go-ride magazine - spring 2015

GO-RIDE MAGAZINE / 1

britishcycling.org.uk/go-rideSpring 2015

DEVELOPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CYCLISTS

GO-RIDE MAGAZINE

2 / GO-RIDE MAGAZINE

THE COACHING BURSARY SCHEME IS HERE TO HELP

British Cycling’s coaching bursary scheme helps club volunteers to apply for a financial contribution to attend either a Level 1 or Level 2 Coaching course.

The bursary scheme is open to all Go-Ride club volunteers and will provide £120 towards the cost of a Level 1 Coaching qualification, or £150 towards the cost of a Level 2 Coaching Qualification.

There are a limited number of bursaries available, so ensure you apply early to avoid disappointment. Go-Ride Clubs can gain a maximum of one Level 2 bursary and two Level 1 bursaries.

For more information, contact the team at [email protected] or call 0161 274 2070

EDITORIAL


“VOLUNTEERS ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN DRIVING THE HUGE GROWTH OF BRITISH CYCLING...”

A s we enter 2015 and another year, it’s clear that Britain is fast on its way to becoming

a true cycling nation. Volunteers play a fundamental role in the development of the sport and have been instrumental in driving forward the huge growth that we are currently experiencing.

This year, we’ll be aiming to increase the support available for volunteers, whether they’re just starting out on their volunteering journey or they’re long-serving stalwarts of the sport. The conferences in spring will focus

on going back to basics and how continuing to do the simple things well can help us to embrace the unprecedented level of interest in the sport.

We look forward to welcoming you to the 2015 conferences, which are a fantastic opportunity to bring together volunteers from across the regions, to celebrate what we have achieved and look to the future.

Thank you once again for your continued commitment to the sport and all of your hard work, here’s to an exciting year ahead of us.

John MillsCoaching, Education and Development DirectorBritish Cycling

If you have any views, comments or ideas for content for the Go-Ride

magazine, we want to hear from you! Send your ideas to:

[email protected] and you might see them in a future issue.


GO-RIDE

NEWSREGULAR

Salt Ayre Cog Set winter training camp Salt Ayre Cog Set Go-Ride Club held its annual winter training camp recently. There were eighteen young riders, who all took on a number of rides in the Lake District over the course of the weekend. It wasn’t just about getting some quality training in however - the club aimed to deliver a ‘total cycling experience’. The weekend also featured talks by a professional cyclist, National Youth Rep Alex Reed and British Cycling’s Monica Eden, as well as bike maintenance workshops and a screening of a documentary - ‘Rising from Ashes’ - about the first Rwandan National Cycling Team.

Volunteer training British Cycling has developed a new programme of training to help support the volunteer workforce at Go-Ride Clubs. This has been developed following the results of a recent survey, which requested feedback from hundreds of Go-Ride Club volunteers.

The training, which will help to underpin whole club development, will begin to be rolled out during 2015 and will focus on three key areas; securing club funding, the role of the volunteer coordinator and British Cycling’s Club Management Tool. Training will be made accessible to as many Go-Ride club volunteers as possible, using a range of delivery techniques including face-to-face workshops and online webinars.

In addition to this, we will be launching a new section on the British Cycling website, which will provide important information for new Go-Ride Club volunteers and will also include links to helpful tips and resources to support existing volunteers in their roles.

Brand new membership packfor young people released!We have launched a brand new membership pack for young people – inspirational stickers and posters will be sent to all new and renewing British Cycling members aged twelve and under. For the first time ever, we will be sending personalised bike frame stickers to members aged thirteen to sixteen.

These gifts are our way of saying thank you for being a member and give you the opportunity to show your support for Great Britain’s top riders. You could even win a Great Britain goody bag by sending a picture of your sticker on your bike to [email protected]

Thanks PamHuge thanks to Pam Yates for 14 years of volunteering at Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club. Pam is now retiring from volunteering and will undoubtedly be missed, but she leaves behind a massive legacy.

Rascals Reindeer DashDespite the cold, 65 young riders turned out to participate in the Rascals Reindeer Dash on Saturday 13 December 2014.

Riders from WyndyMilla Kids and Elmbridge Eagles descended onto Goldsworth Park Recreation Ground to have some wintery cycle racing fun with the Rascals.

This year’s Rascals Reindeer Dash saw the riders negotiate four tests, developing cycling techniques and skills, including an individual time trial and a skills test where riders negotiated their way around a challenging obstacle course and a handicap race. The riders also took part in a head to head run-off fun race, where they were paired up and competed one-to-one for the chance to win a Go-Ride wristband.

It was a great morning’s racing and the Rascals would like to say a big thank you to all the parents, helpers, volunteers and coaches, without whom the Rascals Go-Ride Racing events would not happen.

Go-Ride Volunteer awarded Torch Trophy Trust AwardCongratulations to Mandy Parker from East Bradford Cycling Club, who has been awarded a Torch Trophy Trust Award for her outstanding contribution to grassroots sport in her local community. Mandy will attend the Annual Awards on 24 February, where the national awards will be presented by the Countess of Wessex.

Go-Ride Goodies for Gosforth RC Members of a Go-Ride Club in the North East, Gosforth Road Club, were the lucky winners of a Go-Ride goodie bag, which included helmets, gloves and coaching equipment. The club was chosen randomly from all of those who took the time to fill in our volunteer training survey. The results of the survey provided some valuable insights and will contribute to our future volunteer training opportunities. Thank you to all of the volunteers who took the time to complete the survey.


Get in touch if you have any news you’d like to share with us: [email protected]

Mr Bean at Tour of AppledoreNorth Devon Wheelers Go-Ride Club recently welcomed a special guest at the Tour of Appledore Carnival Parade. Mr Bean inadvertently got caught up in the event, and inspired the young riders in a fun day!The club would like to thank Tesco Extra in Barnstaple for allowing their members to take over the car park and transform it into a perfect closed circuit for their young riders to compete on. The supermarket venue has proved to be a popular feature of club events.

FEATURE

A t British Cycling,we are always working hard to develop opportunities

to allow even more people to get involved with cycling, whilst also supporting young cyclists along the volunteer pathway, helping them to succeed at the highest level. We spoke to British Cycling member, Steph Holmes, about her volunteer journey.

STEPH’SPATHWAY



GO-RIDE CLUBAlthough she was a late starter to cycling, Steph soon felt at home within Redditch Road and Path’s Go-Ride club structure.

Go-Ride is British Cycling’s youth development programme, providing over 500,000 opportunities every year for young cyclists to get involved with the sport. With opportunities to race, ride and develop personally, the Go-Ride team works with clubs to manage and support a range of young people with varying interests.

VOLUNTEER PATHWAYSteph was one of the first young people to take part in our young volunteer workshops, taking her first steps on the Cycling Award for Young Volunteers (CAYV) pathway in 2011.

The CAYV is British Cycling’s young volunteer programme, set up to support clubs to recruit, retain and recognise young people in cycling. With a pathway of opportunities across coaching, officiating and club management, young people can get involved in all aspects of club delivery.

MEMBERSHIPWhen she completed her coaching qualification, Steph made sure she renewed her British Cycling membership. Silver membership provides the professional indemnity insurance required to become a fully qualified British Cycling coach.

Membership is a cost-effective way to gain appropriate insurance cover for coaching. It also provides access to excellent tips and advice to support young people’s development along the coaching pathway.

WOMEN-ONLY SESSIONSAND GO-RIDE RACINGIn January 2014, Steph organised, ran and officiated the first ever Go-Ride Racing event only for women and girls, which attracted 27 riders.

Go-Ride Racing is British Cycling’s entry level racing programme, which helps young people to don their first race bib and make a gradual transition to local and regional level racing. Go-Ride Racing provides over 14,000 opportunities every year for young people to race and with the 2015 focus on Go-Ride Racing events that include a girls-only race, there will be even more opportunities for girls to get involved.

REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF YOUNG PEOPLEIn 2013, Steph was one of only 12 volunteers in England selected to be part of the inaugural National Youth Forum – a team of young volunteers who come together to represent the views of young people and develop volunteering.

The National Youth Forum provides committed young volunteers with additional training, which they can take back and embed in both their own club and local clubs. Recruitment starts each March for the next cohort of forum representatives, who will come together with British Cycling to shape the future of the sport.

EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIESDue to her experience and drive to be involved with cycling at all levels, Steph recently successfully applied to volunteer at the Tour of Britain. This kind of opportunity requires experience in setting up, delivering and supporting cycling events.

Each year, British Cycling provides further training, supporting and guiding young volunteers to strive to achieve their aspirations; whether this is at a local, regional or national level.

Since becoming involved in cycling, Steph has been an active Young Volunteer, gaining platinum status and securing a place on the National Youth Forum, where she has made valuable contributions locally, regionally and nationally. Steph has had a significant impact on the development of her club

and through her role on their committee has helped to drive it forward.

Steph has also taken on the role of Event Official, organising several town centre Wattbike sessions, arranging cycle skill challenges in community events and taking her first steps in organising Go-Ride Racing events.

If you would like to get involved in the Young Volunteer programme please contact the Go-Ride team on 0161 274 2070 or email [email protected]


FEATURE

NATIONAL YOUTH FORUMA YEAR IN THE LIFE

MARCHThe National Youth Forum gives a presentation on themselves and their aims as a group, at all six Go-Ride Conferences.

Recruitment for the National Youth Forum opens! For more information email: [email protected]

JUNESixteen-year-old, Molly Pattison, is named the first-ever young winner of a new volunteering award by Prime Minister – the Points of Light award - for the difference she has made to cycling in her community.

The forum contributes to the Youth Racing Workgroup, aimed at developing the racing scene for young people.

JULYTwo representatives, Caitlin Tromans and Josh Parker, extend their experience by taking on volunteering roles at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The representatives trial and refine the new young volunteers blog, creating a guide to support young volunteers blogging and reflecting on their volunteering experiences. View it here: bcyoungvolunteers.wordpress.com

AUGUSTThe group establishes regional email addresses to facilitate the development of a network of support for cycling volunteers.

The second group meeting of the year is held at the Olympic Park – including an exclusive tour of the Velopark.

SEPTEMBERWill Walsh, our youngest representative, completes his Level 1 Award in Coaching Cycling; allowing him to support his club locally and build his experience at Regional Schools of Racing (RSRs) and club activities.

Four representatives attend the Cycle Show with two aims; to raise awareness of the contribution young people can make to the sport and to support our membership team.

Young volunteers are recruited to take on the roles of Team Attaché and Assistant Team Manager, to support regional cycling teams at the 2014 Sainsbury’s School Games.

OCTOBERSteph Holmes, a second year representative, is shortlisted for the Sports Coach UK Young Coach of the Year Award.

Since its creation two years ago, the representatives on the National Youth Forum are establishing themselves as the go-to group to represent the views of young people in cycling. With the group progressing on their quest to provide a voice for all young people and turn ideas into opportunities, they would like to share with you their journey so far this year.


PLATINUM BLOG

B ritish Cycling’s Young Leaders programme helps existing Gold Volunteers to further their skills and take their volunteering to

the next level by leading on activities, to achieve their Platinum Award.

In this edition, we feature a blog from Young Leader, Feargus, who wrote this post as part of his platinum award.

Coaching MTB corneringby Feargus Scherczer

I was coaching young riders at my local cycling club to

corner effectively on a mountain bike, working on hairpins. The majority of the young riders were able to take the hairpin corners confidently and correctly.

I feel I did it quite well, as I had been coached through it when I was younger, so I knew how to do it successfully and how to lay out the session. It felt good to see the young riders improve and learn to ride corners, which they had struggled with before. The riders seemed to enjoy the session and felt they had gained something from it. There were a few challenges – a number of the young riders felt uncomfortable doing the exercise, so I would take them out and show them one-to-one how to do it properly and get them to explain back to me how to do it, to clarify if they understood. To overcome this, I made sure I had clarity whilst speaking, to make sure I was getting the message across to the riders. I always checked they understood the instructions.

If I were to change anything to do the session again, I would make sure the riders were completely aware of what I was asking them to do, to make sure they were comfortable with it. Some said they were, but it became clear that they weren’t. I would also ask all the riders to put their saddles right down so that they rode out of the saddle and gained confidence when not sitting down.

To view all the latest blog posts from Young Leaders, please visit bcyoungvolunteers.wordpress.com

REGULAR


NOVEMBERA volunteer from Preston Park Youth CC, Alison Lewis, offers her professional services to help the National Youth Forum to develop and delivers public speaking training at the third group meeting.

DECEMBERSome of the National Youth Forum representatives attend a national talent camp in Loughborough – the first of its kind to bring together the most promising young athletes, coaches and officials.

JANUARY – FEBRUARYThe group makes the final preparations for the next series of Go-Ride conferences and prepares handover guidance to support next year’s representatives.

The National Youth Forum is a great way for Young Volunteers to grow and develop, providing them with a range of knowledge, experiences and training that can be taken back into Go-Ride clubs and used in turn to develop other young people. Recruitment opens for our next cohort from March until May 2015. For more information, please contact [email protected]


M ountain biking is a popular discipline, requiring a mixture of

technical skill, endurance, speed and raw nerve. Go-Ride Coach, Joe Malik, provides his top tips for both riders and clubs when they decide to venture further afield with their riding.

FEATURE

MTB:

HAVE THE RIGHT STUFFIt’s really important to have the correct equipment with you when you get out on the trails or hills. There’s nothing worse than being caught out two hours from the car and having to walk all the way back because you didn’t expect to get a flat, so didn’t pack any spare tubes.

My essential kit list is: Two spare tubes,Tire levers, Pump,Basic tool kit/multi-tool.

Make sure when you hit the trails you know how to use these things – you don’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere wondering how to change a tyre! If riding in groups, share the weight with each person carrying something different – there’s no point everyone having loads of the same stuff.

WEAR THE RIGHT STUFFClothing is so important when mountain biking - you can go from being out in the sun to being in thick wooded forest crossing small rivers, with a huge temperature difference - so make sure you plan ahead. Check the weather forecast and look at maps of the trails you are riding by visiting the website or Facebook pages, which will give you a good starting point.

For me, glasses are one of the most important pieces of equipment that all riders should use. I use these every time I go out for a ride, whether it is sunny, raining, morning or night. Descending in mountain biking is very fast and getting dirt in the eye at the wrong time can be very dangerous; glasses will protect you from these problems.

LEARN THE RIGHT STUFFPracticing your skills and playing on your mountain bike are sure ways that you will get better, Go-Ride sessions are the perfect place to practice and lots of trail centres have skill areas where you can repeat skills until you feel comfortable with them.

Practice moving your bike around whilst you are stood out of the saddle; how far to the left and right can you lean your bike? How small can you get? How tall can you get? Can you go off the back of the seat and hold the position? All these are great for getting a good feel of your bike. Here are some skills I test my riders with during my mountain bike sessions:

Track Stands – Using a slight uphill, can you balance for 30 seconds without moving. Too easy? Can you take one hand off and do it?

Hopping and bunny hops – Can you hop up and down on your bike? How about hopping around in a 360 degree circle? Too easy? Put a log on the floor and practice bunny hopping over it.

Manuals – How far can you manual? Shift your weight back to raise the front wheel off the ground and hold that position. Set yourself a target of travelling five meters and try to beat it.

Top tip: Keep it flat – There’s a common misconception in cycling that young riders need to be clipped in as early as possible when riding. Whilst being clipped in will help when you are out on the trails, when it comes to practicing skills and techniques, riders will benefit from being on flat pedals.

Top the tip: Watch the experts – Make sure you check out YouTube for some great skills videos – on the continent, these skills challenges appear at most mountainbike events, so if you aspire to compete in Europe, make sure you are practicing these skills now!

THE RIGHT STUFF


S port England’s Small Grants scheme uses Lottery funding to make awards

between £300 and £10,000 to help more people play sport.

Lyme Racing Club, in the West Midlands, has recently been successful in applying for Sport England Small Grants funding after the club came up with an innovative solution to keep young people participating in cycling over the winter months.

We caught up with Norman Bassett, Go-Ride Club Contact, at Lyme RC to find out more about the club’s successful funding bid.

What made you apply for Sport England Small Grants funding?As a club we had been looking for a lit facility so we could offer Go-Ride sessions beyond September, when it starts getting dark early. Our existing facilities didn’t have floodlights, so we looked in to purchasing some portable floodlights for the four different venues we use. The cost to buy portable floodlights was beyond what our club funds could

LYME LIGHTINGTHE WAY

stretch to, so we decided to look into applying for funding to pay for them.

Tell us about your applicationWe had been thinking about applying for a while, but we originally thought it would be too much hard work and so we kept putting it off. After discussing the funding application with our Regional Development Manager, Nick Yarworth, and realising the support available from the Go-Ride regional team, we put in a bid for portable floodlighting and rollers with the aim of keeping young people interested over winter – and we were successful in securing £9,786.

What difference has this funding made to the club?It has meant that we will be able to start our Go-Ride sessions five weeks earlier than usual and finish five weeks later, effectively providing young people with an extra 10 opportunities to get involved in cycling. This will have a big impact on the numbers of people taking part, not only due to an increase in number of sessions taking place, but hopefully it will also help to increase retention of riders by engaging with those who may

For more about applying for funding via Sport England’s Small Grants scheme, contact your Go-Ride Regional Development Manager or visit: sportengland.org/funding

otherwise lose interest over the dark winter months. We are really looking forward to hosting our first floodlit Go-Ride Racing event on 30 January, which is something a bit different for the kids.

What would be your top tip for other clubs applying for Sport England Small Grants funding? Make sure you plan your bid! Before you sit down and fill in your application form, break down the process from start to finish and think about how you will use everything you apply for.

Sport England Small Grants funding is there to be had, it’s not a competition between clubs as to who gets funding, so don’t be afraid to apply!

Don’t forget your regional development team is there to assist, so make sure you ask for help.

Lyme RC secure funding to ensure young people can cycle all year round

FEATURE


THE YEAR IN GO-RIDE

REVIEW

The Go-Ride team at British Cycling takes a look back at the major achievements and milestones of what was an exciting twelve months for cycling in 2014.

JANUARYThe first women and girls-only Go-Ride Racing event takes place at Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club, arranged by National Youth Forum representative Steph Holmes.

FEBRUARYThe Bicycle Association is announced as an official partner of Go-Ride, with the funding commitment helping to extend the reach of the programme, providing even more opportunities for young people to get involved with our sport.

MARCHA record number of attendees join the Go-Ride team at the six Go-Ride Conferences, which provide delegates with quick-fire updates and a session on The Chimp Model, devised by one of the world leaders in sports psychiatry, Dr Steve Peters.

APRILBritish Cycling, in partnership with Access Sport, recruits a Go-Ride Coach to develop Go-Ride BMX clubs in London, whilst the first ever Go-Ride coaching session takes place on the Lee Valley Olympic Velodrome.

MAYIn celebration of the inaugural Women’s Tour, Go-Ride Coaches host girls-only sessions in schools along the route, with some riders taking part in entry-level races at the start and finish lines of some of the stages.

JUNEMolly Pattison, a young volunteer from the South West, is invited by the Prime Minister to carry the Queen’s Baton as part of the countdown to the Commonwealth Games. Molly was invited due to the time and commitment she dedicates to developing the sport of BMX for young people.

JULYWith 241 come-and-try events during this month, the Go-Ride Tour provides over 9,000 young people with the opportunity to experience cycle sport and helps cement a lasting legacy from the Tour de France visiting our shores. A group of 26 young riders, who have progressed from the Go-Ride programme, experience the ride of their life when they join the first and last 30km of the first three stages of the Tour de France.

AUGUSTThe National Paralympic Day, an annual celebration of the Paralympic movement in the UK, is hosted at the Queen Elizabeth Park and British Cycling’s Go-Ride team is in attendance to showcase some of the grassroots opportunities available to young people.

SEPTEMBEROver 300 young cyclists get the chance to ride on the Tour of Britain course, as the penultimate activity on the finish straight before the elite race arrives.

OCTOBERThe Go-Ride team celebrates providing over 10,000 opportunities for young people to don their first race bib.

NOVEMBERThis month is all about winning awards, with British Cycling tutor, Richard Shepherd and Young Volunteer, Steph Holmes, shortlisted for the Sports Coach UK Awards. Yvonne Mills, Go-Ride club volunteer, is named the BBC’s North West Unsung Hero for 2014 and is in the running for the national award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

DECEMBERBig thumbs up to the performance pathway; 70% of riders representing Great Britain at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup progressed from Go-Ride Clubs. A number of our young volunteers attend a National Talent Camp along with the next generation of athletes to cement future success.

Thanks for all your hard work in making 2014 a success for the Go-Ride programme!


CLUBS AND VOLUNTEERS

OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED WITH CYCLE SPORT THROUGH THE GO-RIDE PROGRAMME

14,078DONNED A RACE BIB AT 585 EVENTS IN 2014

YOUNG RIDERS

GO-RIDE RACING GO-RIDE TEAM

GREAT BRITAIN CYCLING TEAM

Information sourced from British Cycling database 2014

2,449MEDALS

WERE AWARDED AT

EVENTS IN 2014

SETSOF

2 DISABILITY HUBSESTABLISHED

5 NEW FACILITIESRECEIVING BRITISH CYCLINGFUNDING OPENED IN 2014

90,000OPPORTUNITIESDELIVERED BYGO-RIDE COACHES

410,000OPPORTUNITIESDELIVERED BYVOLUNTEER COACHES

GO-RIDE TOUR

2,700TOOK PART IN WOMEN-ONLY COACHING SESSIONS

WOMEN ANDGIRLS

3,766

ATTENDEDRIDER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

9,000 YOUNG PEOPLE

WERE INSPIREDTO GET INVOLVED

241 COME-AND-TRY EVENTSHELD IN JULY

40% EXPERIENCEDCYCLE SPORT FOR FIRST TIME

2,620GO-RIDE TOUR T-SHIRTSGIVEN TO PARTICIPANTS

26 YOUNG RIDERSRODE SECTIONSOF THE TOURDE FRANCEBEFORE THE ELITE RIDERS

300THERE ARE OVER

GO-RIDECLUBS

550 ATTENDED THE 2014 GO-RIDE CONFERENCESDELEGATES

OVER

6,000THERE ARE MORE THAN

GO-RIDE VOLUNTEERS

1,147YOUNG VOLUNTEERSHAVE BEEN TRAINED TO DATE

82% USE THEBRITISH CYCLINGCLUB MANAGEMENTTOOL

14 – 23YR OLDS

STARTED AT GO-RIDE CLUBS

OF CYCLISTSCOMPETINGAT THE UCITRACK CYCLINGWORLD CUP ...

OF CYCLISTSREPRESENTINGTEAM ENGLANDAT THE 2014COMMONWEALTHGAMES ...

For more information, visit britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride

BBC UNSUNG HERO AWARD FOR A GO-RIDE VOLUNTEER (N WEST)

PRIME MINISTER’S AWARD FOR 2 GO-RIDE VOLUNTEERS

34,319OPPORTUNITIESFOR YOUNG PEOPLE DELIVERED BY 8 LOCAL AUTHORITY PARTNERSHIPS


FOCUS ONVOLUNTEERS

FEATURE

With British Cycling membership topping 100,000 for the first time, the focus of this year’s Go-Ride conferences is on volunteer training to ensure that our Go-Ride Clubs are equipped to embrace the ever-increasing popularity of our sport.

A long with focused workshops, networking opportunities and the Go-Ride Awards, there will be

the chance to reflect on the success of our sport over the past 12 months, with the Tour de France visiting our shores, the Commonwealth Games, Women’s Tour and Tour of Britain.

Go-Ride volunteers undoubtedly cemented the legacy of these events and the conferences provide an opportunity for British Cycling to say thank you for all your hard work.

As always, there will be plenty of opportunities to network with other volunteers and to collect useful insight into areas such as youth engagement, developing your coaching skills and welfare issues.

Taking place at six superb venues located within easy reach of major roads, on-site parking, bike storage and lunch and refreshments provided throughout the day – don’t forget to book your place early as we expect demand to be very high. The conferences are free to attend for all of our Go-Ride volunteers who are British Cycling members.

Go-Ride Conferences 2015

Saturday 21 February: TauntonSaturday 28 February: DurhamSunday 1 March: ManchesterSunday 8 March: LeicesterSaturday 14 March: Dartford Sunday 15 March: Reading

For more information about the conferences or to book your place, please visit britishcycling.org.uk/go-rideconference


Workshop 1: CoachesBritish Cycling lead: Rob Mace

This workshop will challenge all coaches to think about what is ‘good’ coaching and how it manifests itself in practice. The workshop will focus on analysing coaching practices and exploring ways that coaches can challenge and improve rider [email protected]

Workshop 2: Go-Ride VolunteersBritish Cycling lead: Rowan Ardill

With the popularity of our sport at an all-time high, this workshop will focus on volunteer recruitment, providing delegates with the opportunity to consider how their club can encourage new volunteers to share the responsibility across everybody. It will also look at engaging young people in the decision-making and planning processes within your [email protected]

Workshop 3: New Young VolunteersBritish Cycling lead: Kelly Burdett

For young people aged 14 to 18 wishing to join the Cycling Award for Young Volunteers (CAYV) programme, this workshop will cover the basic CAYV and Racemakers modules to broaden knowledge of volunteering roles in cycle sport and enthuse them to get [email protected]

Workshop 4: Current Young VolunteersBritish Cycling lead: Kelly Burdett

Experienced Young Volunteers will have the chance to complete the Young Volunteer Coordinator Workshop, which will provide the knowledge required to take on new responsibilities within their clubs. The workshop will also include some fun and entertaining public speaking training and an overview of the highlights from what has been a fantastic year for Young [email protected]

Workshop 5: Club Welfare OfficersBritish Cycling lead: Rowan Ardill

Club Welfare Officers are invited to attend this workshop, which will focus on specific issues identified from the Club Welfare Officer Consultation conducted over the last few months. The aim of the workshop will be to update knowledge, develop skills, and share good practice to help Welfare Officers to further develop a safeguarding and child-focussed culture in the [email protected]


FROM PLAYGROUND TO PODIUM Go-Ride graduates competing on the boards at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup London, December 2014

FEATURE

O ver 70% of the cyclists who competed for Great Britain at the second round of the UCI Track Cycling World

Cup in London last December took their first steps into racing at Go-Ride Clubs.

Laura Trott, Go-Ride ambassador, emulated the success she achieved on the same boards back in 2012 and recognises the role that her Go-Ride Club, Welwyn Wheelers, played in her path to the podium.

“Without support from the volunteers at my Go-Ride Club, it’s possible I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Trott. “The Go-Ride programme is doing a brilliant job of harnessing the enthusiasm of young people and encouraging more youngsters to get involved.

“It really is going from strength-to-strength and it’s unbelievable to hear about the increasing numbers of young riders who are putting power to the pedals.”


I t’s not just the cyclists who have learnt their trade through the Go-Ride programme.

Rebecca Maynard, Go-Ride Young Volunteer and National Youth Forum representative, had the opportunity to volunteer at the UCI Track World Cup, through the London Track World Cup Legacy project. The project is providing a fantastic opportunity for 14 to 18-year-olds to put their volunteering skills into practice and Rebecca tells us about her experience.

“The second round of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup was held at Lee Valley VeloPark

from 5-7 December and I was lucky enough to volunteer at this high profile international event.

“I was selected to be the results assistant, which was based in the track centre and provided me with the opportunity to gain an insight into the running of a world class event, whilst also allowing me to see world-class athletes such as Laura Trott, Anna Meares, Ed Clancy and Robert Forstemann, alongside other VIPs, press and officials.

“As results assistant, I was responsible for distributing the start lists and results to the

teams, officials and media. Once we had acquired the official results from the head commissaire, we had to photocopy each piece of paper 80 or more times and staple the sheets together, so that all the information was in one place.

“The results were then distributed into the pigeon holes of each of the 53 teams, officials and commissaries. Once we had distributed the results in the track centre, we then had to take the results up to the media. This required a dash up two flights of stairs, which took us all the way to the top of the velodrome and into the Sky box before providing the outside broadcasters with the results.

“At times, we were flooded with information that we needed to get out to everyone and had to resort to ordering them on the floor in order to prioritise.

“The event itself was run smoothly and efficiently, with races on the track starting soon after the previous one had

finished. I looked on as race after race, the judges flawlessly worked out who had broken the rules and who had won, even when it was really

tight on the line.“Whilst volunteering, I got to meet

some amazing people and watch some really exciting racing. As ever, the Great Britain Cycling Team did fantastically, with both well-known names and fresh new faces making an appearance on the podium, showcasing why we are a force to be reckoned with. For me, it was the new faces that caught my eye as I soon realised that I had

heard most of the names before, and not because of their world status, but because they had started as youth riders on the Go-Ride programme.

“I had an amazing experience volunteering at the Track World Cup and although it was hard work, it was so much fun. I was lucky to be helping at such a prestigious event and I will remember it for a really long time. However I was not just chosen at random to get my place on the team, I was proactive in securing this volunteer role and asked if I could, knowing there was a possibility that the answer may be no.

“I have only been volunteering for a year and a half since I joined British Cycling’s Cycling Award for Young Volunteers programme, and yet I have been at some incredible events, as I have put myself forward for all the volunteering opportunities available. If any volunteer likes the sound of helping out at large events, then that’s all they need to do. Look out for these events and ask if you are eligible to volunteer at it – even if they do say it’s not possible on that occasion, you can always ask why so that you can go away and work on it for the next one.”

“I got to meet some amazing people and watch some really great racing ...”

British Cycling’s Cycling Award for Young Volunteers trains young people to get involved with volunteering roles within cycle sport, helping to develop communication and leadership skills. To find out more, please visit britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride

Rebecca Maynard, National Youth Forum representative, volunteering at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in London


SMOOTHRUNNING

WHAT THE CLUB MANAGEMENT TOOLCAN DO FOR YOU

FEATURE

O ver half of Go-Ride Clubs are now running their clubs through

British Cycling’s free Club Management Tool (CMT). If your club hasn’t taken the leap yet, here are two Go-Ride volunteers with their thoughts about the benefits of the tool.

Andy AkersHolmfirth Cycling Club

What encouraged you to start using the Club Management Tool?The Club Management Tool covers everything the club needs to make the day-to-day running easier; newsletter manager, club membership manager, club activity manager, the ability to generate reports and the ability to collect membership fees online, making managing the clubs affairs so much easier.

How has the CMT benefitted your club?It has made the day-to-day running so much easier for example, collecting subscriptions, analysing membership

Alison HindsWelwyn Wheelers CC

What encouraged you to start using the Club Management Tool?Our previous system consisted of storing hard copy application forms in a ring binder and copying the details to a spreadsheet, which was extremely time-consuming. The CMT has given us the ability to keep an online database of our club members and to accept online applications/renewals.

How has the CMT benefitted your club?The CMT has streamlined club membership administration. The reporting tools are very useful and we have started using the club activity manager. It has certainly made it easier for people to join.

What’s your top tip for other clubs?Setting up a club profile will enhance your chances of picking up new members. The club membership manager will help you to administer new and existing members and reduce paperwork. Having your club membership details stored in a central, accessible and secure location for free means that they are available anywhere – you just need a web browser. If your club already has a similar system, moving over to the CMT could reduce any existing overheads. Once your membership is established in the CMT, running off reports for British Cycling or Sport England is easy!

To get started, visit your dashboard at britishcycling.org.uk/dashboardFor help and advice, please [email protected] call the team on 0161 274 2114

trends and allowing us to communicate more easily with our members.

Our constitution also requires members to have British Cycling membership so that they have insurance. The CMT allows us to see that members have the required cover. The ability to generate reports is useful for club presentations and for media purposes, allowing a quick visual interpretation of club numbers, gender and age splits.

What’s your top tip for other clubs?Have a good look at the CMT. There are obvious benefits to its use and if it makes life easier for the club volunteers, then make use of it!


WHAT THE CLUB MANAGEMENT TOOLCAN DO FOR YOU

Y vonne Mills, a volunteer at Roch Valley Raiders BMX Go-Ride Club, has

been named as the BBC Get Inspired Unsung Hero 2014 in the North West, in recognition of the difference she has made to cycling in her local community. She was shortlisted for the national award, which was presented at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in Glasgow in December.

Yvonne said: “I felt completely overwhelmed when it was announced that I had won the award, it’s a real honour to be recognised in this way. It’s a fantastic achievement not just for myself, but for the club and BMX as a whole, and will hopefully encourage even more young people to get involved in the sport. Volunteering has given me so much more confidence and self-belief, and seeing the smiles of riders at race meetings or coaching is enough reward to know that my time and efforts are appreciated. This is just the icing on the cake!”

On the back of this success Yvonne has visited local schools to talk about volunteering in the community and highlight the number of opportunities available and the benefits this brings to both themselves and others.

Club DevelopmentHaving bought her two children bikes for Christmas, Yvonne was aware a local BMX track existed that was in a bad state of repair and decided she wanted to do something about it to provide local people with the opportunity to ride in a safe environment. In 2009, Yvonne set about

regenerating the track and established Roch Valley Raiders BMX Club.

Working alongside local youth charity, Catch 22, and with support from the Community Cashback scheme, £18,000 of funding was secured to renovate the derelict BMX track in Heywood. The club then enlisted the support of local companies, who provided labour in kind to renovate the track and design and build a new gate for the club. After working for nearly a year to get everything in place, the track was built and launched in just seven weeks and the team of dedicated volunteers have not looked back.

Since the track has been renovated, Roch Valley Raiders has gone from strength to strength and now has over 60 members that regularly attend club sessions, with a number racing at regional and national level, with four riders going on to represent Great Britain at the World Championships.

Local CommunityYvonne’s objective of developing a facility for members of the local community to utilise is one that she

Volunteer wins BBC award for transforming BMX track

has worked tirelessly to achieve. She is driven by keeping membership affordable and accessible to all. In order to achieve this, Yvonne has built a team of committed volunteers, secured a range of funding and developed strong links with local businesses that actively support the club to achieve its aims. This has allowed the club to provide bikes and protective equipment on loan to riders, so that all can participate.

As with any project there have been challenges along the way, however instead of being deterred, Yvonne has always taken a proactive approach; whether attending a Positive Behaviour Management in Sport workshop to overcome challenging behaviour or utilising local promotion to overcome financial difficulties.

As a community based club, Roch Valley Raiders now provide coaching and development opportunities to people of all ages from Heywood and surrounding towns. The club runs sessions that are accessible to everyone and supports members in improving their cycling abilities, personal development and confidence.

UNSUNGINSPIRATION

Unsung hero Yvonne Mills with BBC presenter, Richard Askam, and riders from Roch Valley Raiders

AWARD


Two race series Four race series Six race series

50x certificates 100x certificates 100x certificates

Two pairs of premium cycling mitts* Four pairs of premium cycling mitts* Twelve pairs of premium cycling mitts*

Six gold, silver and bronze medals 12x gold, silver and bronze medals 18x gold, silver and bronze medals

50x red wrist bands 50x red wrist bands

50x white wrist bands

Three gold, silver and bronze trophies

G o-Ride Racing is British Cycling’s exciting entry-level competition

programme for novice cyclists under the age of 16, helping young people to make a gradual transition into competitive cycling - so if your club hasn’t got involved yet, now’s the time to do it.

Introducing entry-level Go-Ride Racing events as part of your club activities will give young riders the chance to experience the thrill of bike racing. Hosting a Go-Ride Racing event is easy; all you need is a Level 2 coach and some enthusiastic volunteers.

There are many fantastic reasons to get involved:

Receive a kit bag with everything you need to host your events

Receive British Cycling prizes to award at your events

Your events promoted on the British Cycling events calendar

Use of the British Cycling online entry system and event organiser dashboard

Public liability insurance for racing competitions

Support from British Cycling’s regional Go-Ride team

To get involved or find out more information, contact the Go-Ride team on 0161 274 2070 or email [email protected] or download an event registration form britishcycling.org.uk/go-rideracing

This year, Go-Ride Racing will once again provide clubs with bespoke prizes for delivering series of two, four or six events all year round.

START YOURRACING HERE

*Full finger cycling gloves for BMX and speedway


W omen’s racing is on the up and with the success of the British Cycling

Women’s Road Series, the first La Course at the Tour de France and Women’s Tour of Britain in 2014, it is now much more prominent. There is huge demand for more competition for girls, to provide them with a chance to shine on their own against peers and be first in their race!

British Cycling is aiming to get one million more women and girls on bikes by 2020. Inspiring more women and girls to cycle more often, be it for fun, health, sustainable transport or winning bike races, is a major opportunity for British Cycling to shift the culture and accessibility of a sport that has become so successful and high profile in the UK.

Laura Trott, Double Olympic Champion and World Champion who started out at Welwyn Wheelers Go-Ride Club, said:

“There has never been a better time for women’s cycling, with major international events inspiring women and girls to get on their bikes. Go-Ride Racing events hosted by clubs provide young girls with the perfect environment to don their first race bib, have fun and test their race skills.”

This year, the Go-Ride Racing programme shines a spotlight on Go-Ride Racing events that include a girls-only race, offering clubs additional resources and support. To celebrate racing for girls, we are encouraging clubs to:

host a girls-only race within their event, or

host a dedicated event for girls

All you need to do is let us know that you are hosting a separate race for girls within your event and clubs will receive an additional set of prizes to award in these races! When including a girls race in your event, simply tick the box on the registration form.

Clubs hosting girls-only races will be provided with the following prizes:

1x set of Go-Ride Racing medals 20x Go-Ride certificates 20x Go-Ride Racing wristbands

Clubs hosting a six event series, where each event includes a girl’s race, will also receive an additional set of Go-Ride Racing trophies.

FEATURE

To get involved or find out more information, contact the Go-Ride team on 0161 274 2070 or email [email protected], or download an event registration form britishcycling.org.uk/go-rideracing

HERE COMETHE GIRLS

The first women and girls only Go-Ride racing event takes place at Redditch Road and Path Cycling Club


TOP TIPWORLD CUP IN A CLUB ENVIRONMENT

REGULAR

For information on how to purchase the latest versions of Go-Ride Gears books, please contact the Coach Education team: [email protected]

I n this issue, we look at creating a world cup in a club environment. The concept of

‘World Cup in a Club Environment’ forms part of the philosophy for the new British Cycling Level 2 Coaching course and is important for developing discipline-specific skills in riders.

This tip builds on the top-tip from the Autumn/Winter issue, where we asked you to try and amend a simple oval circuit to make sure it meets the demands of your riders in relation to the competition they are training for.The main point is this: if someone were to walk past your session, would they say it looks like the sport? Ensure your sessions are developing the skills of the sport to give your riders the best chance of progressing.

Setting the Scene• Find a clip online of a world class

sporting event and identify a race-changing moment that you could replicate in your Level 2 environment – you will easily be able to find a lot of examples

• For example, a road rider leading an attack up a hill-climb or the people chasing, or the technique a cyclo-cross rider uses when cornering

• Look at the clip initially as a casual observer

• Watch the clip again, even slowing it down: start to decipher what is happening

Identifying the Marginal DetailsTry and isolate the details of the action in terms of:

• Technical elements• Tactical elements• Physiological elements• Psychological elements • Why was the rider successful

or unsuccessful?

The challenge now is to replicate this in your Level 2 club environment, so that your riders are developing skills that will be important should they end up competing at the highest level.

Developing your riders• As a Level 2 coach, draw on your

knowledge or use the Gears books to complete the last part of this task:

• Design a session that aims to draw out one element of the observed performance

• Think about your session: does it definitely develop that component for the rider, or is it developing other components?

• Now think about challenges or progressions for the session. How can you change, adapt and progress it and how will this change what is developed for the riders?


John MillsCoaching, Educationand Development Director

Melanie KnowlesPA to Coaching, Educationand Development [email protected] 274 2072

Colin HumphreysNational Development [email protected] 274 2077

Rob MaceDevelopment Manager:Coaching and [email protected] 274 2078

Jenny NicholsonDevelopment Officer:Coaching and [email protected] 274 2019

Robert GeorgeDevelopment Officer:Coaching and [email protected] 274 2071

Stephanie AllmarkDevelopment Manager:Clubs and [email protected] 274 2069

Kelly BurdettDevelopment Officer:Clubs and [email protected] 274 2126

Rowan ArdillDevelopment Officer:Clubs and [email protected] 274 2069

Julia Klinger-MooreSenior Development [email protected] 274 2070

New Go-Ride Registered ClubsThorpe Ventures Community ClubEast Lancashire Road ClubWyndyMilla KidsFYZ Cycling ClubTeam AscendoClimb on BikesKnowsley BMX ClubKettering CCOutdoor Traders Cycling ClubTavistock Wheelers North Shore GalleryWesterham Cycling Club Corley Cycles - Drops RT

New Go-Ride Clubmark ClubsRutland RouleurCycle Derby CCNewport Shropshire CCBeeston RC

Renewed Go-Ride Clubmark ClubsBury Cycle Speedway North Midlands Youth Squad Warsop WheeliesNottingham ClarionTiverton BMXRoyston Rockets BMX

Cycling Award for Young Volunteers

BronzeElsie Barker Cyclewise AcademyCharlotte Fabi Beacon WheelersSabine Minchinton-Gilley St George’s Preparatory SchoolTyde D’Souza Carrick RidersAustin Lachlan Milton Keynes BMX ClubDylan Thomas Palmer Park VeloSamuel Major Braunton BMX ClubThomas Green Chester Go-Ride CC

ROLL OF HONOUR

GO-RIDE CONTACTS

George Fox East Bradford CCMegan Griffiths Thanet RCGeorgia Crapper Bolsover and District CCLuke Hind Bolsover and District CCDan Martin Thanet RCMatthew Clough Chester Go-RideThomas Stone Team DarenthMegan Cullen Otley CC

Silver Megan Russell Lincsquad Robert Beard Falmouth SchoolAnna-Marie Hughes Hillingdon SlipstreamersSarah Gregson Blackpool Youth Cycling AssociationLucas Crapper Bolsover and District CCRuhi Walsh Kingston Junior Cycle ClubNatasha Reddy Palmer Park VeloMichael Green Chester Go-RideThomas Green Chester Go-Ride

GoldLewis Haller Charlotteville CCMegan Kendall Spalding CCMax Nelson Sutton CC/De Ver CyclesTiffany Fletcher Cycle Derby CCShane Regdewell Braintree BMXBethan Abra Salt Ayre Cog setGeorgia Hilleard Wolverhampton WheelersJoanna Ross Beacon WheelersSamuel Armstrong Taw VeloJoanna Kistle Cornwall BMXBen Tucker Cornwall BMXJoseph Lister Wolverhampton WheelersElla Buckroyd Hillingdon Slipstreamers CCYasmin England Cornwall BMXGeorge Armstrong Taw VeloKieren Brown Bolsover & District Cycling Club Lucas Crapper Bolsover and District CC

PlatinumJoshua Fanner Preston Park Youth CC

September – March 2014/15

The amazing performances of the Great Britain Cycling Team rely on the support of British Cycling members.

If your club members wish to join British Cycling, Silver membership for their first year is free, so there is no excuse for missing out on joining the team.

Under 16s receive a bonus joining pack, which includes some awesome surprises featuring some of the biggest cycling stars from the worlds of track, MTB, BMX and road in action!

In addition, membership includes a race licence (if requested) and all the benefits enjoyed by adults such as insurance, discounts and top tips from the experts at British Cycling.

So whether you race, ride or just want to become a part of the team that supports Great Britain’s line-up of elite stars, join British Cycling and get closer to the action!

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go-ride magazine - spring 2015

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