Today we’d like to introduce you to Kyra Gates.
Hi Kyra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
We started in 1998 out of Cleveland, we already had student athletes. We started with basketball and volleyball. At the time, we did not have the knowledge to participate in what we now know as USA Volleyball. We would scrimmage area schools. For basketball we participated in AAU, we were quite successful and make of those who participated in our basketball program went in to play in the collegiate level. Basketball came very easy to us however volleyball was always our first love as we all played competitive…my husband who is the assistant director and our two close friends who are also directors of Precision Volleyball Academy. One day while sitting at a basketball game taking score for CYO event we noticed a volleyball team practicing on the opposite side. We knew it wasn’t a rec league or high school team because the season was over. We approached the coach and asked him what it was and he gave us the info. At the time we had no idea that one of our directors was training to be a certified USA official but from there the volleyball program was launched officially as a USA program in 2006. All of our basketball girls were seniors so we retired at the end of that season from basketball and just stuck with volleyball. It was always just us coaching until some of the girls we originally coach grew up graduated and came back to coach, Brittani Maddox was one of our basketball players, she’s now one of our volleyball coaches. One of our directors his daughter came through our program she graduated went in to college and she is now one of our youth coaches Najah Thornton. Our program fluctuantes every season due to us wanting to keep it small but having a hard time doing so because we wanted to ensure we were helping as many kids as possible. We also believe in staying tight knit so we look to those who are apart of our program to coach. At times one coach may coach 3 teams at a time if we have a large amount of kids that try out. This season we ran into that. We have 9 teams and also added a boys team. Next season we will be combining some teams and not bringing any one new inside unfortunately it was over kill this season. From the volleyball program and having only – senior team each year we have also been extremely successful in assisting young ladies in getting scholarships to play in college. More than 75 student athletes have benefited from this. This year we added a boys team and how to do the same for them. We did all this without sponshopship and only a few donations here and there.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In the beginning because the kids were just different and 💯 percent of those who participated understood what we were really trying to do, yes when games but also teach and develop and service those who were not getting the opportunity. Very few coaches teach from the grassroots. That’s what we do here and it’s way bigger than volleyball or basketball.
Now because volleyball has grown in our community, parents miss the value of what we provide. Not all but there are quite a few. Our program is different and it does not fit everyone. Those that see the value we know are in it for the long haul.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For my “real job” I work in Athletics in Education. Prior to that it has always been in an Business Admin capacity. I’m still known for athletics. I believe beside my family and Precision legends. I’m most proud of navigating through adversity when it was extremely tough and landing where I landed. Though I had an associate degree that wasn’t enough to get to where I wanted to be and at the time that wasn’t far. I wanted a job that would help me contribute to my family. I was laid off in 2015 from a building that never really fully opened. Join that layoff I was pregnant with my youngest son and only had an associates. He was born 3 months early. Though I made it through that i promised myself that if I ever got laid off again I’d have a backup plan so I finished my BA. I knew that if I ever got laid off that i could always go in and teach as a sub until I found another job. But then one of my former athletes was always asking me questions pertaining to her homework for her masters and it was all stuff I was already doing. I struggle in math and science but I asked her for her masters did she have to do anything that didn’t have to do directly with her degree she say no. So i followed her lead and obtained my Masters in Athletic Administration and here i am today working directly in that field. So that’s what im most proud of professionally. What makes it all the better is the people that I work directly with, they are simply awesome and for me that’s a blessing because despite some people from my previous job this makes the sacrifices I made worth every penny. I’m the first female and person of color in my district in my position and without them my day to day would not be possible. I have an awesome team to work with!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Boys volleyball is going to continue to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.precisionvolleyballacademy.net
- Youtube: @precisionvolleyballacad.cl7321
