Willis Bradford Branch YMCA — Local services in Prattville

We came for the first time on Saturday and my children were having a blast in the swimming pool. We arrived around 12 and left at 5:30. After a while I noticed that the young male lifeguards not observing the water. They were more concerned with talking with their friends and figuring out what to door dash for supper. Around 5 pm while in the baby pool with my kids a young 2/3 year old boy almost drowned and I yelled for a lifeguard and they mocked me. It was a blonde male lifeguard with a white t shirt on and he said, to another life guard did she just saw someone was drowning? I tried to get their attention again and they ignore me. A 2/3 year old boy was under the water for not sure how long and when his mother noticed she ran to get him. When she pulled him from the water he was screaming and a life guard didn’t even look there way. Even though I told the 2 young male life guards what had just happened. The male life guards just sat on the concrete with another co worker the whole time chatting. They weren’t scanning the water or doing anything. We were thinking about becoming members but after what we witnessed Saturday we probably won’t be joining. I know it’s a parents job to watch their kids in the water but there was 10 plus lifeguards Saturday and I only saw a few of the female ones actually doing their job. These young lifeguards need to take their job seriously and realize someone could drown. They need to be retrained and I don’t think they should be allowed to sit with their friends talking when they should be watching the pool. I’ve never been to any pool where lifeguards are allowed to sit on the concrete where they can’t see anything. The baby pool only had 1 lifeguard half the time I was there and the pool is way to big for that. Kids were going down the slide head first, backwards, and going one after another. My son went down the slides a few times and the other kids kept going right after him and landed on him a few times. There needs to be a lifeguard supervising the slides at all times or they need to be closed off. Someone is going to get...

The summer camp is great but DO NOT sign up and then cancel. Our daughter was signed up but we ended up not being able to send her for the week and Kerry Jones (Senior Childcare Administrator) and her boss Patrick Wunschel (Childcare Director) were very adamant on no refunds, so we lost $180 dollars. It was a Friday morning cancelation for a Monday start date so I can understand their position for no refunds, but Kerry was short, quick tempered and was looking for any excuse to tell us no. I even lobbied for them to contact the first person on the waiting list so at least the spot doesn't go to waste, but her and Patrick both stated they could not do that, which begs the question of the purpose of a waiting list. So, parents, if they put you on the waiting list, don't hold your breath. They do not use it and have the mindset of one less kid makes the staff's life easier. We had great experiences at the YMCA Bradford branch for the year we lived in Prattville but this left a bad taste in our mouth. Please be wary of giving them your credit card number...they like to swipe and think of any reason to...

Very nice people, but unfortunately one of the less-nice YMCA facilities I've seen, at least for my purposes. I like to use the AWAY program at YMCAs when I'm traveling. The gentleman at the counter looked up my account without having to call my home YMCA and verify my membership as some locations insist on doing. The men's locker room was on the small side and the showers were tiny, dark, and had no hooks to hang a towel. Also they were right next to the sinks which was odd. So you''re stripping down for a shower right next to some guy who comes in to wash his hands. The cardio room was decent and while there were many machines, there wasn't much variety of machines - not a single rower, for example. There is no weight room. I saw 2 or 3 basketball courts and it looked like there was a lot of childcare activities going on, which are good things, just not particularly appealing to me. I'm sure this YMCA is exactly what some people are looking for. Unfortunately, it left me...