oncecoolcoachnowmom
Bestest Newbie '14
- Mar 2, 2014
- 7,302
- 19,416
There was a discussion going on in a thread started by @Zyylophone
that got me thinking. I work in schools and we spend every day discussing The Achievement Gap (the different factors that widen it and what we can do to close it.)
This other thread got me to thinking about gaps and patterns of note in cheer.
I notice that just like there is an achievement gap in schools, there is kind of a tumbling gap in kids, caused by lots of factors, but mostly the economic kind. Athletes tend to fall into 2 categories.
Category A:
*Somehow gets skills between practice and open gym.
*Maybe cheers HS and gets extra gym time there but not much.
*Has a home situation that is not super conducive to doing a ton of extras to get tumbling (live far from the gym, lots of school activities, another sport, parents working crazy hours and not always available for rides to things, fortunate to just be able to afford cheer at all.)
*Not as well-connected in the gym due to the above. Not as familiar with coaches because coaches don't see much of them outside of practice. Result: lack of relationship and coach investment. Because of distance, parents working odd hours, their parents do not know many of the coaches OR other parents. So even if they can afford that extra class no one can take kid because they're not in the gym enough to know anyone to ask if Suzy can carpool.
Category B:
*Has 2 teams worth of discounted team tumbling every week before practice.
*Has 2 privates per week.
* Goes to open gym 2 hours before practice if no class or team tumbling.
*Takes additional tumbling private at
gymnastics facility across town that costs twice as much as previous 2.
*Has favorable home situation conducive to extras (one parent is either a SAHM or has flexible hours to drop kid at these things, only sport is cheer, financially doing well that a $x00/hour gym private at Elite Gymmastics is no big deal, limited siblings, possibly homeschooled or likely has parents who can pick up or drop off early from school.)
*Factors like parental job flexibility and more time in the gym lead to increased connections with and investment from staff. Ex: Level 5 clinic coming up and Category B's parent is somehow unavailable? Category B's mom doesn't have to say "nope can't take you." She simply asks another parent bc she has those relationships.
Look at these 2 kids and tell me which is most likely going to make a Worlds team or high level team? Likely Category B.
Same goes for HS too. A good number of my HS athletes lean toward B. Not EXTREME B like the above, but (example) our tumbling coach offered a tryout prep type class at his gym that not only cost but was 45 min away at another location and 90% chose to attend.
Even if they both made a Worlds team (maybe Cat A got on because she is a beast base or they put her on bc she managed to some minimum L5 tumbling), which one is going to have issues keeping up and not being moved to S4?
Same with HS, even if they both try out, which one is most likely to make it, and the other make it as an alternate that cheers games only?
Category A. But by no fault of her own. She's not less talented. She just doesn't have the $ or resources to put in work like B does. She may not necessarily have less money, but also time.
MOST kids fall BETWEEN A and B. Like, their parents can afford the occasional private or class. Or like, one class at a time. Or sometimes they have the time to drive Suzy up early for open tumble but not multiple times a week.
The B kids are not everyone. But they repesent a lot of what I think the industry focuses on and gyms gravitate toward. Because $$$$, and time to devote, etc.
Yes the work is worth it but the work also costs time and money.
Thoughts? Solutions?
Disclaimer: I am in no way bashimg those who have a lifestyle that makes it easier for yours to be Category B! Just having a discussion.
that got me thinking. I work in schools and we spend every day discussing The Achievement Gap (the different factors that widen it and what we can do to close it.)
This other thread got me to thinking about gaps and patterns of note in cheer.
I notice that just like there is an achievement gap in schools, there is kind of a tumbling gap in kids, caused by lots of factors, but mostly the economic kind. Athletes tend to fall into 2 categories.
Category A:
*Somehow gets skills between practice and open gym.
*Maybe cheers HS and gets extra gym time there but not much.
*Has a home situation that is not super conducive to doing a ton of extras to get tumbling (live far from the gym, lots of school activities, another sport, parents working crazy hours and not always available for rides to things, fortunate to just be able to afford cheer at all.)
*Not as well-connected in the gym due to the above. Not as familiar with coaches because coaches don't see much of them outside of practice. Result: lack of relationship and coach investment. Because of distance, parents working odd hours, their parents do not know many of the coaches OR other parents. So even if they can afford that extra class no one can take kid because they're not in the gym enough to know anyone to ask if Suzy can carpool.
Category B:
*Has 2 teams worth of discounted team tumbling every week before practice.
*Has 2 privates per week.
* Goes to open gym 2 hours before practice if no class or team tumbling.
*Takes additional tumbling private at
gymnastics facility across town that costs twice as much as previous 2.
*Has favorable home situation conducive to extras (one parent is either a SAHM or has flexible hours to drop kid at these things, only sport is cheer, financially doing well that a $x00/hour gym private at Elite Gymmastics is no big deal, limited siblings, possibly homeschooled or likely has parents who can pick up or drop off early from school.)
*Factors like parental job flexibility and more time in the gym lead to increased connections with and investment from staff. Ex: Level 5 clinic coming up and Category B's parent is somehow unavailable? Category B's mom doesn't have to say "nope can't take you." She simply asks another parent bc she has those relationships.
Look at these 2 kids and tell me which is most likely going to make a Worlds team or high level team? Likely Category B.
Same goes for HS too. A good number of my HS athletes lean toward B. Not EXTREME B like the above, but (example) our tumbling coach offered a tryout prep type class at his gym that not only cost but was 45 min away at another location and 90% chose to attend.
Even if they both made a Worlds team (maybe Cat A got on because she is a beast base or they put her on bc she managed to some minimum L5 tumbling), which one is going to have issues keeping up and not being moved to S4?
Same with HS, even if they both try out, which one is most likely to make it, and the other make it as an alternate that cheers games only?
Category A. But by no fault of her own. She's not less talented. She just doesn't have the $ or resources to put in work like B does. She may not necessarily have less money, but also time.
MOST kids fall BETWEEN A and B. Like, their parents can afford the occasional private or class. Or like, one class at a time. Or sometimes they have the time to drive Suzy up early for open tumble but not multiple times a week.
The B kids are not everyone. But they repesent a lot of what I think the industry focuses on and gyms gravitate toward. Because $$$$, and time to devote, etc.
Yes the work is worth it but the work also costs time and money.
Thoughts? Solutions?
Disclaimer: I am in no way bashimg those who have a lifestyle that makes it easier for yours to be Category B! Just having a discussion.
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