Holly Metzger-Brown has been involved in sports and fitness her entire life. From playing sports at a young age, Metzger believed that it was an outlet for her growing up.

When I was a kid, I was very active in sports and fitness, Metzger-Brown said. As I got older, I saw the values of learning life lessons from those opportunities.

Those opportunities have led her to be the Director of Youth Fitness at the York Jewish Community Center.

The York JCC is a nonprofit community center that offers a variety ofactivities and programs for people of all ages.

There are programs throughout the York County area that are centered towards the youth. From the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to the YMCA, there are organizations with open arms welcoming youth.

Whether it's geared toward sport, fitnessor academics, these youth programs want kids to excel in all facets of life.

Since 2006, Metzger-Brown has served as the Youth and Teen Fitness directorand has taught a variety of classes for boys and girls at the JCC since 2003.

1600 participants attend a JCC sports or fitness programthroughout the year, according to Metzger-Brown.That include the fiveseasonal sessions and summer camp on and off sites through the youth fitness department.

Its more than just sports for her. She believes that the children involved in the programs at the JCC will have the tools to live an active and healthy life as they get older.

Whether theyre learning different sports or different exercises, these kids will be introduced to the fundamentals at a young age and will become more advanced as they get older, Metzger-Brown said.

Not enough kids are getting the minimum requirement of one hour of physical activity per day, according to The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

At the JCC, they offer a number of programs held on specific days throughout the week, that range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour each class.

Our role here is to make that class as exciting as a video game would be. We want them to enjoy themselves, Metzger-Brown said.

Whether its basketball or yoga, shewants the kids in her program to enjoy their experience.

As the director here, I want to make sure the kids have a nice healthy menu of youth fitness and sports classes that theyre going to love for the rest of their lives, she said.

Laying that foundation and introducing the basics of movements in physical activity and in sports is something Metzger-Brown and her staff at the York JCC want the children to be exposed to when they first start out.

Its important to us here at the JCC to have the kids understand the basics at a young age, that way we can see and monitor their reaction on if they like the sport or activity that we are putting them through, she said.

Metzger-Brown likes to incorporate different ideas when she is teaching a class.

"I want the classes to be as fun as possible, and when I include pictures, animation and music, the childrenreceive the information in a way that is exciting to them," she said.

Youth Fitness Director Holly Metzger-Brown and her kids at the York JCC line up for a photo before their tennis class.(Photo: Submitted)

Metzger-Brown enjoys what she does each and every day. She loves being around kids and providing them with the tools that can lead them to a positive and healthy life down the line.

But to her, theres a deeper meaning to all of this.

Yes, I enjoy teaching these kids every day, but my true passion is seeing the relationships that are built between the kids and seeing those same kids come back five years later and telling me how much they remember their experience in the different programs, she said.

Seeing her former kids come back to visit and also help out in her programs is something Metzger-Brown always wanted to see come to life.

When I first started, it was always a vision of mine to see my former kids come back to help out and volunteer in the programs, she said. Its like full circle to see the kids at a young age coming up in the program and now seeing them as theyre going through high school and college.

Involvement in physical activity can result in academic achievement. "Being active helps to improve concentration, memory, and classroom behavior,"Healthline reported.

Kids at the York JCC enjoying an activity during one of the classes.(Photo: Submitted)

For children and teens to grow up healthy, it's important that they are physically active and living a healthy lifestyle.

Parents are faced with the decision on which program or sport to get their son or daughter into.

Breanna Sheehan, a mother of three, has put all three off her boys in the programs at the JCC, and shes glad she made that decision. She has a 6-year-old, 3-year-old and 1-year-old.

I originally got my six-year-old involved because he had a lot of energy and was interested in sports, and I thought that it would be a great way to give him a taste of the sports and see what he likes, she said.

It can be difficult at times for parents to find out what their kids like at a young age because they are exposed to a lot.

Her son found his passion for soccer as a result of being involved in the program, and Sheehan gives all the credit to the staff at the JCC.

If it wasnt for this great staff, I dont think my son would have got into soccer, Sheehan said. The staff does a wonderful job of letting the kids figure out what they like, and they help them along the process.

When Stefanie Sorkin moved to York, one of the first places that was mentioned to her was the York JCC.

Four years ago, we moved out here and we wanted to find somewhere to work out and take our kids to, one of the first places that people told us about was the JCC, Sorkin said.

Sorkin has four kids, and three of them have gone through the JCC preschool. She would be the first to tell you how great of a decision they made to join the community center.

The JCC is amazing and we all instantly fell in love with the programs they were in, she said.

Sorkin applauds the work that Metzger-Brown is doing for the kids throughout the program.

Holly is incredible, and you can see her passion with kids and fitness, Sorkin said.

Metzger-Brown believes they arent just a gym, but a community giving the necessary information to help members achieve their goals in life.

Every day I come into work I tell myself I have the opportunity to help impact lives of the youth that come into our programs, she said.

Kids at the York JCC gather around before an activity during one of the classes.(Photo: Submitted)

Current staff members were involved in the programs at theJCC when they were younger.

Lily Richwine, a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, works the Youth Fitness camps in the summer where she is an instructor. She never forgets her experience as a kid in the programs.

I attended the preschool classes and sports camps and really established a great relationship with Holly, Richwine said.

Her involvement in the programs proved to be beneficial for her as she got older.

The JCC did a great job of preparing me with skills and gave me a good athletic ground learning sportsmanship skills and general body awareness, she said.

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The relationship she established with Metzger-Brown allowed her to have the opportunity to still be a part of the JCC.

Holly and I became very close over the years and I always wanted to still be a part of the JCC, Richwine said. When Holly asked if I would be interested working the summer camps, there was no hesitation on my part.

Metzger-Brown has actively been involved in the community while shes been at the JCC.

She does physical education classes at York Academy, Tiny Tennis Programs at York Day Nursery and tennis programs at Indian RockElementaryduring the winter.

I really enjoy going out to the community where if they cant come here, I can go to them and get the kids moving and active at a young age, she said. My goal is to have every kid that I come across living an active and healthy lifestyle when they get older.

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'As exciting as a video game would be': How a youth fitness program brings out the best in kids - York Daily Record