Giving Kids a Chance to Fall in Love with a Sport

Local Eric Natwick hired to run youth programming at Door County YMCA

With the recent wrap up of the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup, as well as the current unfolding of the World Cup, kids might get the idea that sports are all about winning and losing, but Eric Natwick, the new Youth & Teen Development Director at the Door County YMCA, feels otherwise.

“One of my favorite quotes for youth sports is, ‘Sometimes we win, and sometimes we learn – but we never lose,’” said Natwick, who was hired in May. He will head up a few of the Camp Compass Summer Camps, like T-ball, tennis, Otumba Park Half Day Camp and Sports-of-all-Sorts in Sturgeon Bay.

“I did this camp when I was younger, so it's really neat to be able to provide this experience for others,” said Natwick, who grew up in Sturgeon Bay. “I always knew I would be back [in Door County] at some point, and to be able to promote child development and healthy living at my job is incredible.”

Door County YMCA CEO Tom Beernsten also sees the value of bringing Natwick back to Sturgeon Bay and into the fold of the Y.

"Eric is a hometown boy and is a known entity. He has strong athletic skills, but more importantly, he has a natural ability to relate to children. He will be a great leader for our programs and a wonderful role model for our kids," said Beernsten. “Our business is about changing lives. And the way we do that is by putting everyday heroes, like Eric, in the lives of kids everyday.”

Natwick graduated from St. Norbert College in May 2013 with an English major and Business Administration minor. During his tenure at St. Norbert, he played for the men’s college soccer team, which was ranked in the top 20 in the nation. One of the few soccer coaches in Northeast Wisconsin who holds a D-License from the U.S. Soccer Federation, Natwick has coached and managed soccer teams in Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay and Seymour. Natwick is also one of the founders of the Sturgeon Bay Soccer Alumni event, which raises money for the Sturgeon Bay High School program.

“My success and experience is in soccer, but I want to emphasize the fact that I love all sports,” said Natwick. “I look forward to not only teaching the basics and the fundamentals of each sport we provide, but giving a kid a chance to fall in love with a sport the way that I have with so many of them.”

If interested in signing up for youth programming in Sturgeon Bay, please call the Door County YMCA at 920.743.4949 or go to www.doorcountyymca.org.