HELENA — For many local athletes, the developmental basketball leagues offered by the Helena YMCA were pivotal in their basketball journeys. And as the Helena Y asks for community support to remain open, MTN spoke with seven Capital High School varsity basketball players to learn how playing “Y-Ball” impacted them.
One of the first things mentioned by each Bruin senior was the social aspect of playing Y-Ball as a kid.
“Like, doing something as a little kid, like being able to just play sports and be like in that social kind of aspect,” Capital girls guard/forward Cailin Mohar said, “I think was my favorite part as for what I remember. I just remember liking to go hang out with people.”
“The thing I learned is that it’s a fun team sport,” Capital boys forward Will Spotorno said. “It’s great. It’s a great way to make friends. [It’s a] great way to have fun with other people and get out a little bit.”
And now that these former Y-Ballers have grown up to be varsity basketball players, they said they appreciate the perspective it’s given them.
“I just like looking around, looking at [head coach] Reyant’s kids that play Y now, like remembering how I used to be them,” said Capital girls center Ali Miller. “And then now getting to, like, coach kids. Y’know, seeing them.”
“Well, it was really cool back then to see how skillful all the high school players were,” said Capital boys center Brett Buehler. “And now that I’m in that position, it’s cool to work with kids and show them what I know.”
And many of the Bruin seniors said they wouldn’t be playing on the varsity team today if it hadn’t been for their Y-Ball roots.
“I think it’s really important because without it I wouldn’t have ended up in basketball at all,” said Capital girls guard/center Chloe LaFromboise. “Like, without my family ever playing in anything, I couldn’t see myself playing at all.”
“I don’t think so, no,” Capital boys guard Joey Mergenthaler said. “Just like the bonding and everything – it’s definitely changed the person of who I am. That’s for sure.”
But maybe most telling, many of those relationships that started in Y-Ball have carried through to today.
“Chloe LaFromboise was on my YMCA team when I was super young,” Capital girls guard/forward Tatum Campbell remembered. “My dad coached it. We still look at the pictures all the time of our team photos. Cailin Mohar as well, we used to play against each other in the YMCA.”
