Free Throw Contest Set For Feb. 18

23 January 2012

The Local Competition of the Northwest Indiana Y Free Throw Contest will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Y’s Shick Gym. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. and the competition is free to the public.

The winners advance to the Northwest Indiana Championship held at noon Sunday, March 11, at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond. Separate age divisions for boys and girls include: age 9 and under (10 ft. basket, 12 ft. foul line, 28.5 ball), age 11 and under (10 ft. basket, 12 ft. foul line, 28.5 ball) and age 13 and under (10 ft. basket, 15 ft. foul line, official ball for boys and 28.5 ball for girls). Birth certificates must be provided as proof of age at Championship level. Age eligibility determined by age as of March 1, 2012.

For more information, contact Senior Program Director Mark Schreiber at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Ott, Large Place First In Dribble, Dish & Swish Regional

22 January 2012

Ryin Ott and Grant Large placed first in their divisions in the Chicago Bulls Regional Competition of the NBA FIT/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish, Presented by Pepperidge Farm Flavor Blasted Goldfish. Ryin and Grant, competing in the 7/8 age divisions, are now one big step closer to winning an all-expense paid trip for two to NBA All-Star 2012 in Orlando.

The Regional Competition was held Saturday at the Chicago Bulls Training Academy in Lisle, Ill. All participants were provided with an official NBA FIT/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish T-Shirt, a regional award plaque and two complimentary Bulls game tickets for the Jan. 27 game versus the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ryin and Grant, who are cousins, qualified out of the Local Competition held Nov. 19 at the La Porte County Family YMCA. Ryin is the daughter of Al and Jamie Ott and Grant is the son of Steve and Shari Large.

For more information on NBA FIT, visit www.nba.com.

UPDATE: Justene Charlesworth from Wanatah, a Y participant from South County Youth Soccer, also took first place in her division in the Chicago Bulls Regional Competition. The daughter of Ray and Juli Charlesworth, she competed in the 11/12 girls divison. Justene also won her division last year in the Northwest Indiana Y Free Throw Championship.

Register For La Porte YMCA Run

13 January 2012

The ninth annual La Porte YMCA Run takes place Saturday, March 24, at Soldiers Memorial Park in La Porte. The event includes a 10K run and a 5K run/walk.

The 10K run begins at 9 a.m. followed by the 5K run/walk at 9:15 a.m. Registration begins at 7:20 a.m. and concludes as 8:50 a.m. at Cummings Lodge. The course begins near Stone Lake beach and winds through scenic La Porte County.

The 10K competitive run has been sanctioned by the Calumet Region Striders as a Gold Cup Series race.

For registration information, click here.

Aqua Zumba Starts Jan. 9

06 January 2012

Make a splash and join our “pool party” workout for all ages! Aqua Zumba is coming to the Y in January. Held from 7-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, Aqua Zumba is a safe, effective and challenging water-based workout, that integrates the Zumba formula and philosophy into traditional aqua fitness disciplines.

Don’t be fooled, this is not your normal aqua class, the moves are intense. Remember you will be moving your bodies for 45-60 minutes against the resistance of the water. The movements are challenging and you can really feel the muscles working against the resistance.

Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton are a few of the dance rhythms that are incorporated into this class.  Exercise movements include hamstring curls, Zumba shuffle, kicking, twisting and clapping.

Sunday Hours Extended For Winter

02 January 2012

Our members spoke and your Y has listened. We are now offering extended Sunday hours for the winter. Beginning Jan. 8, the Y will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

"Snow Day" Camp

02 January 2012

When La Porte Community Schools are cancelled for the day because of weather-related conditions, the Y offers our full-day mini-camp. Children can be dropped off as early as 6:30 a.m. and picked up as late as 6 p.m. Counselors lead children in scheduled activities throughout the day such as playing games in the gym, arts and crafts, an occasional movie, swimming and much more. Children bring a sack lunch, bathing suit and towel. Check our Facebook page or call (219) 325-9622 to confirm camp availability and start time. The fee is $30 per child for members or $40 per child for non-members.