“Young man, there’s no need to feel down, I said, young man, pick yourself up off the ground… Young man, there’s a place you can go, I said, young man, when you’re short on your dough…It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A., It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.”
~ 1978 SONG BY “THE VILLAGE PEOPLE”
Those are the memorable lyrics to the song “Y.M.C.A.” sung by The Village People, and equally memorable are the arm movements that spell out the letters to the song’s title. Most young people today probably know the words but have no idea as to the meaning of the song. However, Jason Hagensick, President & CEO of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County readily explained that The Y.M.C.A., the Young Men’s Christian Association, was founded by 12 young men in London, England, in 1844, in response to unhealthy conditions in rapidly growing cities. The growth of the railroads at the time brought many rural young men into the cities seeking jobs. They worked 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week but had nowhere to go, or else poor conditions in which to stay. “The Y” was started as a place for Bible study and prayer to offset the rough street life. “The Y” rented out rooms until the 1950s, then developed into a noted place for swimming, fitness and sports.
Jason was raised in a carnival family in Ingleside, Texas, just outside Corpus Christi. His father spent much of the year traveling the Midwest, to places in Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and several surrounding states. Jason, his mother and two brothers would spend every summer traveling with his father while working various carnival games. “It was a very unique childhood,” says Jason, “I learned so many valuable lessons that have benefited me throughout my life and YMCA career.”
At the age of 18, Jason’s high school basketball coach asked him to volunteer at the YMCA as a youth basketball coach. The rest, as they say, is history. His first Y job was working the front desk on weekends, where he enjoyed building relationships with community leaders and stakeholders. “The best part about a career in the Y is the people you get to meet,” said Jason. “These mentors, friends and champions changed my life. They saw potential in an 18-year-old kid. Something I try to pay forward every chance I get. To champion others, especially teens and young adults.”
Fast forward almost 35 years and Jason has worked at YMCAs in Texas, California and now Florida. In a happy moment of chance, he met his wife at the Y in San Antonio. “The Y is a wonderful place to raise a family,“ Jason said. His daughter, Abbey, participates in the YMCA Leaders Club and volunteers in the Peter Blum Family YMCA’s Chase’s Place program for neuro-diverse populations. His son, Wyatt, is in the youth soccer program and attends teen camp during school breaks.
He is pleased with the local non-profit and its vision for the future. “Our Board has lofty ambitions,” Jason explained. “We believe that big, complex, long-term challenges require big, multi-faceted, long-term solutions. Our YMCA has the organizational makeup to meet this challenge by means of its cause-based mission, breadth of services, operational know-how and scale.”
This past year, the YMCA of South Palm Beach County proudly served 34,488 individuals through membership and programs. More than half of all participants are under the age of 18, and almost 1 in 4 receive financial support through the Y’s Annual Giving Campaign. “Our Y prides itself on not turning anyone away based on financial need,” Jason continued, “we strive to make programs affordable and accessible to all.”
More than 2,000 people visit the YMCAs in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach every day. Programs including preschool, after-school and summer camp support children and families during out-of-school time. Teens learn valuable leadership and life skills, and families are taught to be safe in and around water through the Y’s aquatics and water safety programming.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Jason, “Our Y has proudly served Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach for more than 50 years. The next 5 years are going to be huge, and the long-term benefits are even greater.” Branch upgrades will enable the organization to address key groups with significantly greater reach and focus.
Just as the Y in 1844 was striving to meet the community needs of the time, Ys today strive to meet the ever-changing needs of the communities they serve: the pursuit of healthier lifestyles; childcare needs for working parents; character values through sports; and a tremendous emphasis on youth development. Interestingly, several sports were actually invented at or through the Y: basketball in 1891 in Massachusetts, professional football in 1895 in Pennsylvania, volleyball in 1895 in Massachusetts, softball in 1926 in Colorado, and racquetball in 1950 in Connecticut.
Jason concluded, “Extraordinary times require an extraordinary response, and our Y is uniquely suited to the task. We are proud of the work we are doing and we look forward to the YMCA of South Palm Beach County continuing to evolve to best serve our community.” It is the devoted leadership, vision, and forward-thinking of Jason Hagensick and those with whom he works closely, who will continue to guarantee the future success of “THE Y”, and how truly fortunate the YMCA is to have people like him.
The YMCA of South Palm Beach County is comprised of the Peter Blum Family YMCA of Boca Raton, the DeVos-Blum Family YMCA of Boynton Beach, and the YMCA@901 NCCI. For more information, please visit YMCASPBC.org or call (561) 395-9622.