Emily Zabrecky has been a YMCA member for a few years now, heading to the Hammond Family Y on Southeastern Avenue for much of that time.
She loved her Y family there, but it always seemed that even after the 2019 upgrade, there were always more people there than the building could handle. It was kind of thing that made her have to psych herself into working out, she said, and the vibe wasn’t always vibing.
The new destination Hammond Family Y on the former Woodmar Shopping Center, which opened November 20, has none of that inconvenience. In fact, the new digs are “too nice to complain about,” she said.
“They really delivered,” Zabrecky, of Munster, said. “Now we have a facility just as awesome as the vibe.”
In the first two days, the Hammond Y has nearly tripled its membership, its exhausted executive director, Kevin Klein, told the Post-Tribune. In the first two days, the new $75 million club has counted 3,000 scans per day, while Southeastern would log 1,200 scans, he said.
“Currently, the Hammond Y serves 19,000 members. Nearly 1,000 new members have joined our Y since November 8,” Klein said in an email. “The majority of our members have a family membership (one or two-adult household and their dependents), so all can enjoy the YMCA.”
And there’s a lot to love in the 120,000-square-foot, two-story complex next to the Hammond Sportsplex. With four gyms equipped with free weights, weight machines and cardio machines; two pools, including one with zero-depth entry for toddlers, a “river” for resistence walking and a second, cooler-temperature lap pool; a studio devoted to SpinCycle; group exercise studios; studios devoted to Barre, yoga and Pilates; two circuits of EGYM equipment, and basketball courts that can be converted into volleyball or pickleball courts, the question might be, “What doesn’t the new Y have?”
There’s also a ton of stuff for kids, with studios devoted to gymnastics and so-called “Ninja” classes, a combination of Parkour and tumbling for which kids can earn belts as they do in martial arts classes, Klein said.
“Throughout Crossroads YMCA branches in Lake County, we have many of the same amenities, but we were able to plan this building from the start, with learnings from the other locations,” he said. “For example, we made our Kid Zone and Kids Club next to one another for the convenience of families who have children in different age groups. We were also able to make our Healthy Living Center adjacent to the STEM studio to ensure we could use the spaces differently or together as a larger room when we have a large program.
“We have a family focus throughout our YMCA — so the Y is here for all in the community.”
And with programs that start on the first of the month and conclude at the end of the month, everyone has a chance to try a multitude of classes and do it affordably: Program fees a $30 a month for members per program, and they’re a great way to build friendships and gain confidence, Klein said.
There are also income-based scholarships and a sliding scale to make memberships available for all, Wellness Director Sharon Bohling added.
Steve Hernandez, of East Chicago and a member of the original Hammond Y for 10 years, has made the trek to other clubs, even going as far as Crown Point. That one was good, but it doesn’t hold a candle to his new club.
“(Crossroads YMCA) really delivered. It’s the same equipment but a much bigger building,” he said. “And this is my second family here — the people I work out with, I see them more than my regular family”
The Hammond Destination YMCA, 6532 Indianapolis Blvd., is open from 4:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. For more information, log on to https://crymca.org/locations/hammond-family-ymca or call 219-845-1507.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
