Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Neal.
Hi Tiffany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was a pre-med student at UTSA when I stumbled into a presentation Kinetic Kids was conducting to recruit volunteers. I was completely engaged and excited to join. I started volunteering immediately and was amazed by the organization’s mission and how Kinetic Kids brought so much purpose to function for children with special needs. I was working closely with the key staff who were physical therapists. One of the co-founders, Kacey Wernli, introduced me to pediatric physical therapy where I could shadow her and learn more about the field. I immediately knew this was what I wanted to do with my career. In my last year of undergraduate studies, I switched gears and focused on coursework to guide me toward pediatric physical therapy. Part of this degree change required completing a 300-hour internship which I was excited to complete working with Kinetic Kids and serving in all programs. I then applied to PT school and was accepted to the UT Health Doctor of Physical Therapy program class of 2012, but in the meantime, my involvement continued. After undergraduate graduation and PT school, I worked as an administrative assistant for Kinetic Kids and remained involved full-time. Once I started graduate school, my involvement continued as a swim instructor throughout my 3+ years. Once graduating, my role progressed to that of Program Director, where I oversaw the program. I assisted with hands-on, individualized modifications for the safety and success of all participants. I was doing this in the evenings while practicing and treating pediatric patients during the day. About 6 months later, my role progressed to Lead Program Director with more involvement on the Key Staff team and within the organization. I now serve as Operations Director for the organization and enjoy the ability to work with all ends of the growth and success of Kinetic Kids.
You wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been smooth?
It’s been a journey of growth, emotion, and development. My passion has always lied in Kinetic Kids and the population Kinetic Kids serves. As a pediatric physical therapist, I have seen how much this program does for my patients. Those that only want to walk 2′ in therapy are sprinting bases at Kinetic Kids baseball! They are excited, meet friends, and experience what it is to be a kid! At Kinetic Kids, they come out and have fun, and we celebrate their abilities. Outside of multiple medical appointments and the challenges of being told what to do better. In 2016 I had some personal challenges that required me to leave the organization for around 5 years. I cared for a family member, a 1-year-old, and had a traveling husband. My family needed me, and while my passion and support remained in Kinetic Kids, I stepped away for a short while. I returned in 2022 to my new role as Operations Director.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As Operations Director for Kinetic Kids, I am involved in many policies and procedures, which I hold to the highest standards. Many of these directly impact the families and participants in our programs. While some decisions are hard, and certain changes we have implemented over the past year seem daunting, the center of everything is the safety and success of our participants at heart. These measures and standards are important as we strive to be the gold standard of adaptive sports and fine arts programs and grow and expand outside the boundaries of San Antonio and beyond. Outside of this, I am proud to oversee and work with our team in San Antonio and ensure that program growth, procedures, and development are aligned and continue on the trajectory within our mission and vision. A unique quality I can share with my team is the many roles I have held and my history within the organization, from volunteer to intern to administrative assistant to swim instructor to the program director and lead program director and now operations director. I provide feedback and assistance in any of those roles or elements. I am passionate about pediatric medicine and disabilities and truly enjoy overseeing our internship program. Many of these students are seeking a career in physical or occupational therapy. I love working closely with them and helping them on their path to understanding tone, range of motion, adaptations, and modifications and seeing beyond a diagnosis. It brings me so much joy to be involved with this aspect of Kinetic Kids and to work closely with and learn from our interns.
What does success mean to you?
Organizational success is maintaining our mission to enrich the lives of children with special needs and their families through sports, fine arts, and educational programs to foster the development of courage, confidence, fitness, pride, joy, and community. I see success in the joy and smiles on every child’s face when they do their first flip and shoot their first goal alongside their peers. I see success in the smiles and contagious joy from their parents, who are watching and cheering them on from the sidelines. A checkbox they previously didn’t imagine they would fulfill. They are meeting families with similar challenges and growing a community. I measure our success in the growth (participant skill level and overall opportunities provided) while maintaining the safety we strive for,
Pricing:
- We offer programs at a reduced cost of $75
- Total cost per participating is $250 but we strive to keep these fees low as many of our families have nominal expenses and challenges
- Through fundraising, grants and donations we strive to provide scholarships for all those in need. Everyone has access to our programs and no one is denied for financial hardship
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kinetickidstx.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinetickidstx/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kinetickids
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kinetickidstx?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Image Credits
Stephen Saenz, Saenz Media Ternell Washington, Axiom Foto
