‘Always something going on’
MARSHALL AREA YMCA 20TH ANNIVERSARY
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MARSHALL -- Those who use the Marshall Area YMCA facilities and are among its many volunteers are its best spokespersons.
Individuals like Jesus "Chuy" Hernandez, Pat and Sharon Hennen, and Allison Ufkin are prime examples.
Chuy Hernandez is called the "defecto captain of Futsal," according to YMCA executive director Tom Bolin.
Futsal is indoor soccer. There are 14 men's teams that play on Saturdays, and four women's teams that play on Sundays, said Hernandez.
He's on his second term on the YMCA board. Born in Mexico, he moved to Worthington in 1990, when he was 14. He came to Marshall in early 1993. "I've been in Marshall most of my life," he said.
He is considered by many to be the Godfather of soccer in Marshall, having led the effort to establish a town team early on that participated against other communities when then sport was in its infancy in Marshall. That was the first domino in a series of events that led to Community Services offering soccer programs, and the formation of a Marshall High School team.
In 2010, a YMCA staff member approached him about the possibility of starting a Futsal league.
"I agreed and when we started there were four teams," he said. "It's a smaller version of soccer, less players, but the same concept and idea." There's 6 players on each team. The roster has 12 players.
He describes the league as "competitive but friendly," he said. "It's a family environment," he said. Each game takes an hour, which includes two, 25-minutes halves. "It's bigger scoring, too," said Hernandez.
It's for all ages, with the youngest players being 12. There are some women who plays on the men's teams, and there's all-women teams that compete on Sundays.
"The league has a good reputation," he said. There's two seasons -- from early October through mid-December, and from mid-January to mid-April.
Players travel from towns like Willmar, Pipestone, Brookings, Montevideo, Tracy, Worthington and Sioux City and Orange City, Iowa, to compete. On Hernandez's team, there's players from Montevideo, Willmar, Tracy, Minneota and Canby.
The league is quite diverse, said Hernandez. "I counted over 40 countries that are represented in the league," he said. They come from Canada, Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
"The league is for everyone, that's what makes it so unique. It's a positive activity and we are appreciative of the YMCA for offering it to the community," he said.
He likes Futsal, and the Y, because "the focus is about bringing people together. The Y is a welcoming, safe place."
He said games can bring in more than 200 fans. Spectators sit along the wall of the double gym.
"There's Futsal fans who may not have a player (they are following) on a team, they just come because they like the sport," he said.
A lot of players on the Marshall High School team "first kicked a ball at the YMCA," said Hernandez.
He calls the Y "a welcoming, safe place for everybody," and appreciates its inclusive environment.
He's like to see soccer continue its growth inn Marshall, and said more regulation fields are needed. "Hopefully that will be addressed in the future," he said.
He's excited about the growth of his Futsal league, and soccer in general, in Marshall, and looks forward to more growth as the diversity of the region continues to grow.
Pat and Sharon Hennen
Pat and Sharon Hennen are advocates for the YMCA.
Pat is a former YMCA board member and past board chair. He also has served on various committees, and helped with fundraising efforts. He believes in the Y.
"I love their mission statement, and the last two words are 'for all,' " he said. It reads, fully, "To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all."
Sharon was involved from Day 1 as a meat buyer for Schwan's and talking to vendors about supporting the Marshall Y effort.
She's had several positions in the community over the years, most recently as a nurse, and today is semi-retired, giving her time and talents to causes near and dear to her.
She is the "meats" coach for the Lakeview and Redwood Falls schools' FFA teams. She's a Master Gardener and heads up the summer youth gardening program at the YMCA. The gardens are in raised beds on the Y grounds and are planted in Mid-June, when school is out. Young gardeners can take produce home, and any excess is put out in the lobby for others to enjoy.
"The Y is a community gathering place" said Pat. "You can meet people, bounce ideas off each other. It is more than a gym, it's important socially too."
Sharon agrees. "There's always something going on -- meetings, cards, activities -- the Y includes the whole aspect of health," she said.
Pre-pandemic, it wasn't uncommon for the Y to serve 1,000 people per day, said Pat.
"That's amazing, when you think about it. And it really has established partnerships with a number of organizations," he said.
Executive director Tom Bolin said there have been 3,678,875 member visits over the past 20 years, a number that does not include community members visiting for programs, events, and meetings.
"Marshall is fortunate to have a facility of this quality," said Pat.
"The YMCA does so much good, for so many people, in a number of ways," said Sharon.
Allison Ufkin
You'd be hard pressed to find a more vocal advocate for the YMCA than Allison Ufkin.
Ufkin is from Minneota and "now that I'm retired, I go to then Y almost every day when I'm home," she said.
Her favorite activities at the YMCA include swimming laps, group exercise classes and pickleball.
Ufkin said she's been "going to the Y for many years" and is nearing the end of her first term on the board of directors.
She's the lead on decorating for the Nov. 2 YMCA Social: Kings and Queens event, a first-time fund-raiser that will be held in The Upper Room from 5-9 p.m. The event will feature casino games and a silent auction, with proceeds going to the scholarship fund to assist individuals who wish to belong to the Y.
"It's going to be a ton of fun and it's for a great cause," said Ufkin.
Since coming onto the board she's gotten a deeper understanding of what the Marshall Area YMCA means to the region. "It's many things to many people and covers everly age group, from little children to teens to families and seniors. There's 40-some group classes, pickleball, all sorts of things. I've been to many Y's, and Marshall has one of the best pools and facilities out there. And the people there are just wonderful."
Sometimes it's tough, she said, to go to the Y and work out.
"Some people can exercise at home but that's something I just don't do. I may begrudgingly go there, and I do so with a purpose, to work out, have fun and meet lots of friends. It's a very social place, with a welcoming presence," she said. "I've found that you always feel better -- mentally and physically -- when you work out. The instructors are wonderful, they know their stuff, and you always feel welcome."