Peter Stoddard, Stoddard Media
Cobern Kelley was a frogman assigned to a US Navy submarine during World War II. When he was caught in a crossfire vs the Japanese he prayed to get out alive, in which case he would dedicate his life to serving youth back home in Georgia.
Kelley first served as an Athens YMCA part time employee in 1930. He became the full time Physical Director in 1942 and served in that role until his death in 1968.
On Friday night April 15, 2022 I, Peter Stoddard of Stoddard Media, attended an Athens Georgia YMCA Kelley's Boys reunion. They let me into the group because many knew Lewis Grizzard, and I was an Atlanta YMCA Boy.
The April 15 reunion was only the second time the group had gathered since Cobern Kelley died.
Over 200 men attended a tribute to Kelley, who shaped the lives of hundreds of young men for decades. Kelley was a 2nd father to many.
In addition to coaching and camping locally, he would take a school bus full of boys to California or Canada with only a single teenage counselor to assist.
On a trip to Canada Kelley drove from Athens to Pennsylvania before stopping so he could sleep. On trips anywhere a stop by a river or lake meant the boys would swim, usually without swim trunks.
When in Athens Kelley most often slept in a sleeping bag on a mattress at the YMCA Camp Pine Tops, the retreat he organized and built almost single handedly that sadly is no longer.
Kelley was rarely if ever late for anything. On the morning of April 11, 1968 Kelley did not show up for work at the Y. An employee named Filmore went to check on him at Pine Tops and discovered that Kelley had died overnight in that sleeping bag.
As so many did, Filmore loved Kelley. Many Kelley Boys speculate that Filmore may have called that the worst morning of his life.
Later that day every Athens school announced Kelley’s death to students. Many say it was as profound as when they heard that JFK died.
Among the Kelley Boy comments:
“I spent more time at the Y then at school!”
“The real beauty of Kelley was the spiritual qualities that he had. His love for God and Jesus was everything to him, and he wanted us to see and feel it as well. But he was wise enough to not push the concepts of his religion too hard on such young men. Instead he led by example.”
“Kelley was a real Gift From God. I still think of him and the things he taught us and helped us live what we learned. Thank you Kelley. Hope I see you again in Heaven.”
“I think we all remember that day (he died) and hearing the news. It was a life-changing event for most Athenians.”
I had no idea that Lewis Grizzard met Kelley or that he wrote one of many obituaries.
Kelley did not want to be interviewed or have his name in the paper when Lewis approached him months earlier, upon his return from a long summer road trip with a typical group of 70+ boys.
Lewis persisted but got only "yes" "no" answers to questions, and Lewis almost gave up writing anything. Then he got stories from two age 9 and 10 brothers sitting outside. The boys explained to Lewis what Kelley meant to everyone.
Some say that Kelley was the only male authority figure Lewis Grizzard's friend Jake Scott ever respected. That's young Jake on the left with an unknown camper and Kelley.
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Jake was an occasional field trip counselor, and Kelley gave him some freedom to go out on his own in the early evening. Campers who ran into Jake said he wasted no time in finding a pretty girl even at Niagara Falls.
No wonder Lewis liked Jake. Lewis no doubt liked Cobern Kelley.
(Jake Scott was an All American defensive back for UGA and a defensive back for the undefeated Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins. Jake was MVP of that 1973 Super Bowl.)
Kelley’s grave and the chapel he built are at the current 915 Hawthorne Avenue 1967 YMCA facility.
The day of the April 15 reunion many Kelley Boys saw that grave for the first time. Many had to fight back tears.
The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) began in London England in 1844. Founder George Williams was dissatisfied with immoral behavior in the city. With other men and boys he met in his home for Bible study.
The first YMCA in the United States was founded in Boston in 1851.
The Athens YMCA was established in 1857 and is the third oldest in the United States. The Civil War disrupted operations, and the Athens Y resumed operations in the 1880s. In 1889 construction began on the first Y building at the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin streets.
In 1919 the second facility was built at the corner of Broad and Lumpkin, where the recently closed Holiday Inn stands. That building included a 1,200 square foot swimming pool, athletic fields and a basketball court in the gym that required a “distinctive shooting style”. Players had to shoot line drives, or the ball would hit the balcony that extended above the court.
It was in this facility that Cobern Fraser Kelley began influencing Athens boys with Christian values. Known to all simply as “Kelley”, that influence continues today.
Now that the Athens YMCA is coed, skinny dipping that was the norm for boys under Kelley's watch is obviously a thing of the past.
Today the Athens Y offers online workouts, group exercise, personal trainers, health and wellness programs, cancer wellness, swim lessons, lifeguard & CPR training to members of all ages.
In addition to the above, youth programs include after school programs, strength and conditioning, day camps, resident camps and a variety of programs for youth with special needs.
Since the Athens YMCA began in 1857 there have only been five people to serve as CEO. Shae Wilson-Gregg is one of those five. She began at age 19 coaching youth basketball in 1999 and worked her way up the ranks.
Shae’s first love was soccer, yet the Y needed a basketball coach. One serves where there is a need.
Compared to a country club, the Athens Y lacks only a golf course, tennis courts and perhaps fine dining rooms. The tennis courts that the Y once had were not used often. They have since been repurposed into high usage space for pickle ball and other activities. There are plenty of tennis options elsewhere in Athens.
For years Shae was the Youth and Athletic Director. Cobern Kelley’s title was Physical Director. Shae shared many of the same duties as Kelley, though she never let days long field trips with a busload of boys.
Shae never dreamed that the YMCA would be her career workplace, much less that she would be promoted to CEO. Today she can not imagine serving anywhere else.
If any YMCA member objects to prayer at that facility Shae reminds them that the YMCA is a Christian organization. Few complain.
Contact:
Peter Stoddard
Stoddard Media & Yankee Redneck Media
stoddardmedia@gmail.com
678-725-5889
