Tacoma Center YMCA

The Tacoma Center Y is a great place to get stronger, healthier and more fit. Plus, the staff are wonderful and very helpful. They have only improved over the years and they've always been great. I appreciate that we have this resource in our downtown community!

I appreciate your facility-I went to another branch in Tacoma for awhile & in the last year I have switched to Tacoma Center. I recently visited my "old" Y & was stunned at how much more comfortable I am at Tacoma Center! The vibe is so friendly & people are genuinely interested in me (employees & other members!) Tacoma Center is very clean & has great classes & instructors. Thank you!

I have been going to this Y for years. I joined because I wanted to learn how to swim as an adult, and the U.S. Masters Swimming program has a long partnership with this location. Soon, I found myself swimming 3x per week, mostly due to the expert coaching I received from the Masters's coaches here. The experience has changed my life: my health, my abilities, my social circle, and my confidence have all deeply improved. New leadership seeks to sever the partnership between the Master's swim team and the Y. Instead of listening to the cries of the community, the Y is in the process of replacing the current Master's team with a new internal program for adult swimmers. By running the program in house, they remove the voice of Tacoma's most dedicated swimmers. No more team swim meets, social events, open water swims, organized travel opportunities -- just another internal program with average instructors, offered at a lower frequency with less opportune times. What a tremendous shame. According to the YMCA's professed mission, "The Y is dedicated to giving people of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity." Reaching my full swimming potential required my whole self. It meant connection and community. The hubris it takes to dismantle a thriving partnership is wild. I hope leadership listens and changes its mind.

Being part of a masters swim team, Bernardo’s All Stars, at the Tacoma Center Y, has been an incredible experience for me. Unfortunately, YMCA leadership has replaced highly qualified coaches with inexperienced instructors, changed all evening practice times, and even removed a whiteboard with information about the swim team. The team is a thriving, inclusive, intergenerational movement program that builds community - why would the Y make changes to disrupt this unique program? Sadly, YMCA leadership at this Y and at the executive level have not been responsive to member concerns. However, front desk staff and lifeguards are kind, helpful, and welcoming.

Just ended my membership - there seems to be some really poor leadership at this Y. Recent changes to the aquatics programs and the targeted dismantling of the master’s adult swim team at this Y have felt very biased. The entire executive team made a ton of decisions that negatively impacted this swim team, which had been peacefully practicing at this Y for years. It’s been hard to not connect this retaliation with the team participating in Tacoma Pride for the first time this summer. As a volunteer at that Pride booth and spouse to a swim team member, this Y no longer feels like a safe and supportive space to enjoy movement so I’ll be finding somewhere else to exercise. I will be much more hesitant to join any Y system in the future - I am not sure that my values align with theirs.

Community health programs such as showers for unhoused people make Tacoma a better place for all of us. As a gym, it rules. Weightlifting equipment is well maintained, well spaced, never too crowded. Been lifting here for 9 months and almost never had to wait for a machine or bench. And I go at all weird hours because I work on call.

Great facility, friendly staff, zero hygiene. 1) showering before entering the pool is not a enforced, even though required by WAC for pools. Many People don’t shower before entering the pool and some are jumping directly after sauna to wash of the sweat. Staff doesn’t care. 2) some people blow their nose and spit in the pool, staff doesn’t care. 3) Sweaty gym clothes and cotton t shirts are not allowed in the pool, even their own staff ignores that rule 4) multiple complaints - zero result. Some of the personnel doesn’t even know their own rules, poor training 5) community showers program for homeless runs daily for a few hours. Hours are not followed, people use ALL showers and facilities. Great idea, enforcement not present I like the facility and the location, so my next step would be a complaint to health department to make sure basic hygiene is enforced.