Another day at the YMCA, and the hot tub is still not working. The entire Y was closed for repairs and refurbishing for three weeks. And six weeks later the hot tub failed, for unknown reasons?????? And it remained unknown for weeks. Finally it was determined the computer controlling the chemicals was not operating. Really. For sixty years chemicals were added by hand, and measured the results. But the staff cannot do that now? The weather turned really cold, and the hallway heater to the locker room failed. Oh well dash, and into the warm shower. Well so those run cold, and after weeks of complaint, it runs hot, but now only for 10 seconds with no pressure. I could hand pump water faster than pushing that little button every ten seconds. Half the soap dispensers do not dispense soap??? Now a new learning, double pumping water with the left hand, and soap with the right, while not pushing your self over. Oh well, a quick cold shower is invigorating and the showers are wide open. Better keep moving. The drain in the drying area has been clogged for two weeks. The standing water is great for spreading foot fungus, and there is no way around it, but the signs are there to warn you not to slip, on the now slimy floors. The Y does warn you to avoid liability, but when the hazard is not avoidable, one wonders if just unplugging the drain would have a better result. You and I don't have the time to discuss all the bungling. Time for management, whether it is new, or old. read more

Ymca is a rip off who takes advantage of everyone. I have coached many teams in my younger years and now my grandchildren are starting to play. Find out it cost over $100 to play basketball and when asked what size shirt they wear he was given a shirt way to big and when asked they responded with they didn't have any his size, so why ask what size shirt when you sign up, also no balls supplied for practice every player was asked to supply there own ball. Ymca has gone way down hill since I was coaching. Tried to reach out to sports program director and never can get ahold of them and never get calls returned. Ymca is a rip off stay away there are other programs that are lots better. read more

Congratulations to the YMCA. They have finally figured out how to get rid of 90% of the senior citizens by no longer accepting members using their health insurance to make membership affordable. No worries y. You can now cancel most of your classes as there won't be enough participants to fill your classes. Don't bother asking for any more donations from me. After being a part of the y for over 40 years I am done. So much for being family oriented. Seniors are no longer considered a member of your family. I am going to request my name be removed from your mailing list. You will never see another dime from me. read more

The Briggs YMCA is a great place for families and young adults! I love their rock climbing wall and attending the BodyPump class with Kim. I'm happy to be a part of the Y and support their mission of social justice and inclusion - that's why I donate and continue to be a member. read more

Briggs Community Branch YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Olympia, Washington

I've heard that the Brigg's branch YMCA is much nicer than the downtown Oly one. While that may be true, I will never join. First of all, there are SO MANY CHILDREN EVERYWHERE after 5pm. They outnumber the adults and run around being annoying and loud. I know the Y is supposed to be family oriented, but this is precisely why it's all wrong for me. I don't want to work out surrounded by screaming children. They have two pools, but only dedicate two lanes for lap swimmers after 5pm. This is not enough. The rest of the pool is reserved for children's swim classes and other activities. The lanes get crowded with too many swimmers, while the rest of the pool is monopolized by children. The water aerobics are a joke. I recently sprained my ankle and thought these classes would be a good way to get a workout without stressing my joints. Wrong. The class was filled with obese geriatrics. One even had an oxygen tank with tubes running up her nose. The pace was so slow I would have burned more calories sitting on my ass. After 30 minutes of this nonsense I left the class and just swam laps (in the aforementioned crowded lanes, of course). The showers also suck. You have to push a button and the water stays on for about 60 seconds. So if you want a real shower, you have to spend a lot of time and effort pushing that goddamn button. Two stars solely for the fact that their recumbent bicycles have individual TV screens hooked up to cable. That was pretty neat. read more

Briggs Community Branch YMCA - Gyms Near Me - Olympia, Washington

I find that the people make the experience. The people at the YMCA are the BEST!! You will not find a place more dedicated to community and experience than at this Y. This is a great place. Love it so much and am grateful for it. read more

STOP GIVING MONEY to this organization. From the Executive Director down they are unrecognizable as a YMCA culture. The executive director laughing at my Southern accent and accent down to the Aquatics dept threatening to "hold" my money, it is plain disrespectful. Aubree, the senior aquatic director made sure to put a fine point on the fact that my child was 1 of 450 that take lessons and inferred we don't matter. This is not the YMCA culture I have experience with. You'd be better off donating money to an organization that has values and actually puts them into action. read more

My son attended the Y Care After School Program at one of the elementary schools. At first, I had a lot of faith in this program because I've had 3 sisters-in-law work for Y Care in Indiana and they shared great things. Initially, I had my son attend both the Before and After program. I took him out of the Before School program because the site supervisor waited a week to let me know that my son was having a difficult time interacting with other kids- that he just stood and watched kids. This was a WEEK after having him start there! She had every opportunity to let me know of the concern she had since I saw her every morning but waited until I asked to speak with HER about a concern I had. She then told me that on his first day, they didn't know what class he was in, or grade for that matter, and that it took some time to figure out where he was supposed to be at. The site is located at the school, where the main office could've easily looked him up and they had my contact number. Again, I never knew about this until a week later. As a result, I had to speak with my supervisor to arrange me taking him to school myself and ended up withdrawing him from the morning program. Everything else seemed fine after that. The other site manager, Colton, was nice and asked for ways to help my son open up in the after school program. He eventually began playing with everyone else and became quite the popular kid! A few weeks ago, I walked into the gym to pick my son up and saw the whole room in disarray. I noticed a girl laying underneath a table and knew immediately that she had some kind of meltdown. Having been a social worker and working with kids with behavioral concerns, I recognized what happened. I immediately went to Colton and asked what happened. After he confirmed my assumption, I asked where my son was during all of it. He said they'd separated all the kids from her. I asked a lot more questions about training and the kids' safety. He let me know that the staff there have never been trained to work with children with behavioral/ emotional disabilities. I let him know that I would be speaking with the YMCA program supervisor. I thanked him for handling it the best he knew how. May 31st, the next day, I called the YMCA Briggs branch and left a message for Sara Rocha. I mentioned I was a concerned parent and requested for her to return my call. Later that day, I asked for another supervisor that I could speak to since it was 1pm and I called at 9am. The excuse I was given was they must have been in a meeting this morning- well, that was the morning so what about now? I was given a number and again, had to leave a message. Well, it is now June 20th. My son's last day of school was yesterday and I NEVER recieved a call from anyone from YMCA to address concerns with what I saw that day I picked my son up. My son will not be going back to that program. Hopefully the staff at YMCA actually read this review since they're not too keen on returning calls from concerned, paying parents. Your overall YMCA program may be doing great things and getting rave reviews but your staff from Y Care could benefit from some additional support and training. I'm aware that the staff consists mostly of college kids and so the commitment might be lacking. However, that is no excuse for staff not communicating with parents about concerns regarding their child or for not having the tools to use some behavioral intervention with children who exhibit concerning behaviors. I trusted your organization to take care of my son (also paid you to do so). I don't think it's too much to ask that staff acknowledge me when I drop off or pick up my child especially if my son is having a difficult time with the transition. I also don't think it's too much to ask that a supervisor return my call. Don't bother calling me now since it's been almost a month since I called. My son won't be returning. I do hope your organization reads this and takes it seriously so other parents have a better experience than I did. read more

I really hope they figure out the parking situation. The facility is nice, but trying to find parking to get to a class is IMPOSSIBLE. better planning when building is the key. read more

I just went in to join because my insurance will pay 100% of membership fee. I was given a tour. This is a world class fitness center designed to serve the entire population. Two pools, cool room for intense classes, warm room for lower intensity classes, lots of equipment and classes, very clean locker room, large hot tub. I was impressed by everything saw. Start classes this week will update rating based on my experience. read more

**Drowning concerns** This review is for my daughters level 2 class. She is 4 yrs old and goes to the 1030a class with Kayleigh. Unfort I have had to make several complaints against her as I felt worried about my child drowning. Kayleigh was not in control of the class. She only has 2 kids and there were several instances were my daughter was not being watched and could not stand up in the kiddie pool. There was a step she was supposed to be on, but the teacher would leave one kid totally alone and take the other kid out. Well when you are 4, you get distracted and forget what to do, or don't pay attn. I felt like I had to jump in to help her stay above water. I told the teacher this and then she started putting her on the ledge instead. Last week she forgot to put her on the ledge and once again was left in the water. I escalated to both the on site manager and then later called the director. Chelsea told me that the manager would be right there watching to make sure there were no incidents. Well that didn't happen today. So either Chelsea didn't do her job, or the manager didn't. No parent should worry about their child drowning during swim lessons. If you can't control your class you have no business teaching it. Today she took the kids to the deep pool with life jackets, they didn't get to jump in and she also ended class 10 minutes early. I wasn't worried about her drowning for the first time with this class which I appreciated. We had a fantastic experience in level 1 with Ashley. That teacher gets 5 stars. If we could have her each time I can't imagine we would have any of the above issues. read more

This facility is too crowded both within the center and the parking. With all the new construction it will become unbearable. I am also having a hard time cancelling as I have now called twice. read more

i only use the YMCA to play basketball. When things break in the gym, like water fountains or basketball hoops...they stay broken for a very, very long time. Many months. It is bizarre how they will leave things broken for 3, 4, or even 5 months. It shows a complete lack of respect for those who hoop. It is not like this is only a one time thing. read more

2 months ago we started swimming in gym class and I had no idea how and I wasn't learning how to swim in 6th period so we went to YMCA to sign up for swim lessons. They were $80.00 for a month twice every week and 30 mins every session. I thought it was a tiny bit pricey but as long as I could learn how to swim who cares. First day I went there was only one teacher there to teach the 8 of us that were in that class. During the whole 30 mins of that class I only swam to the other side and came back once. Sometimes I only get the chance to swim once. I was expecting at least maybe 3 coaches per person so we could at least get some things done. read more

For being such a new YMCA I was surprised it wasn't larger. The cardio room is quite small. If you go between the hours of 4pm and 7pm plan on waiting your turn to use a treadmill or eliptical. There is a very small rock climbing wall that is mostly used by children. There are two swimming pools. One pool is mainly for kids as it is only three feet deep and always filled with kids. The main pool is used for classes so often that the open swim times are VERY limited. When there is an open swim there are usually only 5 lanes, so it is very difficult to find any room to swim laps. read more

Good gym. However the lifeguard and pool people are very rude. Not in a mood to answer questions or help. I went in to use the hot tub and it was closed and then asked when it would be open and they told me 10 minutes maybe but that's a minimum. So do they not know when they open their hot tub? lol stupid asses read more

The staff int he service area as you enter has one of the rudest customer service representatives that I've ever met. I had some simple questions about using the swimming pool and his attitude was dismissive and rude. I'm not sure if it was racially charged since he was nice to the people behind me and seemed to flip a switch when I got to him. I was being polite as I left the premises afterward and this "manager" just gave me a sour look as Ieft. I try to be polite, but it really hurts when a community center hires people so rude that I might think it had to do with my skin color or the accent of the people I came with. read more

Pretty good place for fitness,but the pool is always to full at open, for any lap swimming. It has become overcrowded and finding machines to do cardio is also challenging. read more

I utterly adore the YMCA. They have scholarships for families and children that can't afford services, and are super family friendly. They have a wide variety of classes and a very modern facility. They are also AMAZING to their workers, and the employees are always so sweet and friendly. I love the Y!!! read more

Nice big clean facility here. 50¢ towels available. Large bathroom. Locker locks available too. No sauna here, but there is a dry sauna at the downtown Olympia location. There is an indoor pool here. Afterward we had some Thai food at The Lemongrass Restaurant. read more

Nice facilities. Great staff. Got a three day pass to work out while on vacation. Nice newer resistance machines. Large Olympic pool and about a dozen treadmills. Ask for the Nicole "the original", she will set you up. read more

The people helping at the servicing area are rude over the fact they don't want to do what they were hired to do: service people

I have come to the Briggs YMCA for about four years, and have never had a bad experience. I've utilized their swimming lessons for my kids, their machines and classes for myself, and their childcare for my youngest while I worked out. I was always impressed by the friendliness of the staff and other patrons. As someone who has struggled with their weight, it was nice to be in a supportive, friendly place to better my health and the health of my family. Love the Y! read more

I was so excited to start a membership here only to be completely let down and disappointed. The staff was not friendly in fact I felt as though it was a chore to help me and my children sign up for our membership upon sign up I ended up paying $102 for membership and care for my children. Which was discouraged due to their age but being an over protective mother I wasn't comfortable with them alone in a lounge room where I couldn't see them from the gym as my youngest is 7 and my oldest being 9 but I was thinking okay maybe it's time to loosen the reigns a little thinking this membership would provide a lot more for my children. When going in to the gym I found it to be quite small and uncomfortable and the atmosphere in the whole building in general just not pleasant and cold. I decided to sleep on it a bit but after a couple days I decided this isn't something I wanted to be active in the hours were just not working with my work schedule and with the experience I had when I went I decided this really isn't the gym for me I needed something with more flexibility and single parent friendly on cost and everything else. I called to cancel my membership and found I actually needed to come in and terminate my membership after a couple days from sign up. No problem, however when I asked for a portion of the $102 I spend returned to my checking I was flat out told no and the girl hung up on me. So in reality what happened is I just spent $102 to work out once!?!?! Absolutely absurd! I feel completely taken advantage of and made to be a fool... For a family establishment I would have thought they would have been a bit more friendly and willing to work as it was less then 7 days from sign up. When I e-mailed this company with my concerns I was completely shoved under the rug so to speak and didn't get much of a response on anything.... Very unprofessional and not taken seriously.. I will never return to this establishment as well as discourage anyone from signing up here. Your going to deal with snobby staff in bad moods not willing to help and by al means all they care about is financially raping you and taking your money. read more

I honestly don't understand how people can leave negative reviews of the YMCA. The only thing I can ascertain is that they are confused about what the YMCA actually is. First of all, this is a not a gym. This is not a place for single guys who want to get ripped and swoll to come hang out with their buddies and lift. Sure, there are a few of those who come to the Y, but you don't hear them complaining about how they are lone wolves. If you are already fit, join an actual gym in town where you can say things like "spot me, bro" and "aw yeah get a pump" and watch yourself flex in the mirror. Second of all, this is a place for more activities than just weights. It is for overall health, fitness, and community. That means there WILL be children and families there. That means there WILL be elderly people there. That means there WILL be people who are not at their ideal weight and don't look really hot in a swimsuit. With that as your preconception, I believe most people will find this is one of the best YMCAs in our area and enjoy coming here. There is a robust class schedule and it changes about once a quarter, so there are a lot of opportunities to try new things and make sure you can fit times that work for you. The facility is very clean, modern, and well-maintained. I have always had pleasant interactions with the staff, and in several instances they have gone the extra mile to help me or my family members. One of the other great things about this Y is the childcare; everyone who works there has background checks and qualifications to work with children. They are not simply warm bodies, or rotating staff like I see at most gyms. This really helps me feel comfortable about leaving my child in their care while I exercise or participate in a class. One final thing I want to point out, is that I notice how willing the staff at the Y is to work with people and meet their needs. So I wonder if these people who have written bad reviews thought of going to the staff first and explaining their issue? I believe that complaints would be handled if they were made to the staff first, and not to Yelp. Overall, I think this is an excellent place to get fit and focus on your health, with your entire family. read more

I joined the Briggs YMCA in August after searching other gyms in the area for a workout program that excites me. I had heart surgery and need an exercise program. I am new to this and overweight. Other gyms made me feel uncomfortable with their already in shape clientele motoring through their workouts. Quite frankly, I don't like the "regular" workouts. I like going to water aerobics 5 days a week at Briggs. All the employees are friendly and helpful. The water aerobics instructors are knowledgeable and if you want a more challenging workout you can use the weights they provide. After watching the lap swimmers glide so gracefully across the water, I decided to take adult swim lessons as well. My health is improving thanks to the Briggs YMCA. Only thing I would change is the showers. A little more pressure would be wonderful. read more

The people at the Y are really kind and generous. I really appreciate their existence in our community because they do a lot of community building programs for youth and families. read more

The yoga and Pilates classes are really great! I wish there was one each night of the week:)

I've been a member of the ymca for many years. I don't mind paying more in order to support the Y, since I could get a membership at a different health club for much cheaper. I've never had any major issues with the Y, until I went to the Briggs YMCA. Even though I have a Y membership, I live out of town so I am only allowed to use the Briggs facility a total of 10 times ever. This is ridiculous! I pay almost $60 a month and have to drive to Tacoma if I want to workout. I have family in the area with health issues, so I come to Olympia every other weekend and instead of being able to use my membership to relieve stress I'm made to feel like I'm unwelcome and not trusted. Every time I've gone in they look my card over, check their computer for my name, call the Everett YMCA and act like I'm trying to break some kind of rule to go in to workout. At this point it's almost not even worth attempting to go there to use all of my 10 visits. I dread dealing with the front desk staff. I have encountered some very nice people in the classes and the maintenance manager was very helpful to me, but it blows me away they make it difficult for out of town people to use their facility. In north Seattle, which is a newer, very nice Y they allow out of town people to use the facilities twice a month. Briggs is not new, the equipment is out of date and the locker room is dreary and looks dirty, so I'm not sure why they are so strict with their policies. It's disappointing after years of supporting a company I've always enjoyed. read more