Member Spotlight

Our Spotlight Member of the Month is Matthew Boston!

Being born and raised in Clinton, the YMCA has been a part of my entire life. My first “Y Story” that I can recall was learning how to swim through our elementary school. The focus was on how to survive if we ever ended up in the water unexpectedly. On the final day, we were challenged to jump off the diving board and swim to the edge. I wasn’t ready for that—but I was ready for what every 90’s kid was: coming to the YMCA on Saturdays to play basketball in the shadow of the greatest ever to do it, Michael Jordan. I was only an occasional member as a kid, but the foundation was set through these experiences.

My “Y Story” today began as a high school graduation gift from my parents—a membership that has since turned into a lifelong commitment I now share with my family. Over the years, I’ve been most involved with the weightlifting side of the Y. In the early days I flipped the lights on in “The Dungeon” every morning, where free weights were crammed into a tiny room with no windows, and everyone fought over the one little CD boombox. Now, I take advantage of the 24/7 access in a bright, spacious room filled with cable machines, cardio equipment, and plenty of early morning sunlight, where everyone listens to their own music from their phones.

I can’t say enough great things about our Y. Our kids have taken private swim lessons and participated in Youth Sports Programs that introduced them to basketball, soccer, and flag football. I’ve even has the privilege of signing their permission slips for elementary school swim lessons, just as my parents once did for me. What I’m most grateful for now, though, is coming to the YMCA on Saturday mornings with my son, Myles, to play basketball—he in the shadow of his favorite NBA players, and both of us knowing that the greatest to ever do it will forever be, Michael Jordan.

-Matthew Boston