Harris YMCA — Local services in Charlotte

I wish I could give zero stars to this location. My family loves the YMCA don’t get me wrong … and they’re not all bad, but THIS LOCATION RIGHT HERE BOY.

We’ve had not one but 3 HORRIBLE experiences spread out over several years. We kept coming back thinking maybe it’s gotten better over the years… it hasn’t.

Out door Pool staff of 2024 is as racist as ever surprise surprise. Over heard two lifeguards making disgusting comments about other families. Pretty much anybody who isn’t a white suburban mom is getting clowned by the staff and don’t you dare try to say anything about it. You’ll be ignored.

My son lost his green band from his last swim test so we requested another one and they told us he would have to retest. Ok. No problem. Except for shortly after we watched the staff hand out a green band to a kid they LIKED who didn’t have to test at all. The icing on the cake is the lifeguards yelling at myself and another CHILD (not my child) for swimming too far from an adult despite having the green band… so let me get this straight… my son has to take a swim test to get a green band that proves he is a strong swimmer but the staff will have your behind if they’re more than an arms length away from you. My husband and I watched it all day… So I have a child who can swim. Within 2 feet of me, and I’m being yelled at… so what is the point of the bands?!?! And what’s the point of a life guard if my child has to take a swim test to enter the pool AND stays next to me… like why even have a staff? Cause if we breathe wrong we’re getting yelled at. Period.

The staff will also make sure to speak to you In the most extreme rude degrading way they possibly can. And if you try to defend yourself you will be ignored OR they will tag team and gang up on you.

Again… this is not just me and my family. We watched this take place for HOURS to several people.

They reprimanded another kid during our stay. Who was brought to tears and insisted that she knew the rules because her dad worked there… and what do you know, life guard called his buddy over and they both tag teamed this kid. Two young adults arguing with a child….

The second hand embarrassment I get from this place.

Had an issue with my card one time because of a system error and the front desk lady is very elderly (bless her. I get it) but she had absolutely no clue what to do so accused us of lying about having real memberships even though I showed her a photo on my phone from when we were there THE DAY BEFORE. After 15 minutes of accusing us of being liars she finally finds us in the system (imagine that) and then tells us that we really shouldn’t even be coming on a Saturday because it’s really for more active members and it’s so busy so maybe we could not come on the weekends anymore.

I’m sorry what?

We pay for our membership like everyone else. We mind our business. We clean up after ourselves etc etc but this facility SPECIFICALLY will go out of its way to harass you and enforce RIDICULOUS “rules” that don’t apply to anybody else.

Paying 88$ a month to be bullied is CRAZY

And you should hear some of the other mom’s stories about Harris.

Anyways. I’m not a bitter Karen I promise and I have the upmost respect for everyone but trust me when I say this place is NOT IT. If you want to go to the ymca… pick a different one.

Next summer I will literally pay the 500$ for my local pool just to avoid...

I am very frustrated by my recent experience as a member at the Y. I have lived in Charlotte all my life and have been a member of the YMCA on and off throughout my time here. The YMCA was always a place I could go as a kid to enjoy my time, play some basketball, go to the teen center, swim or even just socialize with friends.

The YMCA in its current form is not the YMCA I grew up with. When I brought my 10 year old daughter to play basketball on a Saturday morning we were looked at with disdain by the front desk and told we were NOT allowed to play basketball until a designated time due to classes being held in the gym. The front-desk associate made us feel unwelcome even though we pay for a family membership to this facility.

We went in to use the indoor track and found that the entire gym is taken up by 13 people for an exercise class that could be held in a multipurpose room.

The basketball facility hours are not reasonable for children. Often the only times available are 5am-7am or after 7pm at night which is not feasible when my daughter goes to bed at 9pm. There are huge swaths of time throughout the day where the basketball facility is inaccessible and there are no classes going on. For example today there is a block of time from 11am until 5pm where there are no classes in the facility but families and more importantly kids and teens who need things to do to stay out of trouble cannot access the basketball court less they be turned away with frowns and unkind words at the front desk.

There is no teen center facility or any other facility for kids to socialize, play games or be entertained. When I was a Y member at my daughter's age we played pool, ping pong, video games and had a TV in the teen activity center. Then the entire dance studio as it is now, was launched as the YMCA teen center and it was THE place to be after school if you were 12-16. This no longer exists in any form at the Harris YMCA.

It feels as though the YMCA has drifted from a family and kid oriented place to something that is vastly different from what I grew up with and what I want my children experiencing. We should be welcome at the facility not immediately turned away and treated with disdain because we are carrying a basketball.

I doubt anyone reads this in its entirety but please understand that I am not alone in this feeling and there are several families that I have recommended to this facility that are experiencing similar lack of access and the feeling of not being welcomed. The basketball court should be open any time there are not classes going on, and classes should be able to accommodate and share the space given the several thousand dollar divider for the gym that exists.

Besides all of the above I recently went by myself to the facility to exercise and use the sauna afterwards. I was appalled upon entering the men's locker room to find that it had been completely untouched in the past 10+ years. The sauna is gross, the wood benches are decrepit and stained with a decade or more of sweat and body odor. The steam room is unbearably smelly. The entire men's locker room facility looks completely run down, dated and uncleaned.

I am extremely disappointed and will be looking elsewhere for a facility that better fits families looking to be involved with youth sports and to provide a place for their children to socialize and grow as...

Disappointed Parent — This Program Needs Urgent Oversight

As a parent of children who have both attended and worked in the afterschool and summer programs at this YMCA location, I feel compelled to speak up about some deeply troubling experiences.

In recent months, we’ve witnessed a dramatic decline in program quality, staff morale, and overall safety. What was once a trusted and enriching environment has become tense, disorganized, and frankly uncomfortable — both for the children and the young adults working there.

A major concern is the lack of clear leadership and accountability. Staff roles are being blurred, and individuals not officially tasked with running the program are instead taking charge, rewriting procedures, and making unauthorized changes that have left both employees and parents confused and frustrated.

There have also been highly inappropriate staff interactions with young participants — particularly around sensitive conversations that should be handled with care and discretion. Several situations have made children and staff feel uncomfortable, and this has not been adequately addressed.

Additionally, there are ongoing concerns about mismanagement of resources. Reports of employees being scheduled off-book or used for tasks outside their role have circulated, which seems to be impacting the program’s ability to provide basic materials and experiences for the kids — including food, supplies, and core activities.

Several families have since withdrawn their children from the program, and many young staff members have expressed that they no longer feel supported or heard.

Despite complaints being raised through appropriate channels, no meaningful change has occurred. It feels as though accountability is being actively avoided, and the program continues to suffer as a result.

This YMCA is meant to be a safe, inclusive, and structured place for our youth. At present, that mission is not being upheld.

I sincerely hope the leadership team takes a hard look at what’s going on and takes corrective action — not only for the sake of current families, but to preserve the integrity of the Y for...