Scott Barclay never says die. With a bright Sun Devil past, the present all but shined. Barclay—an alumni, a gymnast and coach—found himself trying to find a home for men’s gymnastics. Arizona State, where his past flourished, would soon shed light for the future. He would not let it end differently.
Resources. To be at your best, you usually look for the “what” aspect—“what will make me better?” This applies to really anything. In regards to Arizona State University’s club sports, the Student Recreation Center is an athlete’s mecca, but some sports look for other venues to satisfy what they define as “better.” Barclay searched in order to save the program in general.
With the lack of a facility and university funding, Barclay searched for that “better” solution. Men’s gymnastics would not die under Title IX; his past and passion would not be totally left behind. The man could flip though…not just acrobatically. He was ready to stick the landing, the landing of a total 180 of the grim situation.
With a mentality to take action and not let up—a quality usually taught in sports—Aspire Kids Sports Center was born. This facility had been a new beginning, a new light.
“It was built mainly for the team…”says Barclay, the founder and owner of Aspire Kids Sports Center. At its beginning it was a 3,000 square foot gym but still, Barclay and his wife Dona were satisfied. They had struck gold, an opportunity to reestablish men’s gymnastics.
There is always that “better” factor though. Barclay wanted more. He put his efforts into spreading his new found beginning. He looked to make it other peoples’ beginning too. Expanding into what is now a 32,000 square foot complex, the facility now fosters the development of young children. Gymnastics in the midst of it all still would not be left behind, not again. That was in the past.
“It is a business model to help the team. We donate space to the team because the clubs get little funding from Arizona State…” says Barclay, who throughout this endeavor, stuck with coaching no matter how much reality tried to pull him away.
Through children-based programs, he is able to facilitate the club.
But it is also, as he calls it, a “two-fold.”
“It’s also a mentoring system. If they [kids] were to learn from Arizona State’s basketball or wrestling team, they’d be on top of the world,” says Barclay. “My gymnasts [ASU] get to mentor younger gymnasts. This gives the guys the ability to learn a new trade, to learn how to teach younger kids.
“…the men's team really made a big impact on the boys. I was very impressed with how into it they were-- each event the guys were cheering, encouraging, and rooting for the boys to keep pushing themselves further. Never once did I get the feeling that they wanted to be somewhere else, doing something during the entire meet. They were INVOLVED. These boys really look up to these young men. What incredible role models! I am extremely impressed with them and this meet!” says Austin McKnight, a boy’s gymnastics coach, who e-mailed Barclay about a strength meet he and 100 younger boys attended at Aspire this past Saturday.
Aspire is multi-faceted. The facility has programs that range from gymnastics to cheer and even martial arts. The focus is to encourage development. Even at ASU’s level, Barclay looks to prevent a similar situation that he had been faced with.
During Aspire’s becoming, Arizona State had done away with the official cheerleading squad. Now, like men’s gymnastics, Arizona State has a cheerleading club; a club in search for a venue, similar to Barclay’s situation.
“I was like ‘I know exactly how you feel, come on over and train in the mornings,’” says Barclay.
With optimism and the willingness to put the past on his wayside, Barclay has fathered a program that entails opportunity for all ages. With passion and perseverance, he “aspired” to shed some light on Sun Devil nation and others.
Be sure to check in next Tuesday for continued coverage. E-mail me at bcapria@asu.edu for any questions/ comments.
