Meet Maureen MacDonald-Stein
A longtime Y member, volunteer coach and board member

YMCA: You have a long history with the Y. Tell us about that.
Maureen: My family has been a member of the Galowich Family YMCA since 1978. I learned how to play basketball at the Y and took swimming lessons in the pool. Thirty years later, my two sons learned how to swim in the same pool.

Now I volunteer my time as a Youth Basketball coach and as a member of the Galowich Advisory Council, the Greater Joliet YMCA Metro Board and on the Greater Joliet YMCA Board Governance Committee. It gives me great pleasure to be a part of the Y’s Mission to improve the mind, body and spirit of our community.

The Y’s certainly a special place. What do you think sets it apart?
The people. The employees, volunteers and members make me feel like family. You can feel the mission at work with every interaction.

How has the Y’s mission impacted your life?
In fifth grade, my parents registered me to participate in the Youth Basketball League at the Galowich YMCA. This experience helped define the person I am today. It taught me about leadership, teamwork, work ethic and fun. It taught me about confidence and perseverance—I was the only female participant in the League. It also taught me the importance of volunteerism. Coach Pfanenstiel gave his time and talent to help a group of kids learn about the great game of basketball. I think of him every time I coach a new group of kids through the YBL Program.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I am very competitive.

Who is your favorite player on your favorite sports team?
My favorite team is always the YBL team that I am coaching at the moment. As far as my favorite players—well that’s easy. My two favorite players of all-time are my sons, Austin and Tyler.

If you could travel to any place on earth, where would you go?
I have traveled all over the world on business, so my choice is always to be at home with my family.