That’s a pretty standard question for Scott Moody, the tall, lanky Youth Sports Coordinator at our St. Cloud Area Family YMCA.
“Kids have always liked me, I’m not sure why, but they’ve just always been draw to me,” said Scott.
Carolyne Anderson, Youth and Family Director agrees. “Scott is super-relatable. He really gets down to the kids level to interact with them.”
You can find Scott coaching Micro Sports, conducting Home School Gym (a phy ed class for children who are educated at home) or coaching soccer, t-ball, volleyball, or his first love, basketball.
Scott begins each of his sessions by asking the kids how they’re doing. That could elicit comments about troublesome siblings or joy about the Happy Meal a child is going to have for dinner after practice.
Then, as Scott gets his sessions going, he has to be prepared to pivot. “I might have my t-ball practice all mapped out, but with the tiny kids, if there’s a helicopter overhead, we make time to wave to the pilot.”
Scott joined the Y just about a year ago as a front desk staff. His intention was to work with us for a short time, when his previous Youth Coaching job ended.
However, when Carolyne, the Y’s Director of Youth and Family Programs (who was pregnant at the time) learned about Scott’s 7 years of summer sports experience, she knew she’d found herself a capable partner in preventing crime.
After about a year on the job, Coach Scott is receiving praise from parents. One note began, “Coach Scott has been instrumental to helping my son get comfortable in being successful in participating in sports like he wants to.” It went on to describe how Scott had made a difference in one child’s life. It ended “I hope the YMCA knows how valuable Coach Scott is to the youth sports program.”
Trust us, we do.