Fred & Maria Loya Family YMCA

★Joy Willis (Foxy Fae)

Complete Waste of Money and Toxic Environment Across El Paso YMCAs. ​The youth basketball program across the greater El Paso YMCA area is a massive disappointment. This isn’t just an issue with one location; the facilities are dirty, neglected, and either freezing or uncomfortably hot. It is damaged property and completely improper for the youth. ​Paying $120 every two months should provide a structured experience, but it amounts to nothing more than unorganized pickup games with zero actual training or playing time. Furthermore, despite league regulations stating every child gets to play, coaches prioritize kids who already know how to play, leaving beginners benched continuously. It does absolutely nothing to help a child grow unless they already know how to play and are comfortable dealing with an aggressive, chaotic environment. When you factor in that parents still have to pay extra for the jersey, provide all food and water, and handle long-distance transportation over an hour away into New Mexico, it begs the question: what exactly is the $120 registration fee going toward? The YMCA is just taking parents' money without giving anything back. ​The environment is equally unacceptable. The specific adults, coaches, and referees involved with the teams my son played with and against were highly unprofessional, constantly arguing and fighting with one another. Instead of acting as positive role models, they created an aggressive atmosphere that does nothing to help a child grow. Worse, as the mother of an Afro-Hispanic child, I experienced an unsettling culture of racism within the program. When a racist message depicting starving Black children being blown up by a nuclear bomb was sent through the team communication chat, I addressed it politely, only for the coaches to defend the behavior. They created an uncomfortable, biased environment for non-Mexican players and showed zero concern for other races, with the coaches openly backing prejudice directed toward Black children. ​As the Young Men’s Christian Association, this organization is supposed to stand for good morals, community networking, and providing positive role models to keep youth productive and off the streets. Coming from Harlem, New York, I know firsthand what a real YMCA program looks like. A true YMCA relies on positive adults who mentor, teach, and network children within the community. The program here does none of that—it is a subpar, costly, and exclusive system that leaves parents doing all the work while the children gain absolutely nothing.

★Emely Banos

This company needs to train their front desk receptionists to be knowledgeable and have the correct answers for all customers. The girl working the front right now....WOULD NOT GIVE ME HER NAME AFTER BEING EXCEEDINGLY RUDE and very dismissive to a simple question about paperwork. Then I asked for her manager and she placed me on hold without any info. Never came back on the line. I know the manager is Lupita and shes the nicest lady ever. Unfortunately people like the front receptionist give this place a bad name. I hope they receive better training to keep on upholding Fred Loya's name. VERY DISSAPOINTING.

★★★★★Julie Ann Heronimus Lavka

Took my first Cardio class with Lili this morning. IT WAS AWESOME. She's wonderful. Everyone in the class welcomed me. A great experience. Taking my first Spin Class (ever) tomorrow . Looking forward to many more days of getting in shape.

★Manuel Baca

I’m very disappointed with this YMCA. The place is poorly maintained and extremely dirty—I’ve seen cockroaches every time I go. It’s disgusting and unacceptable for a facility like this. To make things worse, I had to stand at the front desk for almost an hour because they were having issues with my membership. The staff couldn’t resolve it, and the manager was completely unavailable. The lack of professionalism is frustrating. Their schedule is also extremely inconsistent. Today, 12/7/24, they closed at 3 PM without notifying members, which completely ruined my plans. On top of that, they were closed for almost the entire week of Thanksgiving. This YMCA has really gone downhill, and I can’t recommend it to anyone. They need to fix their cleanliness, customer service, and communication with members ASAP.

★★★★★Neto Padilla

Excellent exercise facility, great instructors, and friendly staff. It's lots of fun for someone like me who likes to exercise with others.