North Rutherford Family YMCA — Local services in Smyrna

I loved this facility minus a few drawbacks like not enough room for people to congregate upstairs when waiting for a class.. But I loved the pool (the sloped entrance for my toddler to wade in) and the beautiful track that overlooks the workout room so you can "people watch" as you walk in circles. However, when I first started attending this Y, the employees had to come get me from my workout EVERY DAY because my toddler was crying and upset. Why? We'd been at the Bellevue Y for over a year, every weekday, with no problem for up to two hours while I exercised and showered. I could never do a full class at the North Rutherford Y because I knew they'd have to come get me because he was upset. I felt that it was just transitional anxiety and he would do better really soon. I did shorter workouts. I requested that Toddler be allowed to go into the "bigger" kids' area instead of the baby area, where I thought he may be bored. But when I'd go to pick him up, he'd be back with the babies. "He was standing up in the chair," "He tried to eat the mulch when we went outdoors," were some of the reasons I got for why he was back in the baby area. Umm.. so tell him not to do that. That is called "your job". The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was one morning when I was walking around the track and I could see down into the YPlay area (a floor-to-ceiling glass window) that my toddler (about 16 months at the time) was walking and tripped and fell, hitting his head on the glass window. No big deal, no blood, but he reached up to the young woman working there to be comforted, and she looked down at him, then looked back up at the adult she was talking to and continued her conversation. UNACCEPTABLE. He just sat there on the ground crying. I muttered some very inappropriate-for-family-gym words under my breath and raced down to check him out and take him home. I told myself I would never come there again, and we haven't. Instead we go to the Rutherford County facility on Thompson, and we LOVE it. I have since had the baby that was in my belly last year, and the employees at the Rutherford facility are AMAZING. You can tell they love the kids, I know my children are in great hands when I go to exercise, I know that if Toddler fell or got hurt he would be IMMEDIATELY comforted, and guess what? I have not once been pulled out of a workout for EITHER child. So what's the North Rutherford location's problem? Well, for one, obviously they're hiring people that don't give a damn about their job, as evidenced by the employee who would rather chat than hug the child she's being paid to care for. Secondly, there is no area for the "in-between" toddlers, like age 2. There is a baby room with swings and soft toys, and then there's a "big kids" room right next to that, with crayons and some things that they obviously did not want a small toddler playing with. Why is that? At both other locations I've loved, there was a baby area, toddler area, and big kids' area, and they worked great. My toddler was probably just bored in the baby area and that's why he was upset every day. He was used to some more advanced toys like he had at home, but the employees were too ignorant, or lazy, to pay attention to what he was playing with in the bigger kids' area. At any rate, ignoring my baby when he's hurt or wants comfort is a total dealbreaker for me. In the 300+ days that I've attended the Bellevue Y and the Rutherford County Y combined, I have NEVER had an issue with the childcare. North Rutherford has a lot of improvement to do; if you have a small toddler, I highly recommend you check out the YPlay area before you commit to making this your "home Y". Their employment choices leave much...

The Y will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I first started taking fitness seriously, and I’ve made major progress because of the consistency and routine I built there. The environment is welcoming, and many of the staff members are kind and personable. I genuinely appreciate what this gym gave me during a very important chapter of my journey.

That being said there are a few honest reasons why I’ve chosen to move on to another gym.

The facility is far too small for the number of members it serves. During peak times, it’s difficult to get a full workout in without waiting on machines or navigating through crowded areas. A lot of the equipment that’s most frequently used only has one available, which can slow everything down.

There’s also a noticeable lack of organization. Towels for wiping down equipment are often unavailable, and I’ve watched staff at the front desk chatting while unsupervised kids run around the free weight area which is both dangerous and distracting. The staff may be friendly, but they don’t always seem engaged or attentive to what’s going on in the facility.

Communication has been another ongoing issue. I personally inquired about personal training and didn’t get a response until six months later. My mom (who also left a review) had the same problem. We both asked about swim lessons and never got a follow-up. It left us feeling ignored as paying members.

Lastly, I’ve been corrected before for lifting without shoes on, which I respected but then consistently saw teens working out in Crocs and slides with no issue. If rules are going to be enforced, they need to apply to all members fairly.

Overall, I’m still thankful for the Y and proud of the progress I made there. But unless the gym expands, improves member communication, and increases accountability among staff, it’s not the right fit for me anymore. If those changes ever happen, I’d...

The YMCA was my home way form home, I met friends that became my extended family. The instructors I had were great teachers and very helpful and change things up in classes ( they made them fun but me and my classmate still got a great workout) I looked forward to coming (yes I had a set back as in an injury and was not able to come for a year, Dr's orders). Always a warm smile and a friendly hello from the ones that checked me in. This would have been a 5 star if it we're based only on the staff.

The ONLY thing that bothers me is you should have sent a notice out to people that were counting on silver sneakers!!! Since you no longer partner with them, that left a lot of us without a home away from home (very lost) If you had sent out a notice I for one and I'm sure there are others that would have change our insurance to one of the three that accept Silver and Fit.

So very disappointed in the YMCA right now, for not using their brains enough to be considerate to those who can't even afford your discounted price of $29.99 (I believe Jordan told me) from Regular Price of $59.99 a Month. People like me count on and it is taken out of our insurance for Silver Sneakers.

Now I can't come to my home away from home this year as like many others can't just because the YMCA could not take the time to have considered how it would affect peoples lives. Just because you and Silver Sneakers couldn't come to a mutual understanding.

You make people like me feel very unimportant

Thank You for acting like you care, bottom line...