Testimonials

Happy New Year to all! We hope this holiday season has brought you joy and relaxation, and that you are looking forward to the year ahead. We’d like to thank each person and family that supported the HYC Foundation’s mission through our annual appeal. It is your generosity that enables us to provide continued access to our swimming and sailing program.

We took the time recently to speak with some of our Foundation scholarship recipients about how the swimming and sailing program at HYC has impacted them. We were struck by the unique experiences of each program participant and by one commonality: the importance of the HYC community. Below we have compiled some of what they had to say…

On Building New Skills

“When I joined the program, I knew very little about sailing, so I was put into a group where everyone was way more experienced than I was. When I was sailing every day with a group of people who were way more well versed in their skills it helped me get better.” – 2023 Scholarship Recipient

“He had learned a lot of foundational skills under his belt that helped him gain confidence to sail on his own.” – Parent of 2023 Scholarship Recipient

“When it comes to a basic maneuver like a roll tack, it’s something that I originally struggled with but with a critique here and there from a coach and focus on it from me, when I finally do get it down, it’s satisfying for me to understand that when I have a passion for something and put a lot of effort into something I can do it.” -2023 Scholarship Recipient

On Favorite Memories

“When I really got the trapping down, the encouragement of my coaches when I got to stay on and not jump back in.“ -2023 Scholarship Recipient

“A day when a lot of nervous sailors in his class were out, his instructors had to help other kids and he helped other sailors in the course and helped lead them around the course.” – Parent of 2023 Scholarship Recipient

On the Most Important Part of the Program

“The balance of competitiveness while also at the same time mixing in drills that were fun to do. In the past I’ve never had the experience of competitive racing. I’ve only sailed for fun at summer camps. The competitiveness was really fun.” -2023 Scholarship Recipient

“The friends I make. It’s had an impact on who I am today. If I didn’t do sailing, I wouldn’t be who I am. The connections I made, the friends I made, it’s just wonderful.” -2023 Scholarship Recipient

“Being with their friends, the youth dance, the independence you get being at HYC and being able to do their own thing, it’s a great social thing for them – we don’t live there full time and the friendships they have made have really helped.” -Parent of 2023 Scholarship Recipient

On the Future

“If I have the opportunity to sail on a fleet racing team again, maybe in college some day, I would already have [critical] skills.” -2023 Scholarship Recipient

“Sailing’s had a wonderful impact on my life. It’s become quite a passion for me. I see myself doing it for at least through the rest of high school and college, possibly for the rest of my life.” -2023 Scholarship Recipient