Oceanside's Mottino Family YMCA Adapting To Meet Needs Of Community

OCEANSIDE, CA — What if you could find one place where parents could get pre-school and after-school programs for their kids of all ages, find support services for grandparents, fitness programs for themselves, and a whole lot more? Turns out there is such a place in Oceanside.

The Joe and Mary Mottino YMCA has been serving North County since 2003 with a variety of family-friendly programs and services. But, like many community organizations, the pandemic caused the Y to rethink how they conducted operations.

At the outset of the pandemic in 2020, Roberto Trada was brought in from the Ecke Family YMCA to support the Mottino YMCA Camp leadership team. Under Roby's leadership, the Y provided critical services to over 1,000 kids during the height of the pandemic. He advocated for the Mottino Branch to open to its fullest extent, and in September 2020, led the branch to fully reopen its fitness center, pools and youth programs. Trada assumed the official executive director responsibility in September 2021.

The Patch took a recent tour of the YMCA with Roby to get the latest on how the Y is adapting to meet the changing needs of the community.

When COVID hit, I was asked to come and make sure that the doors would stay open, that programs we're running and we were following protocols with county and federal guidelines to ensure safety.

The Y realized there was a need to step up and we were given approval from the state and county to provide full-time childcare for first responders. Ensuring these kids were getting on Zoom classes in time, but also keeping up with the big educational gaps some families were experiencing.

We were serving close to 56 kids that were reaching their goals and not falling behind. We turned one of our fitness rooms into an actual classroom to help meet those needs. We also moved all of our camps and fitness equipment outdoors. We wanted to make sure the community had someplace to focus on their mental, physical and spiritual health. Because that's a big part of helping people stay healthy and sane. Especially during such a crazy time.

We believe that it's critical for our community to focus on early education. Oceanside and Vista rank among the lowest in the county for literacy. There are not enough preschools in the surrounding area and only a few are licensed by the state. That's why we really want to focus on building a preschool here.

"Education is something that we do really well here at the Y."
Roby Trada, Executive Director, Mottino YMCA

Child watching was one of the really important programs during COVID because of our proximity to Camp Pendleton. Child watch operates Monday through Saturday and it's two hours every day with morning and afternoon sessions where families can come bring their kids and go work out, take a class or just relax. This is an opportunity for families and it's just $10 per month. As many kids as you have for $10 a month, you can drop them off every day for two hours.

We also have camps and childcare and sports and we have a lot of wellness programs. We have a teen program called Teen Power Hour. We just want teens working on themselves. Chances are if they are here, they're not getting in trouble or just playing video games.

Our Gym got a brand new upgrade and then COVID hit and we took every single piece of equipment outside. We're fortunate to have a beautiful view and lots of space and our members actually love being outside in the open air. It's actually a great gym. We have everything you need and our trainers are just top-notch great people.

Outside is where we do our camps. This summer we had about 200 people come and we did a lot of camp songs, skits and games together and then split into groups to do different skills like cooking or soccer or other camp activities. We are lucky to have all the fields to spread everyone out.

Safety is our number one priority. We wanted people to feel comfortable coming here because we keep the facility clean and make sure it's safe for all members.

One of the things that's been really near and dear to my heart is the garden we started. We were thinking we could transform this garden into a live classroom and kids can learn about the science of plants. On one side we have plants that are native to this area. The other side is the vegetable garden. The kids come out here twice a week to learn about how plants grow and what seasons, harvesting and the whole process.

We partnered with Oceanside Kitchen Collaborative and we will have our kids plan the harvest and then donate the produce to OKC who will turn around and makes meals for people in need. So the kids are learning science, farming and sustainability. They're learning how you can grow your own food and that you don't need a lot of space. They're also learning about philanthropy and that there are things you can do to make your community better. So it's an opportunity for them to really feel like they're part of something bigger. Who knows, we might have the next farmer biologist chef in these kids but they need to have access and actually touch something and learn it to spark that imagination or spark that passion.

What I've learned in the last 20 months I've been here at the Mottino Y, is that we haven't scratched the surface of what we can do in this community. We have the ability to develop the land and do so much more. I have a vision of a preschool with 10 classrooms, two indoor soccer fields, a hub for childcare and camp in the summer.

The Y is a branch. I want it to be a place where there's something for everyone, and people feel like it's their second home.

We're a community hub that brings people together in a safe way and I'm looking forward to the next 3-5 years and expanding our footprint not only here but across the entire area. We are increasing our collaborations and working with other organizations to really strengthen the community. That's our goal. We need to make sure every person in Oceanside and Vista have the tools and the skills and resources they need to thrive in their fullest potential.

To get everyone off to a good start in 2022, we're running a promotion in January where we're waiving the joining fee for any family to join. So it's a great time to come explore all our amazing programs.

Happenings at the Mottino YMCA

Teen Power Hour – A unique program, local teens can come work out Monday – Friday from 4 – 5pm with supervised personal training to promote strength, fitness and mental wellness.

Winter School Break Camp – The Mottino Y has been offering North County’s premier summer, spring and winter break camps for years. Limited spaces remain for the upcoming sessions featuring educational programing, arts & crafts, sports and more the weeks of December 20-23 & 27–29, 2022.

January New Year, New You Promotion – $0 Join Fee & January Free for all new memberships. The best promotional offer of the year.

Youth Sports are back! - In January, Mottino will offer youth sports programing 4 days a week including Saturday.

Mommy and me – Actives and fun for preschool age kids and their parents to learn and bond. Literacy program within the childcare.

Family classes are open! – Offering local children a range of activities including karate, dance, musical theater and more.

*New in 2022 – A grant funded STEM Camp (Science. Technology. Engineering. Math) will take place for the first time ever. This free camp is open for 30 kids from military families starting on Jan. 3, with activities, STEM projects, experiments and all the magic of Y Camp.

Programs at the Y:

• Group Exercise
• Team Training
• Pool Schedule
• Swim lessons
• Child Watch
• Family Activities
• Swim Team
• Youth Sports
• Dance
• Karate
• Character Builders
• Day Camp

A recent Christmas Celebration at the Y with Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath

Dedicated to empowering people to be healthier in spirit, mind and body, the Y believes a strong community can only be achieved when we invest in our kids, our health and our neighbors. As a leading nonprofit organization, the Y offers programs that foster youth development, promote healthy living and advance social responsibility. Further information about the Joe and Mary Mottino YMCA can be found online at www.ymcasd.org/mottino.

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