The YMCA Quarterback Club begins its 85th year of promotion and service to local area schools during the football season as a non-profit organization in association with the YMCA of the Foothills.

Pete Smith of Bob Smith Toyota will be taking over as the organization’s president. He will oversee the board and directors as well as welcoming the nearly 100 members and guests to the weekly Tuesday meetings of the YMCA Quarterback Club at the Oakmont Country Club, 3100 Country Club Drive in Glendale.

The annual kickoff party of the YMCA Quarterback Club will be on Tuesday, Aug. 18 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Los Gringos Locos, 631 Foothill Blvd. in La Cañada Flintridge. In addition to saying hello to old friends this a time to meet new members and guests. There will also be the a chance to see some of the coaches who stop by to say hello. 

The first meeting of the YMCA Quarterback Club will be on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at the Oakmont Country Club. Doors open at 11 a.m., lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and the program starts at noon.

Guest speakers will make presentations this year who will come to the podium to present insight and commentary on today’s football scene.

Aug. 25 – The Speakers Series starts with the traditional “women in sports.” The speaker will be Olivia Garvey from KNBC4 News/Sports. Garvey is known to be a dynamic sports anchor and reporter and has burst onto the local sports media scene with energy and knowledge. She has grown up in the sports world as her father is legendary Dodger Steve Garvey. 

Sept. 1 – Eric Sondheimer from The Los Angeles Times, one of the Club’s favorite speakers, will be welcomed. Sondheimer is an award-winning writer and columnist who covers the high school football scene like none other. Sondheimer always gives inside information on the important issues.

Sept. 8 – The commissioner of the CIF-SS Mike West will be making a presentation. CIF-SS is the governing body of high school sports, and West will present news and updates of all things involving the ever-changing and growing world of high school sports – especially football.

The Speakers Series will include Jasmine Blevins from the Big-10 Network, Jens Weiden, CEO of the Rose Bowl, Lavar Arrington, college and NFL player/coach/radio host, Steve Hartman, KTLA5 sports anchor/Fox News radio personality, Matt “Money” Smith from Fox Radio and voice of the Chargers and former players Wayne Cook (UCLA) and Shaun Cody (USC), among others. 

This lineup promises great lunches with great speakers!

Folks will get a chance to sign up for membership for the year (membership fees are as little as $100) as well as providing donations to sponsor the coaches’ lunches, advertising, room and lunches … and more. It’s all for the student/athletes that the Club supports, including scholarships for the deserving student athletes from seven local high schools – Glendale, Hoover, Crescenta Valley, St. Francis, Village Christian, La Cañada – and Glendale College.  

Visit ymcafoothills.org and click on Community Events to lock in membership and donations, or contact Debbie Pile for assistance at the YMCA of the Foothills, (818) 273-8818.

Submitted by the YMCA QB Club