Being grounded isn't the only repercussion from a bad report card. Freshman Casey Minnick was scheduled to swim the 100-yard breaststroke in the Junior Olympics on a Friday during school hours. His father told him that he could not swim that event because his grades were too low, leaving Minnick unable to compete. Timmins believes that students who are motivated punish themselves even before their parents do. For gifted students, the pressure is on for a long time.
Some students have better rewards than others.
Junior Kendra Gray receives rewards from both her father and her mother, who are divorced. For students whose parents do not establish a rigid motivational system, there are other incentives to perform well. Junior James Gimourginas cites his car insurance company as a motivator. The company rewards good grades with lower rates, because it believes that students are more responsible if they perform well academically. Parents can also be creative in their tactics.