so we have kids being able to sign up. Actually putting the program inside our system, pricing, making sure it's also affordable not only for kids that can afford it but also scholarships for those that can't. Hiring staff to actually run and facilitate these programs so especially basketball to be officials, getting volunteer coaches, people doing the score clocks and things of that nature. Same thing with camp. Trying to provide camp counselors. Making sure we have appropriate individuals around the kids and making sure they follow the actual volunteer and programming steps that we have in H.R. So that could be making sure we have proper background checks, proper training, and just understanding the compass of what the Y is. And also making sure we have kids in a safe and secure environment. Saturday I'm there from roughly seven a.m. in the morning until three p.m. Saturday is game-day for us. We also have two locations. We have our younger kids that participate at the Northwest YMCA. And they have our older kids are at the Downtown YMCA. So I'm pretty much all over the place. Just making sure my staff is there. Making sure everything's set up. Making sure jersey's are out for the kids. Making sure the kids are there and the coaches are there on time. Just knowing their game schedule. And like I said, just being there. Being that added force. Sometimes I gotta come in and ref. Because a ref might show up late or he can't get there So I'll have to step in and officiate a game. Sometimes I just see a little bit of help. A coach might have to show up late and I'll step in and coach. So it just encompasses everything. Just being that what this is. Sparing my time with along everybody else. Cause once again it is my program so the success featured based off of how can I positively affect the individual I'm engaging? And that's parents, that's kids, that's the coaches that will make them want to come back and also be a part of the Y.