J.E.R. Chilton YMCA youth sports program kicks off new season

Rockwall, TX (April 30, 2025) – J.E.R. Chilton YMCA has been a part of the Rockwall community for over 30 years. Offering a robust listing of programs, one of their most well-known is the youth sports program.

Serving nearly 2000 young athletes this Spring season, the Rockwall YMCA offers soccer, flag football, volleyball, and more! But what you may not know is the extent of the improvements Y staff is making to their program.

We listened! We are appreciative of the staunch support and numerous compliments from parents and athletes throughout the years. In recent years, with that support we also understood that there were improvements that could be made.

In 2024, we invested in making significant improvements to the soccer and flag football fields. Adding hydro mulch and supplemental fertilizer treatments made for a more enjoyable playing surface that also improves safety. Despite the frequency of usage, the fields are thriving, and the grass is growing.

With the number of athletes in our programs, parking and traffic has seen challenges, especially between games as cars are entering and exiting. We have provided staff in the overflow and gravel lots to help direct drivers. Attendees will also see painted parking lot lines in the gravel lot that will help prevent confusion regarding where they can and cannot park. In addition to those improvements, we have staggered game times to allow for better flow between games and ease of locating parking spaces.

If you or your child has played sports, you have likely disagreed with a call by a referee more than once. Seeing opportunities to enhance this important position, we greatly expanded training! Now, with support from experienced referees, each new referee receives five full days of classroom instruction followed by a written exam. In addition, each referee is required to call a training/demo game before being assigned to a scheduled season game. We believe this improves the accuracy and consistency of calls and increases confidence on the part of the athletes and their families as well as that of the referee themselves.

Results are coming in! We are hearing incredibly positive feedback with the start of the spring season!

“We’re off to a great season and it’s clear to see the hard work y’all are putting into training with the refs and helping with the parking” said one coach. “It’s much safer.”Hearing feedback from parents means so much to us. One mom took time to compliment one of our referees saying, he was “…attentive to the boys – making sure they were ok when they fell, helping them get up, and even tying their cleats. You could tell he cared that the boys played a good game but that they also were taken care of on the field.”

Our mission is clear! The J.E.R. Chilton YMCA youth sports program seeks to help young athletes develop their skills while building self-esteem, encouraging physical activity, and emphasizing positive relationships with teammates and role models. This mission remains top of mind each day and drives us to provide the best youth sports program in the Rockwall County area.With the dedication and passion of our coaches, volunteers, staff, and the supportive Rockwall community we see the love of sports and positive interaction each week. And with the improvements we have made in place, the future of youth sports at the YMCA and in Rockwall looks better than ever.