Watts Family Maryvale YMCA

I am so forever thankful with this specific branch. I got to finish my GED thanks to a program offered here 6 years ago. Today, I got my bachelor’s degree and it is all thanks to my former instructor who was so patient with me despite me knowing very little English back then. Stevan Romero was my case manager and he was great too, very caring despite his workload.

Wish I could give 100 stars , the team here really deserves it ! All the employees have always been kind and respectful. The events they host including sports really helps the youth in this community. It has been an amazing experience for myself and my children . That you guys for all that you do <3

The workers are all pretty nice. The gym has just about everything you need. It’s not big. For family membership I would say is cheaper than other gyms. The childcare workers for the gym aren’t that great except for Laura. I avoid going on days they are there.

The Maryvale YMCA is truly a community center. The staff are friendly and they are organized. My 2 younger girls have attended their summer camp for years and they do alot with them as well as my 10 year old plays in Phx mercury basketball.

I am extremely disappointed with my experience at this YMCA location, especially regarding the actions—and inactions—of the director, Dustin. His conduct has been unprofessional, dismissive, and lacking the empathy that is absolutely necessary when working with families, especially those going through difficult circumstances like housing insecurity. Rather than approaching situations with understanding and care, Dustin tends to deflect accountability and dismiss parent concerns. Instead of leading by example, he appears to prioritize defending his staff—some of whom he seems personally close to—over addressing real issues and ensuring the needs of families and children are met. It’s very clear that mistakes have been made under his oversight, but he refuses to acknowledge them or consider how a lack of adequate staff training may be contributing to ongoing problems. On a separate but related note, I had a deeply upsetting experience involving my three-year-old son just days before we were dismissed from the program. My son came home with a visible scratch on his face, and no one at the YMCA reported it to me or offered an explanation. On another occasion, I arrived to pick him up and found him completely soaked in urine—left in that condition with no apparent effort to clean or comfort him. These are basic childcare standards that were simply ignored. Rather than support us in navigating these incidents or trying to understand my son’s needs, the staff—and ultimately Dustin—seemed to come together and decide my son was a "problem."And created the narrative around incident reports that even happened in two different areas at the same time which is concerning how staff came together to weave out the nuisance my son had 2 full days in a different section and thats the reason I stated they didnt want to deal with him.In truth, they just didn’t have the proper training to work with children who might require a little more patience or individualized attention. Instead of working to improve or accommodate, they seemed to take the easier route—keeping only the children who are easiest to manage and effectively weeding out the rest. Every child is different, and every family has a different story. A childcare facility like the YMCA should embrace that, not shy away from it. From the moment I enrolled my son—through contact with billing and placement into a program I was never fully informed about—it was clear there was poor internal communication. One staff member would say one thing, another something else. At one point, the director even blamed the front desk staff for misinformation, yet still managed to imply that I had made the whole story up. It was hurtful and unacceptable. Despite asking multiple times for a refund due to these serious concerns—and the fact that we were facing homelessness at the time—my request was ignored until finally acknowledged. I do appreciate that the refund was eventually granted, but the amount of stress and struggle leading up to that point was unnecessary. The YMCA as an organization has a long-standing reputation for supporting families, and I truly believe in its mission. However, this particular branch is falling short—not because of the YMCA’s values, but because of leadership that is failing to uphold them. Dustin, as a director, should be retrained or reassessed in his position. The entire staff needs better training to handle a range of child behaviors and family circumstances with compassion, professionalism, and care.

I’m very disappointed in the leadership at this YMCA location, particularly with the director, Dustin. His conduct has been unprofessional and, frankly, dismissive when families are facing serious challenges. Rather than approaching situations with empathy or understanding—especially when families are in crisis or even facing homelessness—his response adds more stress rather than support. There have been clear issues at this branch that appear to stem from poor oversight, yet Dustin avoids accountability and refuses to acknowledge when mistakes are made. Instead of listening with care or considering how staff might be inadequately trained, he seems more interested in defending those he’s personally connected to, rather than ensuring families and children are being properly supported. His leadership style lacks responsiveness, empathy, and the professionalism expected from someone in a role meant to help and serve the community. It’s concerning how quickly he dismisses concerns, assumes families are exaggerating their situations, and fails to reflect on how his actions—or lack thereof—impact the children and their well-being. I strongly believe this branch needs reassessment in terms of administrative leadership. Dustin should undergo retraining, and YMCA leadership should take a closer look at how this location is being run. Families in need deserve better—especially when their children’s care is at stake.

Honestly scared to speak on how bad this school and YMCA is especially Ms Nicol, Shayne sotelo, Dustin Powell unprofessional the amount of stuff I seen with students feeling uncomfortable one even being locked in the principals office one time a student being screamed at in the back printshop I have siblings here who have negative experiences and are still students to so I've decided to write this anonymous like the last reviewer but I would advise people to find a different YMCA to go and workout at unless you wanna be harassed.