First and foremost, Crystal Worley is a mother. Her selfless love for her children is what ultimately led her down a path that landed her in the career she has today, but her humble presence and strong, evident work ethic are what make her story stand out in many crowds not just within the action sports community. Worley, who is known to most as ?Chrys,? started A. Skate Foundation nearly three years ago when she discovered that her son Sasha was diagnosed with low?functioning?autism at age two. Worley was astonished by the progress her son made just by stepping foot on a skateboard, and realized that other children with the disability may be able to benefit as well.
We caught up with Worley to find out more about how the foundation came to be, her personal inspiration and goals, and how she views opportunities within the industry from a womens? perspective.
How long have you been involved in the industry and how did you get started?
I have been directly involved with the skate industry for flourish years now however I?ve been around skateboarding my whole life. I was connected with our local skate shop owner a few years ago and together we decided to create A.Skate.
How have you seen the role of women in action sports, whether its athletes or company/retail positions, evolve since you?ve been a part of the industry?
I?ve never really considered myself on anyone else?s level because I?m not as talented with sports. I?m a bit fragile so snowboarding or skateboarding I have to keep to a minimal. But since the start of building relationships with people in the industry I have become more aware of females who are making an impact in the action sports industry, and not just skateboarding. Amy Purdy is absolutely amazing and she is changing lives and able to use what she is passionate about to do so. I witnessed so many women doing amazing works that may not always be headlined but definitely making an impact.
What do you love about your job?
I wish I could focus more on A.skate for it to be my job. I guess in a way it is, but in real life I?m a boring dental assistant. Being a mom to a child with autism keeps me seeking to find what makes him work at his best. What makes him focus, be more social, and happy. Through board sports I have helped him find that commodity. Seeing Sasha and nearly every other kid we come in contact with share the same influence and response makes me fall more in love with our efforts. A.skate is very personal to me. I have put my heart and soul into building trust in uniting the autism x skate communities and want to continue to raise awareness of the existence. Some people ask me why I do not do more for causes that personally affect my health such as American Red Cross or Celiac disease foundation. I guess I could spread myself even more thin and contribute but I honestly do not feel it?s necessary. My children are my life and without them I am absolutely nothing. I feel like so many out there already focus on heart disease. There are not enough recreational autism organizations being established in cities across the United States. There are a ton of ?informational? organizations but definitely not enough recreational. Loving my son is loving my job. Every single aspect of A.skate comes from love for my son.
What opportunities do you see for women in the action sports industry today?
I feel like the male and female successfuls in the industry feed off of each other and work together so well that it leaves opportunities for women in action sports limitless. I have respect for anyone working hard toward a goal that is selfless and humble but as women we naturally foster opportunities like that which organically grows into something beyond our passions and goals.
What challenges do you see? What specific challenges (if any) did or do you face?
Right now the biggest challenge is the ability to accumulate funding. I am still learning the business side of running an organization. In the beginning I had a full time job and A.skate was on a much smaller scale. I personally funded each clinic from my own pocket through monthly paychecks, annual IRA?s, and income tax returns. Now that our southeast based org has gone nationally I was spreading myself thin trying to fund out of state clinics so funds dried up much faster. Due to health issues and other things I am now working 2 days a week in the dental field, unable to designate the same amount of income to keeping A.skate going, and not really sure what our next step is to keep things going but it will all work out. It always does and because we have built such a strong relationship and sense of respect it is starting to pay off.
The complexity to acquire funding also transpires from other organizations starting to monopolize leaving very little room for the small organizations to make an impact. Several companies that we approached over the last year seeking small scale partnership to help with funding ended up partnering with other organizations that have nothing to do with board sports which to me is confusing. People in the board sports industry can relate that we are all passionate about our obligation and work so hard to keep board sports spirits alive. We are on the same level as many core skate shops. Without the background and dedication, it?s just another big box monopoly and internet level of communication. I feel confident that as we keep on keeping on, whatever it meant to happen will happen organically and it will be right.
Another difficult challenge is that when people see a really great thing happening it?s a bandwagon effect. That isn?t an issue until you see the humble intentions are not there. People look at what has been created in just a few years and think it can be a money maker for them and it?s not. Once they realize how much work is put into hosting efficient and safe skate clinics for these kids they drop it and then it makes what we have created look bad.
When working with A.skate we volunteer working hours at a time with the kids, go to autism conferences and trainings, and reach out to their local communities on a daily basis looking for opportunities to help and build relationships. If your heart and soul isn?t into it then my advice is to step down. We rarely have huge A.skate events with tons of media coverage and 60 volunteers coming out to help. Myself and two others still host clinics for hours at a time for 30-50 kids at a time. Back home we do not have a skatepark so we are still holding clinics in church parking lots letting the kids ride down small hills.
What is your main source of inspiration that keeps you going in your job?
I have so many inspirations to keep my heart into what we do. My children of course, without Sasha being autistic I would have never found my passion and calling. Seeking so many children respond to skateboarding is very inspirational to me. The same goes for surfing, there is such a positive impact on children with autism through any kind of board sports. To me, meeting the parents and sharing a common interest is very therapeutic. Many would also say that skateboarders are ?outcasts?. Many would say that children with autism are ?outcasts?. Same goes for the parents most often. Personally it?s hard for me to cope with the fact that my kids are not invited to friends kids birthday parties or get togethers. My son has one child show up for his birthday party and my heart hurts for him. As parents our lives change with our childrens lives. We dedicate our existence to helping our children through therapies, social groups, doctor visits, and research. We also withdraw from society in the midst of seeking the closest to recovery we can find for our children. It?s really refreshing to find a recognition of acceptance amongst other parents. Gathering, seeing the visual positive effects that board sports have with our children, and keeping in touch to continue friendships is such an important side effect of our organization and that itself keeps me strong to weather whatever storms challenge our existence.
Working with both retailers and manufacturers in the industry, what skills/lessons/tips have you picked up on and how has it strengthened you in your business?
I have worked at our local skate shop, Faith, for years so that the guys can go out to film, attend contests, and the entire crew be able to go without leaving someone behind. I remember gripping my first board without knowing what I was doing and it turned out perfect. I feel like I know and understand skateboarding well enough to validate my existence in the industry. It kind of comes natural. A long time ago I heard a quote from someone that I have heard hundreds of times throughout the years. ?Do something productive everyday?. No matter how sick you are, how horrible your day has been, what?s going on in your life, do something productive everyday and the end result will flow positive. I apply that to my daily regimen to make progress which the end result is making a difference in the lives of autistic children through skateboarding. I remember when a year or so ago Chris Nieratko did a story on A.skate through ESPN and I felt like months and months of networking on the internet paid off, especially when Tony Hawk started twittering articles about A.skate. Trying to keep an organization afloat is like trying to run a business and can affect your personal life at home. You spend so much time and effort trying to get that one break and when it happens you feel so accomplished but avidity sets in and spreads like a wildfire! Every day is a learning experience for me I take a little bit more in to put a whole lot more out. I have learned how to make and keep professional relationships, brand our reputation, and keep working toward spreading the positive effects of board sports and autism awareness in a domino effect way. It kind of amazes me but it?s all happening and real. I?m very stoked to have such support throughout the action sports industry in all areas.
As a mother, and an influential woman within the industry, how do you hope to shape the action sports community to make it a difference for the youth growing up and coming into it now?
I really thrive to show people who come in contact with our organization the positive side of action sports through both ends, no matter who they are. Skateboarders and others in action sports often have an immediate bad wrap. Many hear the word and immediately turn their nose up. Being from the South it?s very common to get that reaction which is probably one main reason we have 10,000 baseball fields and 0 skateparks in our area. Individuals in action sports are most often the most generous people I ever come across. I am humbled when we have a build a board workshop at Faith Skate and 20 local skateboarders come to work hand in hand with disabled children to show them the fundamentals of putting a board together and what makes it roll. It saddens me that media highlights Fish Fry?s but not the good works of kids helping other kids in communities. It never goes unnoticed from the parents of the children and to us that?s what matters. I also see such an impact on the people who volunteer for us. They come into this not knowing anything about autism or disabilities and walk away completely amazed and ready to go at it again. The kids attending clinics are not the only ones benefiting, everyone involved benefits and for me that is the unthinkable coming to light.
If you could do one thing differently in your career, or go back to a certain point and apply what you know now, what would you do differently?
Hmm, I truly feel like the only way that we can grow and be better at what we love is to experience everything and mold us into what we are today.
What advice do you have for young women trying to break into a profession in the action sports industry?
I am still a work in progress learning the ins and outs of the industry. My advice would be to absorb anything and everything and apply it to your work. Do something every day. I keep that quote in my head at all times. It can be frustrating at times with so many unanswered questions of how will you move forward, what can you do to progress. When times are difficult, which they often are, keep focus of what makes you work harder for those that you love.
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