Your Questions, Answered
Use these frequently asked questions to find help with common topics before you visit the Y.
We've organized questions into the following sections:
Dates and Hours
Where can I find branch hours?
You can find the latest branch hours on our location pages.
Are any branches closed?
All branch facilities will be open except the Fauntleroy location which remains closed until further notice. See alternative locations you can visit here.
What's Open/Closed
What is available at the Y today?
This list was last updated on Friday, February 26 at 6:35 pm.
-
Pool services, including lap swimming and family recreational swim
-
Drop-in use of cardio, strength, and free weight equipment
-
Indoor group exercise classes
-
Reservations for time in the gym to play games including badminton and pickleball (launching 3/10)
-
On-site early education and Y LEAP Academy
-
Services through the Social Impact Center including behavioral health support, foster care services, and housing and meal support.
-
Virtual activities including all-new live and on-demand content just for members in the Virtual Y
What is NOT available due to the latest COVID-19 safety precautions?
This list was last updated on Friday, February 26 at 6:35 pm.
In accordance with the Governor's latest guidelines, we have suspended all other indoor in-person activities including:
- Drop-in use of the gym (reservations are required)
- Racquetball
- Activity pools
- Teen rooms
- Jacuzzis and saunas
- Family Time
- Family Climbing
Access to in-person membership services has also been suspended to decrease the number of people gathering in our facilities. You can always find support for membership questions in our online Support Center and via phone.
Gym Time
What is gym time?
Up to six people from the same household can reserve half a court to play together with equipment from home or borrowed from us. All participants must be in the same household and on the same membership to use a Gym Time reservation. Reservations will be 50 minutes long.
What can I do during gym time?
The whole family is encouraged to play together during a gym time reservation. You’ll have access to a standard-size basketball hoop (about 10 feet high). Due to limited staffing, we won’t be able to adjust the hoop height for each reservation.
Try one of these ideas for you during gym time:
- Shoot hoops with a basketball
- Pass a soccer ball
- Practice your bumps and sets with a volleyball
- Get silly and dance
- Use the space for an on-demand workout with Virtual Y
To keep everyone safe, we ask households to stay together during their reservation. Please stay in your quadrant of the court and do not engage in play with the household in other quadrants.
What equipment is available for me to borrow?
If you can, we encourage you to bring equipment from home to reduce touchpoints between members and staff. Basketballs, volleyballs, and soccer balls will be available to borrow during your reservation if you need them. We’ll clean them between reservations.
What are the age guidelines?
All ages are welcome. Children and teens under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a Supervising Adult at all times. Read our full policy >
What is the mask policy?
We require masks at all times for those ages 5 and older. We strongly encourage children ages 2 to 4 to wear a mask too. Read our full policy >
Why can’t I reserve gym time with people outside of my household?
Gym time activities are typically higher contact (passing balls from person to person). To lower risk, we are limiting gym time to people from the same household only.
Net Sports
What net sports are you offering?
Up to six people from different households can reserve space in the gym to play a game of badminton or pickleball. You can play net sports at the following branches:
- Pickleball: Bellevue Family, Sammamish Community, Kent, Matt Griffin, Northshore, Dale Turner Family Y’s
- Badminton: Sammamish Community Y
How do net sports reservations work?
Individuals will need to make their own reservations, similar to a group exercise class. Games will be 2 versus 2 with space for up to 2 players waiting on the sidelines, socially-distanced. Players will manage their own rotations on and off the court. Reservations are 50 minutes in length.
Players will be masked and maintain social distancing during these low-intensity net sports. Learn more about safety protocols >
Will equipment be provided?
If you can, we encourage you to bring equipment from home to reduce touchpoints between members and staff. Paddles, rackets, balls, and shuttlecocks will be available to borrow during your reservation if you need them. We’ll clean them between reservations.
What are the age guidelines?
Members must be ten years old or older to participate in net sports. Children and teens under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a Supervising Adult at all times. Read our full policy >
What is the mask policy?
We require masks at all times. Read our full policy >
Safety Protocols and Masks
Are you requiring masks?
Yes, we require masks at all times, indoors and outdoors, for those ages 5 and older. As of Monday, January 18 members are also required to wear masks during exercise. Staff are required to masks at all times too.
Individuals who are swimming do not need to wear a mask in the pool. Swimmers are required to wear masks at all other times, including on the pool deck and in locker rooms.
Are you giving masks to members?
If you forget your mask, we will have disposable masks available at no cost. However, please bring a mask or face covering from home in order to make sure we have enough masks in our branch for those who need it.
Do I have to wear a mask if I’ve had the vaccine, or if I have COVID-19 antibodies?
Yes, we require masks at all times regardless of your vaccine or antibody status. This policy aligns with the latest local and national guidelines for mask safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not enough information is currently available to say if or when the CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
How do you keep people safe in your buildings?
We’re following guidelines from health experts and local officials to ensure that our facilities meet the highest standards for hygiene and safety. We will deliberately phase-in areas and amenities of low risk as we return to normal operations and resume programs. See our full safety plan.
Reservations
Are reservations required?
Yes, reservations are required for every activity at the Y, including pool activities and group exercise classes.
Beginning Tuesday, March 2 we will removing the reservation requirement for cardio, strength, and free weights only. Members can drop-in to any of these areas without a time limit.
How do I make a reservation?
Our reservation window opens at 6:00 am two (2) days in advance of the reservation start date. Find instructions here.
Reservations for morning outdoor group exercise classes close at 10:00pm the night before. Reservations for afternoon outdoor group exercise classes close two hours prior to the class start time.
If your membership is on hold, your hold will end and you will be charged a pro-rated amount of membership dues based off of your normal draft date after you make a reservation.
How do I cancel a reservation?
You can cancel a reservation online up to 24 hours before it starts. Find instructions here. You can also give us a call any time and we can cancel the reservation for you.
Can I use multiple areas of the facility with your new cardio and strength reservation?
Yes, beginning Wednesday, February 17 members can move between cardio, strength, and free weight equipment. Equipment will be first come, first served. We ask you to please clean equipment before and after use for the safety of others.
Capacity for individual rooms may vary depending on square footage. Please maintain appropriate social distancing if you are waiting for equipment.
Why did you change reservation open times from midnight to 6:00 am?
Our intent behind this change is to increase access for members. By having reservations open at a time when more members are awake and staff are available to assist over the phone, we hope to make the process easier while building capacity is limited.
Membership & Guests
What are my membership options?
You have a number of options for your membership:
-
Keep an active membership: As the region’s leading nonprofit, we rely on your membership dues to help sustain our operations in this very uncertain time. We are not immune to economic challenges presented by the pandemic and we are so grateful for your continued support. .
-
Place Your Membership on Hold: Placing your membership on hold will pause your membership dues. Start a Hold
-
Cancel Your Membership: By cancelling your membership, you may be charged a join fee and may need to complete a new membership application and/or scholarship request if you choose to rejoin at a later date. Request Membership Cancellation
How do membership holds work?
Find more information about holds and a fill link to our policy here.
What's happening to local memberships at University Family, Snoqualmie Valley, and Fauntleroy Y's?
For these local memberships, we've temporarily upgraded your access to include any of our open YMCA of Greater Seattle branch at no extra cost. We will communicate to you in advance when this upgrade is planned to end.
I'm a member of another YMCA in Washington state. When can I visit the YMCA of Greater Seattle or use your programs?
You can begin using YMCA of Greater Seattle programs and facilities when guest restrictions lift. This temporary restriction is to due to capacity restraints in the Safe Start plan. Find the latest updates at seattleymca.org/welcomeback
Pool & Aquatics
Have a question about lap swimming or Family Recreational Swim? Visit our dedicated Frequently Asked Questions here.
Are pools safe? Why are your pools still open?
According to industry experts including the CDC, there is no evidence that COVID-19 can spread to people through properly disinfected water. Proper operation and disinfection of pools should kill the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Governor's Proclamation does not increase restrictions for pools and so we are still permitted to operate lap swim, swim lessons, and family recreational swim. We will continue to monitor these guidelines for updates.
In addition, we will continue to follow important safety protocols in our facilities and on the pool deck, including frequent cleaning and limited access to shared objects like pool noodles and googles. Learn more about our safety plan
Age Guidelines
What ages are allowed in your facilities?
Children and teens ages 10 and up can make a reservation to lap swim, use cardio equipment, or participate in a limited selection of group exercise classes. Children and teens ages 10-13 must be accompanied by a Supervising Adult for the entirety of their reservation. Additional guidelines for pool areas and locker rooms do apply. Read our full policy here.
What is a "supervising adult"?
We consider a Supervising Adult is a person who is:
- At least 18 years old,
- On the same membership as the child or teen they are supervising, and
- Living in the same household as the children or teens they are supervising.
A Supervising Adult maintains constant visual and auditory oversight of the children or teens at all times unless the child or teen is being instructed by Y staff as part of a class or program. Read our full policy here
Do children and teens need their own reservation?
Yes, in order for us to manage building capacity we require that children and teens have their own reservation. A Supervising Adult must remain in the same area as the children or teens during their visit.
Do I need my own reservation as a Supervising Adult?
If you are supervising someone who is lap swimming, you do not need a reservation. We will provide a place for you to sit on the pool deck while they swim.
If you are supervising someone who is using our cardio equipment, we ask that you do have your own reservation. Our cardio and strength areas are typically smaller than our pool deck, so making a reservation helps us better manage capacity in the area and maintain social distancing.
As a reminder, you must live in the same household and be on the same membership as the person you're supervising. Read our full policy here
.
STAY ENGAGED WITH THE Y
Support Center
We've made it easier than ever to find member and account information with our new Support Center. Find instructions for managing your account, easy access to request forms, and a complete list of our policies all in one place.
Virtual Workouts and More
On-demand exercise, classes taught on livestream, activities for the whole family, and much more are now available through the Y. Take a short video tour to learn more about engaging with the Y from home.
Join the Y!
With a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, improving health and well-being, and supporting our neighbors, your membership will not just bring about meaningful change in yourself, but also in your community.
.