It took a lot of self-discipline on his part, but he still earned 6 A's and 1 B for the semester. He knows a career in bike racing is a long shot. Fast, but uneducated leads to a tough life.
While his school and teachers have been very understanding of his unique situation, Jordan is subject to state mandated guidelines of missing a maximum of 5 days per semester. His school's policy is 10 days per semester, but next year, they have to amend the policy to match state guidelines.
The consequence of missing more than 5 days per semester is no credit for work missed, making it virtually impossible to make the grade.
This has led us to a crossroad with Jordan. We are applying for open enrollment for next year, with the expectation he will attend school online. This will allow him to maintain his schooling, but allowing him the flexibility to travel. This is very common for elite junior cyclists in the U.S.
Obviously, the downside of online school is the lack of socialization and structure that you get automatically with normal high school.
One alternative we are seriously considering is enrolling Jordan at the Lone Star Academy in Wimberly, Texas. The school is run by Christian Williams, who is the director and coach of Jordan's Slipstream Craddock Junior Development Team. Jordan would travel to Texas Oct-May, in a boarding school environment with other promising junior cyclists.
While this would be a big step for us as a family, it is a great opportunity for Jordan to pursue his cycling goals without sacrificing his education.
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