From Episode 44 with Coach Mom Kari Kratchman
The Standard Shows Up After the Fall: Preparation and Accountability Without Blame
By Cheer Dads Unfiltered
A team's standard is easiest to talk about when everything goes to plan. The more revealing moment is what happens when a routine goes wrong: how athletes communicate, how teammates respond and what coaches ask for next.
In Episode 44, Coach Mom Kari Kratchman connects that response to the habits built before competition day. Her perspective gives parents and coaches a useful way to think about preparation, routine recovery and accountability without blame.
Preparation is a daily habit
Kari describes the standard through everyday behavior rather than a slogan or a trophy: preparing before practice, communicating with teammates and showing up for the people beside you. Those habits matter before anyone takes the competition floor.
For parents, the useful conversation is about what the athlete understands and can own. Ask what preparation their coach expects and what support they want from you, rather than adding a second set of coaching instructions at home.
Practice the response, not just the routine
Kari's coaching perspective is that routine recovery deserves preparation instead of simply hoping athletes will regroup when something goes wrong. Communication and responding as a team belong in the training conversation, not only in the conversation after competition.
This is a question for the coach, not a technical recovery drill for families to invent. Ask how the program prepares athletes to respond to a disrupted routine and how teammates learn to support one another. Routine recovery here means the team's response to a mistake, not injury treatment or permission to continue after a fall.
Accountability is different from blame
Kari separates taking responsibility from blaming a person. A constructive discussion can acknowledge what happened, clarify each athlete's role and focus on the next response without turning a mistake into someone's identity.
Her emphasis on teammate culture includes athletes whose contribution is less visible, including alternates. Parents and coaches can notice preparation, communication and support for others alongside the finished performance.
- What did we prepare well?
- What can we communicate or practice differently?
- How can we support the teammate beside us?
Parent the athlete in front of you
Kari also describes adapting coaching to the athlete and learning from her children's different cheer journeys. Listening, trust and ownership matter more than expecting every athlete to follow the same path.
After a difficult practice or competition, make room for your athlete's experience before offering your interpretation. Let the coach lead the technical discussion, and ask whether your athlete wants to talk or simply wants your company. Accountability can coexist with support; it does not require a parent-led replay of every mistake.
Hear the full conversation in Episode 44, meet Coach Mom Kari Kratchman, or explore the Gym & Program Culture hub.
