Catholic Youth Organization Continues To Provide Safe Spaces For Sports

The Maryville Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) hosts cheerleading workshops for young people. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARYVILLE ACADEMY.
The Maryville Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) hosts cheerleading workshops for young people. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARYVILLE ACADEMY.

Catholic Youth Organization Continues To Provide Safe Spaces For Sports 

By Tia Carol Jones

Kimberly Williams has been with the Maryville Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) since 1987. She is the program coordinator. In grade school, she was part of the sports programs that were part of the Maryville Catholic Youth Organization. When she graduated from University of Illinois, her mentor asked if she would be interested in working at CYO. It was her dream job. She met some of her best friends through CYO sports, doing track and field or cheerleading.

“I love everything about CYO. We get to travel to all of these different schools and parishes and meet all of these different kids,” Williams said. She added that she loves what she does.

The Maryville CYO began in 1930 as a way to get young people off the streets and give them access to opportunities that would get them off the streets, with the hope they could turn their lives around. Maryville sponsors and directs CYO on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The program services about 3,000 young people ages 8 years old to 19 years old.

In June 2024, Maryville opened the Maryville Youth Center at 5022 W. Madison Ave.Having the center enables CYO to offer open gym all year round, in addition to offering its sports programs. The sports that are offered through CYO include basketball, track and field and cross country. Cheerleading is also offered, with Williams going to schools to do workshops and clinics. There is also a golf program which is run by a golf professional.

Grade school students enroll in the sports programs through their schools, with the schools helping them out with what they need. For high school students, the CYO basketball teams gives students who, for whatever reason, didn’t make their high school team, the opportunity to play and hone their skills. There are 28 CYO basketball teams that practice once a week.

“I’m always interested in keeping kids out of trouble and off the streets. I think the more they are in the gym, the less they are in the streets,” Williams said.

Williams said that there are times when there are 75 young people at the Maryville Youth Center in the gym after school. Those students also get an opportunity to utilize the computers to complete their homework. She said a lot of the times, the students who attend the center just want to see a friendly face and have an adult to talk to.

Williams said that with the center, CYO will start to create leagues and teams for those students who come in for open gym, so they can do cheerleading and basketball, basketball or dance teams. There are coaches who are available to help them hone their skills.

Williams said that people can help support the work CYO is doing by donating money to Maryville. She said they are always looking for donors and donations.

“We need as much monetary support and community support as we can get,” Williams said.

Those interested in donating to CYO and the Maryville Youth Center can visit www.maryvilleacademy.org and select nonrestricted funds for CYO or the Youth Center.

For more information about Maryville CYO, visit www.maryvilleacademy.org or call 312-491-3534.


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