Salina Family YMCA
Beginning this basketball season at the Salina Family YMCA, official scores will be kept for all youth sports K-6th grade.
This change reflects the YMCA’s commitment to youth development and aligns directly with their mission to help kids grow in spirit, mind, and body. While scores will now be recorded, the YMCA wants to be clear that skill development, sportsmanship, and personal growth remain the priority, not wins or losses. Youth sports are a powerful classroom for life lessons, teaching how to win with humility, handle loss with resilience, and continue striving to improve are skills that extend far beyond the court or field.
Before every game, YMCA athletes recite the YMCA Sports Pledge, which begins: “Win or lose, I pledge before God, to do my best to be a team player; to respect my teammates, opponents, coaches, parents, and officials; and to improve myself in spirit, mind and body.”
Keeping score reinforces this message and helps children understand that both wins and losses are part of growth.
“The scoreboard says one thing; however, it is how we respond that reflects us,” said Jessica Biegert, Sports Director at the Salina Family YMCA. “Does the loss motivate us to get better, or to quit? Does the win motivate us to continue winning, or does it leave us in a state of content or arrogance? What matters most is how we respond to those wins and losses.”
“In life, we are faced with competitive moments every day,” said Chris Lehecka, President and CEO of the Salina Family YMCA. “When kids learn to win with humility and lose with dignity, they are building perseverance, confidence, and leadership. This is a shared responsibility. Coaches, officials, parents, volunteers, and staff all work together to deliver that message and support our kids. The scoreboard fades, the lessons of teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and character stay for life.”