Coming home to the Y

As new director, Comstock looks to bring families back to the Bob Freesen YMCA

By Lynn Colburn
Photos/Lynn Colburn

For Drew Comstock, becoming the executive director of the Bob Freesen YMCA is a little like coming home. Long before he had an office at the YMCA, Comstock was a familiar face inside its walls.

“My first job, ever, was [as part of] the welcome staff here at the YMCA back when it was Sherwood Eddy,” Comstock says. “And in that time, it also became Bob Freesen YMCA.”

“I’ve done a few different jobs here,” he says with a smile. “I also coached junior soccer, volunteered as a basketball coach and was an instructor when the Y had Redbird CrossFit — all of which gave me an understanding of the YMCA.”

Now he is executive director. His first official day was June 1, although he accepted the job in March and finished out the school year teaching at Lincoln Elementary School in Jacksonville.

After earning his degree in elementary education, Comstock spent 11 years in the classroom, eight of those years teaching second grade at Lincoln.

“I loved it!” he says. “It’s something that I’m very passionate about … helping kids, helping them find their way.”

He continued working with young people outside of school, spending about 10 years helping coach the boys high school soccer team and the girls’ program for five. He served as director of the Western Illinois Youth Camp at Lake Jacksonville for three full years, but had to step back this year as he embraced his new role at the YMCA.

Now, all of those experiences have come together in one place.

“That is why this position was so enticing; it is kind of all-encompassing in my brain,” Comstock explains. “This job helps me be able to work with the youth, make an impression in the community, work with sports and programs, and facilitate and direct these things.”

For Comstock, that is what makes the YMCA such a good fit.

“I’m good at seeing the big picture, and I’m good at finding the people that can help me make things happen,” he says.

Instead of spreading his time between teaching, coaching, camp and YMCA activities, Comstock said his new job allows him to bring those interests together.

And there is one more benefit to having everything in one place.

“It allows me to go home to my family at the end of the day, too, which I definitely appreciate,” he says.

Comstock and his wife, Nicole, are raising two young children, Tatum (nearly 4) and Cameron (1½).

“They’re growing like weeds,” he shares.

And while he and Nicole are figuring out the challenges of parenting two little ones and transitions in both of their careers, Drew Comstock is also figuring out what it means to lead a YMCA that he believes has an important place in the community.

A PLACE TO MAKE MEMORIES

Some of his motivation comes from his own childhood. Comstock remembers the YMCA as a place where families went simply to spend time together.

“This was definitely a family-oriented place,” he says. “Saturday mornings meant basketball. Evenings could mean time on the basketball court or playing on the playground. And back then there was even a rock-climbing wall upstairs for kids.”

“[The Y] was just a place our family came to hang out,” Comstock says. “And I want to turn the YMCA back into a place for my family and other families to come and hang out as well.”

That is one of the things Comstock hopes to bring back — not just programs, but memories.

That vision is at the center of what he wants the YMCA to become.

“We are going in some different directions with the Y,” Comstock says. “We know that here at the Y, for a while now, we’ve been underperforming for our community. Our objective is to make sure people understand that we are still here for them.”

“We are going to be able to provide opportunities and experiences for families,” he says. “We want to make the Y a place people want to go and have fun with their family.”

And that doesn’t mean the YMCA is only for children.

“We want to be a place that people can go to for a good workout,” Comstock says. “We want to be a place to go for people to make memories with their kids. We want people to come here to learn a new skill, whether that is swim lessons, a trade, or whatever.”

Comstock continues, “We have some different things in the works to provide our community right here at the Y.”

ONE CHANGE AT A TIME

Comstock is realistic enough to know that rebuilding the YMCA’s programs and facility won’t happen overnight.

“If I had a magic wand, I would absolutely use it and change things here overnight if I could,” he says.

But he believes the YMCA is moving in the right direction.

“There are some serious changes in the works,” he said. “And we’re doing everything possible to make those happen as soon as possible.”

The YMCA is fine-tuning its assistance program policy to ensure financial help is available for those who truly need it.

“We want to make sure that there are some safeguards to protect and help service the people that are underprivileged in our community,” he says.

For Comstock, childcare is especially important because of his background in education.

The YMCA is currently accepting registrations for its After School Program, which began Aug. 13 and runs through May 28, 2027. Call or email the YMCA with questions, or email rjohnson@jacksonvilleymca.org, or sign up on the website, jacksonvilleymca.org.

But Comstock wants the program to be more than a place for parents to drop off their children.

“Obviously we want our kids to have a good time here,” he says, “but a parent who is dropping their kid off here expects them to be safe, so that is our priority first and foremost.”

Comstock says, “We’ve been refining the structure and working on updating our program so we can have the most phenomenal time here as well, enhancing the childcare policy with regard to behavior. Making sure everyone coming through the door is treating others with kindness, respect and consideration no matter their background.”

“We’re not just a child watch necessarily;” continues Comstock, “we want to be an extension where learning doesn’t stop.”

That could mean helping with homework or even working with schools and teachers to understand what a child needs academically. An extension where learning doesn’t stop, maintaining good habits and work ethic in a collaborative effort with schools and teachers.

The goal, he said, is to support the whole child.

“A partnership in the sense that we understand children need to be supported academically, socially, and emotionally,” he says.

And, of course, with plenty of time for kids to simply be kids.

MORE REASONS TO COME TO THE Y

Comstock says, “We are still working on recruiting a new program director into the mix, a position that is going to be spearheading the change around here.”

That person will play a major role in expanding what is offered at the Y, including new sports programs and activities in addition to softball, T-ball and weekly fitness games.

The goal is to give families another reason to walk through the YMCA doors.

But Comstock knows that before all those new programs can happen, the YMCA needs a strong foundation.

“Once we have the structure, I call it, ‘once you have your bones,’ then we can focus on the other things,” he explains. “You have to have your structure before you move forward.”

MAKING THINGS A LITTLE EASIER

Some improvements don’t require a new program or a major renovation.

The YMCA has updated its software and website, jacksonvilleymca.org, making it easier for people to register for programs and manage their memberships online.

“People can sign up from their couch,” Comstock says, “accessing their whole membership on their phones. Non-members can still sign up online, but membership allows discounts on sports programs, swim lessons and more.”

Comstock said the organization is becoming more active on Facebook as another way of keeping the community informed.

For those who prefer a more personal connection, Comstock said his office door is usually open.

“We are always here to provide something for the community, so if you have ideas and advice, we will welcome that at any point,” he said.

A Y FOR ALL AGES

While children and families are a major focus, Comstock also wants the YMCA to continue providing programs for people throughout the community.

One program he points to is the Parkinson’s program and Rock Steady Boxing, led by Amy Little. The specialized program requires an evaluation and referral, allowing participants to be placed in the class that best fits their needs.

“Amy does a fantastic job of putting you in a class that is designed for you,” Comstock says. “And it is a terrific support system for all who join. Amy has been trained in the Rock Steady Program and through Memorial Hospital.”

A COMMUNITY YMCA

Comstock also hopes people will feel comfortable investing in the YMCA, whether through membership, volunteering, ideas or donations.

Donations can be designated toward specific programs, sports or activities.

“If you ever have a program, like after school, that you’re passionate about or want to help buy basketballs for instance, or just help through a general monetary donation, you’re welcome to let us know and designate where you want that money to go,” Comstock shares.

The YMCA’s big fundraiser, Winter Soirée, is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2027, and Comstock promises it will look very different this year.

For Comstock, though, the biggest investment in the YMCA is the community itself.

He can often be found walking through the building, checking on classes, talking with members and introducing himself to people he hasn’t met. He doesn’t spend all his time behind his office door. After all, this is a place he knows well.

“We have all these ideas for change and we’re acting on these, but change takes time,” Comstock says. “But I can say there are some serious changes in the works.”

For a community that has watched the YMCA evolve over the years, perhaps one of the most encouraging things about its newest executive director is that he isn’t looking at the YMCA as simply a job. The community has an ally who is excited about the future and possibilities it brings.

He remembers what it meant to him.

He remembers the families.

He remembers the basketball games, the playground and the feeling of having a place to go.

And now he wants to help create that feeling again.

A place to exercise.

A place to learn.

A place to meet friends.

A place for children to grow.

And most of all, a place for families to come through the doors, spend time together and make a few memories of their own.