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New Youth Director at YMCA
The Osage Prairie YMCA recently welcomed a new Youth Program Director, Jay Allen.
“I’ve been in the kid business 33 years. I’ve been a PE teacher, science teacher, weights, health. I am a big believer in exercise for kids — get them involved in something they truly love to do. Today’s age kids want to sit down and be on the Xbox or computer and its tough for parents to get them out of that routine, but hopefully I can come here and really offer some good programs for the kids.”
Allen is a 1979 graduate of Walker High School where he was a four year starter on the basketball team under coach Bill Baker and ended his high school career with a 109-12 record and four years as an all-state player.
“We were pretty good back then,” Allen said.
Allen said Baker is the reason he became a coach and a teacher.
“I’m kind of a people person,” Allen said. “I like helping kids.”
After high school, Allen spent two years playing basketball at Wentworth Military Academy in Lexington, Mo.
“It was a good experience going there,” Allen said.
He finished his undergraduate work at Pittsburg State University before returning to Wentsworth Military Academy as an instructor and coach.
Allen was inducted into the Wentworth Military Academy sports hall of fame in 2007. Notes from the Wentworth Military Academy athletics website read, “He was the high school basketball coach with two conference titles 1985-1986. In 1986-1987 they went undefeated. His Tri-Mil record was (20 wins-9 losses) with four first places, three second places. He was assistant football coach from 1985-1991, tennis coach from 1989-1991, assistant junior college basketball coach form 1984-1985 and 1994.”
After ten years at Wentsworth Military Academy, Allen accepted a position in Shawnee Mission, Kan. teaching and coaching where he spent 23 years before retiring in 2015.
Allen said he had always planned to move home to Vernon County, to a quieter life outside the city.
Taking a break from organizing the YMCA’s summer camp, Allen spent part of Thursday morning playing pickle ball with YMCA members.
Allen said the YMCA is teaming with Vernon County 4-H to bring new activities to to this summer’s camp including robotics, cooking, photography, theater, dance, and others. The traditional basketball, baseball, and flag football will still be offered.
The camp will run for six weeks over the summer and consist of three, two-week sessions with morning and afternoon activities which will run from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. While the final schedule is not completed, Allen said signups should open next week and that kids from Kindergarten through sixth grade can sign up for the whole camp, or just the sessions they are interested in.
Allen is also working with YMCA director Jeff Snyder to create a fall basketball camp and possibly host a traveling basketball team.
“I think it’s really feasible we can do this.” Allen said.
For more information on the Osage Prairie YMCA, visit their website at http://osageprairiey.org/. Watch for more information on the YMCA summer camp in a future edition of the Nevada Daily Mail.