It all started with Swimming lessons

YMCA volunteering played an important role in Dennis Couzens’ life. He first got involved with the YMCA when he was a child. He came from a big family with 10 kids and just one parent working. Thankfully, they could join the YMCA through a sponsored program, which gave them access to swimming lessons and more.

“They didn’t called Strong Kids back then. We were a Sponsored Family,” Dennis said. “It allowed us to go to the Y, learn how to swim, and take part in programs that help kids grow.”

Dennis took a short break from the Y in his early teens but came back later as a young adult and joined competitive swimming. Since he was a strong swimmer, his uncle—who was the YMCA program director in Moose Jaw—asked him to become a swim instructor.

Thanks to his uncle’s guidance, Dennis started teaching swimming and later became a fitness instructor. He worked as the YMCA Aquatics Director for 7 years and then became the Fitness Director, running all fitness programs in Saskatoon. He stayed in that role until 1981 when financial changes at the YMCA led to staff cuts.

Dennis’s journey shows how YMCA volunteering and involvement can lead to lifelong skills, strong community ties, and personal growth.

YMCA Volunteering and Giving Back

Dennis didn’t let setbacks stop him. After losing his job, he started working at the Cory Potash mine and kept giving his time through YMCA volunteering.

“I stayed as a volunteer,” Dennis said. “I helped not just in the pool area but also with fitness and maintenance. We moved the judo room and fixed the courts. I did it with Terry, Willie, and other volunteers.”

– Building Community Through Service

He remembers the many great people involved in YMCA volunteering over the years — a World War I pilot, a retired police officer, a teacher, and many others who gave their time after retirement. They all became part of his Aqua Fit team.

Gordon, for example, runs pickleball in the morning and painted much of the building. Willie, Jerry, and Laszlo are long-time volunteers who always help out.

“One day, I saw we needed more people to teach pool fitness,” Dennis said. “So I began training others to become instructors.”

Dennis believes in the YMCA’s mission — helping the community. He says finding good volunteers is always a challenge, but they are the reason the YMCA works so well. YMCA volunteers built many YMCA programs, from fitness classes to coaches and the Board of Directors.

He wonders how to help members see that their role is more than just using the gym. “Some people just pay for a membership, use the equipment, and leave. They never swim, never join a class, or help out.”

When Dennis was in charge of fitness programs, he created a small team of 4–5 volunteers to run and organize everything. They trained people, managed schedules, and kept things running smoothly.

He says society has started to forget the value of volunteering, but it’s still important. Many people who volunteered when they were younger now donate money because they believe in what the YMCA does.

“I’ve always believed in the YMCA philosophy,” Dennis said. “It’s about balancing money with what the community really needs.”

“The YMCA started as a group of people helping each other — not just staff, but volunteers. That’s what YMCA volunteering is all about: people coming together to support their community.”

Community Needs vs Business Philosophy

Lately, the YMCA has been doing more work in Before and After School Care, daycare, and child support programs. This is because families in the community need these services. All of these programs help build strong, kind people who can take care of themselves and also help others.

What the community needs changes over time. The YMCA has been able to change too. You need to balance people’s needs with supporting the building and programs.

“Right now, you see more people without homes or jobs,” he said. “Another great idea would be to create more programs for Indigenous people.”

He asked, “How can we reach out and support them so they can grow and do well? We’re starting to do this, but we need more young people to get involved — to help with things they care about.”

He explained that if a young person wants to help others, the YMCA has training programs like FIT, which teaches people how to lead fitness classes the YMCA way. Since safety is so important now, proper training is needed.

Right now, staff members like Paul lead these programs, and they get help from a few volunteers. But they’re mostly run by staff. The question is: how can we get more people to join in?

“Maybe when others see someone volunteering and making a difference,” he said, “they’ll want to join too. And that’s how it all starts — someone just shows up, helps out, and becomes a volunteer.”