Highland County YMCA welcomes Coach Travis Tong
Travis Tong
Courtesy of Jennifer Waterman
Director of Membership and Transformation
Director of Small Groups
YMCA of Greater Cincinnati - Highland County YMCA
Highland County YMCA welcomes Coach Travis Tong to the YMCA’s team. We invite the community to an old-fashioned picnic with games and a meet-and-greet.
Coach Tong is the new program coordinator for aquatics and sports. Travis looks forward to working with the Highland County community by providing first-rate youth programs, adult sports, and aquatic swim lessons. The open-to-the-community, old-fashioned picnic meet and greet is Saturday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Some of the family fun games will include nine square, corn hole, sand volleyball, Jenga, gaga ball, and more.
Travis was born and raised in Highland County. He attended Lynchburg-Clay High School, but graduated from Whiteoak High School. It is in these formative years that Travis acquired his love of sports. As many sports enthusiasts start their sports career, Travis began with recreational Little League baseball. However, it was not until his seventh-grade health teacher persuaded Travis to join the basketball team, “that is when I fell in love with sports.”
Travis started coaching in his teens as a hobby and to help other coaches. “When I was 19, a 13-year-old kid came up and hugged me, he told me he loved me, and that is when I knew, as a coach, I would have a positive impact on the youth.”
He has been coaching ever since for the past 30 years. Travis currently coaches baseball, softball, T-ball, and basketball, but will be adding soccer, tag football, and volleyball to his roster at the Highland County YMCA.
“I coach to make a difference, to be a positive influence, not for a win-loss record.”
Travis, a proud father of four children, says, “Being a dad and a coach is a reward in life!” He is also a weather enthusiast, and a sports card and vintage 1980s music collector. Travis is an involved member of the Highland County community.
If you are interested in being a lifeguard, swim instructor, martial arts instructor, or gymnastics instructor, please contact Travis Tong at the Highland County YMCA at 937.840.9971 or apply at MyY.org.