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More Than a Gym Finding Your People at the Y
You can drive past the pool on Newton Drive, spend a Saturday on the soccer sidelines, or sign up for a workout and still miss what makes the Covington Y matter most: the people who find a place there.
For Episode 110, Trey Bailey sits down with Louly Hay-Kapp, Executive Director of the Covington Family YMCA, to talk about what happens when neighbors have a place to meet, children have adults cheering them on, and someone who feels intimidated finds the courage to walk through the door.
A five hour start that became a calling
Louly grew up on a family farm off Deering Road in Newton County, surrounded by people who taught her that caring for the community was a responsibility. After time away for college and a stretch in Florida, she returned to Covington and worked with juvenile court families as a mediator.
A visit to the Y began with a practical question: What positive opportunities could it offer the young people she was working with? That conversation turned into five hours of work a week. Then more hours. Eventually, it became a career.
The appeal was the chance to bring together people whose paths might otherwise never cross. Different incomes, backgrounds, churches, and perspectives could share the same space and build relationships.
Financial assistance and a place to belong
Louly says one of the most important things people misunderstand about the Y is its commitment to helping people participate regardless of their ability to pay. Local fundraising helps provide financial assistance for memberships and programs, and the application process is confidential.
Someone using a treadmill may be exercising beside a neighbor whose participation is supported by assistance. Neither needs to know the other’s circumstances. They can simply be people sharing the same place.
That promise does have a practical limit: space. Later in the conversation, Louly explains that day camp and afterschool programs have waiting lists because of capacity, even when financial assistance is available. Helping families afford a program and having enough room to serve them are two different challenges.
She also explains that membership fees, program fees, and donations support the Y’s work. Specific grants and public partnerships can help, but community support remains essential.
The hardest step can be the front door
One woman told Louly she had sat in the parking lot for 20 minutes without coming inside. She was intimidated. Louly’s response was simple: come back, and she would meet her at the door.
Trey and Louly also discuss a young member whose health journey became a powerful example of connection. He began in lower-impact classes with active older adults, built friendships across generations, and gradually took part in more activities. Louly credits him with doing the work, while describing how staff and other members welcomed and encouraged him.
Those relationships matter at every age. Louly talks about older adults who check on one another and children who need to know that another caring adult is glad to see them. A class or practice gives people a reason to show up. A friendship can give them a reason to return.
You do not have to know how every machine works
Trey admits that he and his wife recently joined the Y, and that signing up has come more easily than showing up. There is also a brief attempt to find out whether AI can do the workout for him. Louly remains unconvinced.
For anyone who recognizes that hesitation, she describes the Coach Approach: a series of wellness-coach appointments included with membership to discuss goals, get familiar with equipment, and build a manageable routine. Individual personal training and other specialized services can carry additional charges.
The point is to start with achievable steps and keep checking in. Group classes offer another form of encouragement, especially when someone asks whether you will be back on Wednesday.
Soccer teaches more than soccer
The activity at the YMCA Outdoor Center on Stone Road is familiar to plenty of local families. There are children learning the game, volunteers guiding teams, and very young players who would sometimes rather visit the playground.
Underneath the weekend bustle is a lot of patient work. Coaches help children practice teamwork, confidence, and showing up for other people. Volunteers help remove obstacles that might otherwise keep a child from participating.
Louly also highlights the referee program as a development opportunity. Young people are learning responsibility, judgment, and how to handle pressure. Her request to adults on the sidelines is worth hearing: give those young officials room to learn.
The conversation covers much more than soccer, including group exercise, pickleball, tennis, childcare, camps, basketball, swimming, and adaptive swim lessons. Louly also discusses girls flag football and interest in additional youth sports. For current schedules and registration, check directly with the Y.
Connecting opportunities for teens
A recent board retreat brought together voices from schools, local government, law enforcement, and the business community. One theme stood out to Louly: teens need more opportunities, and organizations need to do a better job of connecting families with the opportunities that already exist.
A young person in one program may never hear about another organization’s offering. Bringing people to the same table can help close that gap and reveal where more resources are needed.
Louly sees the Y as a natural place to convene those conversations. Trey points out how easily well-intentioned organizations can work separately, each stretching limited resources. Better communication could help those efforts reach further.
Room for the next chapter
Louly describes a Covington Y that has grown into needs its current space cannot fully meet. More childcare capacity, a full-size gym, and an indoor pool are among the possibilities discussed.
These are aspirations and early conversations about growth, partnerships, and fundraising. Louly does not present a funded construction plan or an opening date. An indoor pool, in particular, would be a substantial expense that could require partners.
The underlying question is easy to understand: as the community grows, how can the places that serve it grow too?
For Louly, the answer begins with listening to neighbors and inviting more people into the work. Join, volunteer, support the mission, or stop by and ask questions. That first conversation might lead somewhere you did not expect.
Watch Episode 110 of The Town Square Podcast: https://youtu.be/RdyT7byLKco
Links Mentioned
Covington Family YMCA — membership, programs, and contact information
https://www.ymcaatlanta.org/locations/covington-family-ymca
Covington Family YMCA youth sports schedules
https://www.quickscores.com/covingtonymca
Visit the Covington Family YMCA at 2140 Newton Drive, Covington, GA 30014, or call 770-787-3908 to ask about joining, volunteering, or financial assistance.
Sponsors and Advertisers
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Cold beer, food, and a place to gather with friends in Covington. Stop by, bring a friend, and thank them for supporting The Town Square Podcast.
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https://www.bizzybeeexterminators.com
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