清光緒二十一年 (1895)十二月二十二日，天津基督教青年會在海大道建立，當時青年會的中文名稱為“天津?qū)W塾幼徒會”。會員大都是學生。總干事為來會理(又譯李昂)。該會是北美協(xié)會在中國建立的第一個基督教青年會。
來會理于清同治九年(1870)出生在寧波，其父是美國長老會在華的傳教士。來會理的幼年時代是在杭州度過的。光緒七年(1881),他進入美國俄亥俄州的伍斯特大學預科學習。此時，正是基督教青年會在美國迅速發(fā)展的時期，他加入了青年會組織，并擔任了學校青年會的主席。
光緒十七年(1891),他在伍斯特大學畢業(yè)后，進入芝加哥麥考密克神學院，積極參加“學生海外志愿運動” ,并擔任該組織的干事。光緒二十一年(1895)九月，他作為基督教青年會北美協(xié)會第一任中國干事，被委派到中國，組織在華基督教青年會。
青年會成立之初，主要活動是每周一次的查經(jīng)班，用英文宣講圣經(jīng)，然后用英文討論，鍛煉英語的表達能力。同時也組織體育活動，尤其是籃球運動。
光緒二十三年(1897),在上海召開了由29個城市基督教青年會參加的第一次全國會議。正式組成全國性的青年會組織，來會理為總干事?？偛吭O在天津。轉(zhuǎn)年，在天津創(chuàng)刊了中國基督教青年會的第一份刊物《學塾月報》。每月刊發(fā)一期，包括中外情況和英文，主要內(nèi)容是宣講圣經(jīng)等。

·天津基督教青年會

光緒二十四年(1898)4月，美國普林斯頓神學院畢業(yè)的格林(Robert R.Gailey),抵達天津，擔任天津青年會總干事。來會理辭去天津青年會總干事，專任中國青年會總干事。
庚子事變以后，由于青年會會員主要來源的幾所高等學堂在戰(zhàn)亂中停課，青年會的工作重心由租界地轉(zhuǎn)向老城區(qū)，發(fā)展華人成員擔任干事，并創(chuàng)辦學堂。光緒二十七年(1901),格林聯(lián)合天津的士紳，在鈴鐺閣創(chuàng)辦了普通中學堂，這是天津創(chuàng)辦最早的新式中學堂。兩年后，由于地方政府需要鈴鐺閣開辦官立學堂，普通中學堂遷至倉廒街“城廂會所”旁。又過了兩年，普通中學堂再次遷至經(jīng)司胡同。
光緒三十一年(1905)9月，嚴修第一次到青年會，聽取大主教 “基督教與教育”的演講，并聘請青年會的外國教師韓慕儒(R.M.Hersey),到他剛創(chuàng)辦一年的私立中學堂(即南開中學)去教英語和地理。其它學堂也有聘請青年會的教師去任教的。
光緒三十四年(1908),私立南開中學堂的創(chuàng)辦人張伯苓加入基督教，并成為青年會的華人領(lǐng)導人； 轉(zhuǎn)年，被選為青年會董事會的主席。青年會的領(lǐng)導權(quán)開始掌握在中國人自己手里。這在社會上層產(chǎn)生了很大影響。
張伯苓上任后的第一件事，就是籌建新會所。經(jīng)過募集，歐陽旭德捐銀2萬兩，加上其它捐助，共銀3.7萬兩，用以購置了東馬路內(nèi)側(cè)建筑用地。此后又募到美國友人萬那美捐助的美金11.4萬元。
1913年5月23日，東馬路會所開工興建；1914年10月16日，天津基督教青年會新會所在東馬路(現(xiàn)在少年宮址)落成。袁世凱的代表曹嘉祥、朱家寶的代表王麟閣和美國駐華公使芮恩施等，出席揭幕式。
新會所建筑為4層(含地下室),樓內(nèi)設禮堂、乒乓球室、臺球室、健身房、閱覽室； 特別是建有一個不標準的籃球場，這是中國建立的第一個室內(nèi)籃球場。
天津基督教青年會，在推動天津近代體育運動發(fā)展上，更是發(fā)揮了很大作用。它在天津許多大中學校組織開展了籃球、足球等體育活動，并參與組織了很多項體育賽事。20世紀初至30年代，其體育活動達到高潮。
On December 22,1895 (the 21st year of EmperorGuangxu),the Tianjin Young Men`s ChristianAssociation (YMCA) was set up at Hai Road. It wasthe first CYMA in China set up by the North AmericanYMCA. The association`s original name was "TianjinStudents` Christian Association". Most of its memberswere students. The director-general was David WillardLyon.
Willard Lyon was born in Ningbo in 1870. Hisfather was a missionary dispatched by the AmericanPresbytery. Willard Lyon spent his childhood inHangzhou of Zhejiang Province. In 1881,he studied atthe preparatory school of Worcester University in Ohio,US. The YMCA grew fast during this period. He joinedthe association and became the secretary general ofYMCA of Worcester.
After graduation in 1891,Willard Lyon enteredChicago McCormick Divinity School and was active inparticipating the Student Expatriate Voluntary Movementas the secretary-general. In September 1895,he was thefirst secretary general sent to China by the YMCA ofNorth America. He organized the YMCA in China.
Early activities of the YMCA mainly included Biblestudy once a week. Participants read Bible in Englishand then held discussions. It also organized physicalactivities,especially basketball.
In 1897,the first national YMCA conference washeld in Shanghai,attracting YMCAs from 29 cities.During the conference,the China YMCA was officiallyestablished with Willard Lyon served as the secretary-general. Headquartered in Tianjin,the China YMCApublished in 1898 a bilingual magazine the ChineseStudents Journal in order to publicize Bible.
In April 1898,Willard Lyon resigned from theTianjin YCMA and another US citizen called Robert R.Gailey arrived in Tianjin and took Lyon`s position. Lyonthen took the position of secretary-general of the ChinaYCMA.
After the incident of Boxer Indemnity,someuniversities in Tianjin had to suspend their class due tothe turbulence caused by war. The YCMA then shiftedits focus from the concessions to the old downtownareas. More Chinese secretaries were absorbed into theYMCA,which began to open schools. In 1901,Gaileyand some esquires in Tianjin co-established a middleschool at Lingdanggao. This was the first modern middleschool in Tianjin. Two years later,the local governmentplanned to build a public school at Lingdanggao,so themiddle school was moved to Chengxiang Chamber atCang`ao Street. Two years later,the school was relocatedto Jingsi Lane.
In September 1905,scholar Yan Xiu listened toa lecture "Christian and Education" delivered by anarchbishop at YMCA. He then invited R. M. Hersey ofthe association to teach English and geography at theNankai Middle School,which had been established oneyear before. Later some other schools followed the suitto invite YMCA teachers.
In 1908,Zhang Boling,the founder of the NankaiMiddle School,became a Christian. One year later,he was selected as the chairman of YMCA. The eventthat a Chinese became the top leader of the associationexerted much influences to the society. Zhang`s firstaction after taking the post was to build a new chamber.The YMCA received a total of 37,000 taels,of which20,000 were donated by Ouyang Xude. It purchased apiece of construction land near Dongmalu with thesedonations. Later,an other American friend contributedUS＄ 114,000 to the association.
On May 23,1913,the Tianjin YMCA began tobuild the Dongmalu Chamber. On October 16,1914,it completed the construction (now the site of theChildren`s Palace). Cao Jiaxiang,who represents YuanShikai,Wang Linge,who represents Zhu Jiabao,as wellas Paul S. Reinsch,the then US Ambassador to China,attended the opening ceremony.
The new chamber had four stories (including thebasement),including an auditorium,a table-tennisroom,a billiards room,a gymnasium,a reading roomand a basketball court. The basketball court was thefirst one of its kind in China. The Tianjin YCMA playedan important role in Tianjin`s history of athletic sports,reaching to a climax in 1920s-30s.

·天津私立第一小學校民國三年腳球部