The YMCA is a great place for children to start building connections, develop social skills, confidence, leadership, and fitness through youth and family programming.
This year, we want to profile local community leaders who attribute their success to solid beginnings with the YMCA. Our second community leader is Anthony Pomponio, Athlete, 2015 USA National Champion .
1). Why was the Y so important to you during your youth &/or currently?
The YMCA was a place that provided an opportunity for me to continue playing sports after school was out. It provided a place that was safe, organized and supervised at all times. The YMCA is the backbone of our community here in the desert, so many kids learned the value of hard work and teamwork through YMCA youth programs. The endless hours I have spent on that basketball court helped mold me into the athlete I would later become. Without the YMCA growing up I don't know what I would have done for athletics, when I moved to the Desert in 1995 that was the first place my parents went to enroll me into sports and every year up until 9th grade I played YMCA Basketball. I still get together with friends today and we tell stories about how much fun we had on those courts. Without the organization and hardwork of the YMCA employs I highly doubt our small town would operate so smoothly. The YMCA means a lot to me today because I love the opportunity it provides kids to be in a safe and organized environment afterschool, to be in a place that exposes them to sports, science, math, robotics etc. you name it the YMCA has a program that will benefit your child. I love the YMCA and will always support their mission.
2). What lessons did you learn from being involved with the Y that you apply to your life now?
The main lesson I learned from the YMCA is if you want to succeed you have to work as a team and get along. Every year I played basketball I was on a team that had boys and girls, kids of different ethnicities, religions, backgrounds etc. As a team we all came together and worked hard for one common goal and that was to win and be the best team we could be.
4). A brief Bio of yourself…what makes you so great!
My name is Anthony Pomponio, My friends call me "Pomp." I grew up in Palm Desert, CA, I attended Lincoln Elementary, Palm Desert middle school, and Palm Desert High school go AZTECS!!! I played basketball, baseball, football and ran track in high school, later excelling at football and track. I won the 100 meter sprint my senior year making me the fastest man in the Valley for the year of 2005! I went on to play Collegiate football at Whittier College from 2005-2009, I was awarded all conference and MVP of my team my senior season. I graduated with a Degree in Kinesiology and Nutritional Science in 2009. I went on to continue my football career in Europe playing in the Switzerland American Football League for the Basel Gladiators. In Switzerland I was awarded Offensive MVP and led my team to the Swiss Bowl. After coming back from Europe I had a brief but very successful stint in Bodybuilding where I won 3 major competitions and was featured in quite a few major magazine publications. I then was introduced to the sport of Weightlifting and never looked back. I was invited to be a resident at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for 2 years, during my time in Colorado Springs I won several major competitions including becoming a National Champion in 2015 and representing Team USA on the world level multiple times. Upon arriving back to California my wife Charlotte Pomponio and I had our baby boy Rocco Pomponio. Now I reside in Palm Desert, CA with my wife and son. In the Desert my main goal is to give youth athletes more opportunities to better themselves on their playing fields, I want to share my knowledge that led me to have a very successful athletic career and hopefully allow them the same opportunities I had. If you want to know more about what I offer youth athlete please feel free to contact me .