Meet YMCA Volunteer: Kyle

To say that Kyle Smith is familiar with Y youth sports is a bit of an understatement. As a kid, Kyle played sports at the Y and, as an adult, he signed his own kids up to participate as he took on the role of supporter and coach. In fact, between soccer and basketball, Kyle estimates that he’s coached over 25 seasons of youth sports at the Y.

“Coaching has been amazing. It’s really brought back how meaningful youth sports were to me as a child, and now I have the opportunity to help provide those opportunities to the next generation.”

Kyle says that one of the best parts of coaching is watching kids grow and learn all kinds of lessons with their teammates - both on and off the field. Lessons like the importance of hard work, not giving up, and, of course, how to work as a team. He sees them learn to be bold, be humble, and enjoy the gift of being a kid.

Kyle is also quick to point out that, with opportunities to get outside and socialize being more difficult to find in the past year, he felt the importance of youth sports more than ever.

“Getting our children back on the field was such a gift. Soccer doesn't matter nearly as much as the mental, emotional, and relational health that Y sports brings these kids.”

Thank you, Kyle, for sharing your time and talents with Missoula youth!