Meet YMCA Coach: Eddie Stack

Eddie Stack has been coaching youth basketball at the YMCA for many years now. As a former high school basketball coach with 15 years of experience under his belt, he has seen it all. Coaching at the YMCA holds a special significance for him, as it is where he got his start playing basketball, and where his dad coached his team growing up. Now, Eddie gets to coach his daughter as she grows up.

“My dad still lives in town so now he gets to watch me coach and her play.”

Stack's love for basketball started early on. He played at Loyola Sacred Heart before moving on to play at Rocky Mountain College. 

Coaching at the YMCA is like coming full circle for him, and he is happy to see that the core values of the organization have remained intact. He said the YMCA's emphasis on balance between competition and other activities is what sets it apart. 

As a dad, he said he appreciates the good work that the YMCA does for the community, and as a coach, he enjoys the challenge of working with a mix of kids who have different levels of experience.

“The Y does so many good things for so many people," he said. "It's so easy to love and like and support just because of the mission they have and what they do. Yeah, I'm a big fan of the Y.”

As a dad of an 8-year-old daughter, he understands the importance of balance in life. Coaching his daughter's team has been a positive experience for both of them he said, and he cherishes the time they spend together towards a common goal. “I think it's really been good for our relationship in a lot of ways.”

For Stack, coaching at the YMCA is more than just a job, it's a family legacy. 

“It’s odd but it's very cool. You never think ‘I'm going to be doing the exact same thing in the exact same spot that my parents did’, so it's a little bit surreal, but it's also very comforting. I didn't turn out too bad I don't think, so at least we're on track,” he joked.