“I want to sleep with my trophy,” my son Max said as he climbed into bed Tuesday evening, his eyes still bright from our JCC’s Youth Soccer Banquet. His small hands clutched the shiny gold trophy. For him, it was magical.
This fall, under the leadership of Membership & Recreation Director Ethan Cohen, the JCC brought back youth soccer — a program with deep roots and decades of memories woven into our community’s story. Every Tuesday evening and Sunday morning, for the past eight weeks, our fields came alive again with cheers and that unmistakable energy of childhood joy. Families gathered; parents balancing coffee mugs, grandparents wrapped in blankets, siblings chasing balls on the sidelines. What began as a sports program became something greater: a tapestry of connection, a time for coming together.
“Yes, buddy. You can sleep with your trophy,” I told Max, smiling. “Soccer was fun, wasn’t it?” Max nodded enthusiastically, then asked if he’d scored the most goals this season (he’s very humble — as only six-year-olds can be!).
When I first arrived at the JCC in the fall of 2024, I heard so much about the importance of youth recreation. But I didn’t fully grasp how transformative it could be — not just for the kids playing, but for the entire community. The return of youth soccer has reawakened something quietly waiting: a sense of shared belonging. Parents have become coaches. Caregivers have become cheerleaders. Teammates have become friends off the field.
As we continue to grow, our JCC remains deeply committed to hearing what our community values and needs — and what our dreams are. The return of programs such as youth soccer is a response to that feedback.
Our staff is working hard to design new experiences and reintroduce beloved traditions that bring people together in meaningful and lasting ways. This, of course, takes resources — time, creativity, and financial investment — and, most importantly, it takes partnership. Your participation, advocacy, and philanthropic support are what make it possible for the JCC to keep evolving while staying true to our mission.
The day after the soccer banquet, I was walking through our halls with longtime JCC members and generous supporters Bruce and Marcia Sklare and Hand in Hand Co-Chair and Past Board Chair Katy Cantor. We ran into Ethan and Sr. Director of Jewish Life and Engagement Abby Katz. Ethan proudly shared updates about the soccer season and future recreation plans.
Bruce smiled and said, “I remember when my dad coached my basketball team at the JCC.” Ethan nodded, adding, “And mine coached my soccer team.”
As we stood together — Bruce reflecting on his own childhood, Ethan now leading our recreation programs, and Abby and I talking about our own sons playing this season — I realized something simple but powerful: my husband Jamil is now the one coaching. The same spirit that shaped Bruce’s childhood, and Ethan’s, is now shaping my son’s too. I could tell Abby was having a similar realization — her husband is also coaching their two boys.
In that small moment, standing in the same building that had witnessed generations of families grow and play, I felt the pulse of what l’dor v’dor — from generation to generation — truly means. Whether it was Bruce in 1958, Ethan in the early 2000s, or Max in 2025, youth recreation at the JCC has always been more than a game. It’s a passing of values — teamwork, connection, joy — from one generation to the next.
Next week, as youth basketball tips off, I hope you’ll stop by the gym to cheer on our players and coaches — and even consider signing your child up or encouraging your grandchild to play (click here to register). What you’ll find is a beautiful tapestry celebrating what makes our JCC the heart of our community: generations connecting, values being lived, and a future being built; one game, one child, one moment — and one trophy — at a time.
Shabbat Shalom,
Sam Dubrinsky – JCC Indy CEO
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