dcjmc-@msn.com
Maybe it is time for every one of us (weather you race road or MTB) to bring
a JR to a race. Where do I find one that is interested you ask? Ask you
local bike shop it they know any kids that might be interested or put
together a ride with your local Boys and Girls Club or YMCA. Help form a
High School Team. We get a great response at the Grants Pass Boys and Girls
Club. We do a ride every Friday. The kids can't get enough of it. Lets all
share the gift of cycling to a kid. I know you will get more out of it than
they will.
Cliff McCann
Team Pistis
Team Manager
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Murray [mailto:mike.m-@obra.org]
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2004 11:15 PM
To: OBRA Remailer
Subject: RE: [OBRA Chat] Junior Racing in Oregon.
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Maybe there has been a "near death" for BMX racing but the BMX track at
Alpenrose is pretty busy. They have racing several days each week.
Interestingly, they too are seeing an aging of their riders. In part this
reflects the demographics of the population. There aren't as many kids as
there were when most of us were kids.
Alpenrose Velodrome will also be running a kid's program this summer.
Nathan Hobson and Mike Dunn have agreed to pick that up. Look for details
here soon.
As for Candi's original comment it was more of a comment about turn out than
about numbers of junior riders. There are currently 80 junior age group
people with annual road memberships. This is plenty to make it likely that
there would be 4-5 teams of juniors just none showed up. There are 166
juniors with annual mountain bike numbers. To put this in perspective we
used to give out 200 series numbers to both juniors and women because there
were less than 100 of both groups combined. Currently about 10% of annual
OBRA members are 18 or under. This roughly represents the percentage of
10-18 year old people in the general population. Basically the problem is
primarily getting kids to turn out to races. Getting more kids to start
racing is a good idea but we are actually doing just as good a job at
attracting members in that age group as we are in other age groups.
Mike Murray
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim M. [mailto:tim-@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2004 11:44 AM
To: ob-@topica.com
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Junior Racing in Oregon.
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As I write this, the 9 year girls that live across the street are racing
mountian
bikes around my neighbors yard with a 5 year old boy on a BMX bike in tow.
This daily event in my neighborhood brings 2 things to mind.
1. With the near death of BMX racing, there really is no bike racing that is
easy
to get involved with. Short track mountain bike racing near major cities
would a be great way to get these kids racing. Many kids already have Mt.
Bikes and short track allows parents to watch the race more easily and
allows for varying distance.
Short track Mtb. racing would be a great entry level sport kids and it is
likely that
these races would be a success because of participation by older racers.
2. More media coverage. Lately there has been some good coverage of bike
racing. The Gazette Times had Berry and Ryan on the front cover after
mudslinger
and Doug O. was featured in article on the cover of the sports page. Kids
and
parents are inspired when they read about these guys. The effort put into
the
successful campaign to see the Cyclocross Nats. in the media is an example
of energy well spent.
Mentoring is a good idea, but really we already have a lot of mentors
leading by
example. When I was young I imitated the people I thought were cool. I did
not do
what adults told me to do. In other words when I saw Darrel Young clear the
doubles at Riverside, or Tom Merrill bunny hop the hood of his Datsun 510, I
knew bikes were cool and I wanted to ride one.
Tim M.
As the parent of a Junior racer and faced with the expense of junior racing
I can assure you the problem nor the solution is funding. Obra posseses a
wealth of great people with plenty of spare equiptment, transportation and
most of all experience. A more effective solution would be to put out a
challenge to teams and individuals to establish mentor programs allowing one
racer to work with one child. This may not be for everyone but if only
twenty OBRA racers became OBRA mentors this would bring twenty new junior
faces per season which would be night and day from what we see now. The key
to this plan is no budgetary obstacles the commitment of mentorship is a
commitment to provide equiptment(nominal cost for most racers)
transportation also nominal cost and training time. My point is the best
support is support not dependent on fundraising and budgets it is one that
draws its strength from participation. With schools in critical fiscal
situations and the country facing a multitude of social and economic
problems we must learn to be more prudent about selecting where we give
money and where we can be more effective givng our time.As a parent bicycle
racing pales in comparison as a concern or priority in my fiscal planning
when weighed against the condition of schools etc. As a mentor and volunteer
with urban programs I can say there are defintly more pressing concerns that
could use economic attention. So before we pass the plate in essence passing
the buck lets see who out there in OBRA land would like to become an OBRA
mentor.
From: John Benenate <jo-@kidsofbike.org>
Reply-To: jo-@kidsofbike.org
To: cmur-@obra.org, ob-@topica.com
Subject: [OBRA Chat] Junior Racing in Oregon.
Date: Sat, 22 May 2004 07:50:26 -0700
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Candi,
You wrote about the Oregon State Championship Team Time Trial:
"Not one team of juniors, not in the whole state. Sigh what a sad state of
affairs."
Verily, my dearest Matrone, this is what time it is in American Cycling.
Junior racing is a such a fragile organism, that we must nurture it in
every
way we can, wherever it is growing, whenever it is weak.
We must create a central fiscal body, perhaps a foundation, that can
respond
to any, and every need, Oregon Junior Racing has.
I propose the organization of a foundation called the "Oregon Fund for
Junior Development in Cycling." I would serve and work hard on a committee
of interested parties who share this vision of creating such a foundation.
Sincerely Yours,
--
John Benenate
Director Sportif
Cyclisme Racing Programs
b.i.k.e.
1532 SE Pine St
Portland, OR 97214
503-234-8454
jo-@kidsofbike.org
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