By SAMANTHA HURST / Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Imagine being a middle school student on a Saturday night.
What did you want to do? Most likely you wanted to chat with your friends, go swimming or play games and, of course, eat pizza.
The Alabaster YMCA offered just such an evening Feb. 20 as they played host to an event dubbed Middle School Madness.
Briana Williams, youth program director at the Alabaster YMCA, said more than two dozen kids took over the facility that night for about three hours.
“It’s a moment for the kids to come and hangout and have a fun time with their friends,” Williams said. “Plus, parents can feel good about dropping off their kids for a while. They don’t have to worry about whether or not they are safe.”
February’s event wasn’t the first time the Alabaster YMCA served as a preteen hangout. Williams said they’ve hosted similar events in 2014 and 2015, along with Parents Night Out for younger kids and 5^th Quarter events this past fall for teenagers.
During all of these events, youth can swim, play basketball or dodgeball, and simply hangout under the supervision of counselors and lifeguards. Williams said many kids simply grab pizza and find an open room to play board games in or even just chat.
She said this and many other events all fit into the YMCA’s mission of creating programming for everyone in the community.
“I want the kids to have a sense of belonging at the Y,” Williams said. “I want them to start a healthy relationship with us and not think of it as just a place their parents go to work out. We want them to know this is their spot too.”
Upcoming Middle School Madness events will be held March 26 and April 30 from 7-10 p.m. Williams said they’ve had great response from area kids and hope to grow closer to their max number of 100 during future events. She said youth do not have to live in Alabaster to attend.
Admission for youth members is $5, while non-members pay $10. For more information, visit ymcabham.org/alteens.com.