David Duro Named Athletic Club Boise Community Impact STAR
USL1 Athletic Club Boise

David Duro Named Athletic Club Boise Community Impact STAR

Published on May 18, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Athletic Club Boise News Release


At Athletic Club Boise, the Community Impact STAR - Service, Teamwork, Accountability, and Responsibility - is symbolized by a single purple chair inside our stadium.

That chair reflects both the eye of the falcon in our crest and the Idaho star garnet. More importantly, it represents the people and organizations who strengthen our community in lasting ways, those who show up for others, create opportunity, and help shape a stronger future for Idaho.

During our upcoming home match on Saturday, May 16, vs. Monterey Bay FC, Athletic Club Boise will recognize David Duro, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA, as our latest Community Impact STAR honoree.

A PLACE THAT BECAME A CALLING

What began as a way to work through school eventually became a lifelong mission for David Duro.

More than four decades ago, he first came to the Y looking for a job.

"I came to the Y just because I really needed to put myself through school," Duro says. "And what I found was this group of people that cared so much."

That experience changed the course of his life.

"It wasn't just a workplace," he says. "It was a family."

Duro started as a janitor while also working in youth sports and fitness programs. Forty-three years later, he now leads one of the Treasure Valley's most influential community organizations as President and CEO.

"It's been my dream job," he says. "I love it so much."

BUILDING COMMUNITY

For Duro, the YMCA's role in the Treasure Valley is ultimately about one thing: creating connection.

"One of the things that makes us so happy is we build community," he says.

At the center of that mission is a commitment that everyone belongs.

"We are for all," Duro says. "Everyone's always welcome at the Y, regardless of their ability to pay."

The organization backs that philosophy with action.

"We make the pledge that no person is ever turned away due to the inability to pay," he says.

From child care and swim lessons to youth sports and wellness programming, the YMCA reaches tens of thousands of people across Idaho every year. But according to Duro, the most meaningful outcomes are often the relationships built inside those spaces.

"People find friendship, and they find people that care about them," he says. "They build these little micro communities, and these threads of community are strong."

MORE THAN PEOPLE REALIZE

While many people associate the YMCA primarily with gyms or youth sports, Duro says the organization's impact stretches far beyond that.

"We are the largest provider of child care in the state of Idaho," he says.

The YMCA also provides extensive programming for individuals and families navigating major health challenges, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer recovery.

In particular, Parkinson's programming has become one of the organization's fastest-growing service areas.

"We don't pretend that we can cure it," Duro says. "But what we can do is offer people a better life."

Through evidence-based fitness and wellness classes, participants are able to manage symptoms, regain confidence, and reconnect socially in supportive environments.

"If you've ever had somebody in your life that's had Parkinson's, the symptoms can be debilitating," he says. "They take away your courage, your self-esteem to be out in public. And we can help people with that."

TEACHING MORE THAN SPORTS

One of the YMCA's largest areas of impact remains youth programming.

Last year alone, the organization served more than 43,000 children across the Treasure Valley.

"If we were a school district, we would be the largest school district in the state of Idaho," Duro says.

But for him, success is measured by far more than participation numbers.

The YMCA intentionally tracks five core developmental outcomes across its youth programs: friendship, academic success, skill-building, healthy movement, and character development.

"We teach kids how to make friends and develop a stronger support network," Duro says. "We teach them how to do better in school. We teach them how to learn a new skill."

And beyond sports or activities themselves, the YMCA hopes to instill the organization's four core values in every child who walks through its doors.

"We teach and model and hope kids will live with the four core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility," he says.

STORIES THAT STAY WITH YOU

Over 43 years, Duro has seen countless examples of lives changed through the YMCA's programs and community.

One story that continues to stay with him involves a young athlete who first came to the YMCA through a program designed to support neurodiverse youth and families.

The athlete was born with only one partial limb and initially found connection and confidence through the swimming pool.

Today, that athlete holds multiple American swimming records, including the mile.

"That kind of determination that he was able to find and be inspired here," Duro says. "That's one of my favorite stories."

For Duro, stories like that reflect what the YMCA can become for families, not just a place for recreation, but a place where people discover confidence, possibility, and belonging.

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORT

For Duro, the connection between the YMCA and Athletic Club Boise goes far beyond athletics.

At the center of both organizations, he says, is the belief that sports can bring people together and strengthen a community.

"[Boise has its] own soccer team now, which is so awesome," Duro says.

He believes the club has the opportunity to shape culture in the Treasure Valley, not only through competition, but through the example its players and organization set for others.

"The club has strong values, just like the Y," he says. "It's more reinforcement around how we treat people, how we treat each other, what's important in life."

As someone who still coaches youth soccer himself, Duro sees enormous value in young athletes having local role models they can connect with and aspire toward.

"I want them to have these athletes and this club that they can look up to," he says. "Not just because they're a great soccer player, but because they're a great person."

Because in the end, Duro believes the most important lessons sports teach have little to do with wins or losses.

"Everybody can be a good human being," Duro says. "That's what we try and do with sports."

A PLACE FOR EVERYONE

If there is one thing Duro wishes more people understood about the YMCA, it is that the organization exists for everyone.

"I wish people knew it's for them," he says.

Whether someone is seeking physical health, mental wellness, friendship, skill-building, mentorship, or simply a place to belong, Duro believes there is a pathway waiting for them at the Y.

"There's something for everyone here that I believe can help people live a better life."

GETTING INVOLVED

The YMCA continues to rely on volunteers, staff members, coaches, and community support to expand its impact across the Treasure Valley.

"We hope everyone will choose to get involved with the Y," Duro says.

For those interested, he says the process is simple.

"The best thing is just walk through the front door," he says.

The organization also provides opportunities for volunteering, employment, youth involvement, and community partnerships through its website and local programs.

"People don't realize that we employ 1,300 people and 25% of them are under age 18," Duro says. "This is a great place for people to come and to work and learn those things and be a part of what we're trying to accomplish."

RECOGNITION, IN CONTEXT

On Saturday night, David Duro will take his place in Athletic Club Boise's Purple Seat as the club's newest Community Impact STAR honoree.

The recognition reflects more than four decades of leadership and service. It honors a career built around creating spaces where people feel welcomed, supported, and connected to something larger than themselves.

And through every program, every coach, every child, and every family impacted along the way, Duro believes the mission remains remarkably simple:

"Everyone's always welcome at the Y."

For those interested, you can try the Y for free.

Check out the Athletic Club Boise Statistics

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United Soccer League One Stories from May 18, 2026


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