Okay, so he's a boy and this is a blog about women's cycling. But I'm his mom and I am proud. Today was my son's first day of bike camp at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. When I asked my son how he liked it, he summed it up in one word, "awesome!".
Although I am a cyclist, I was never one to push my child into cycling. I like to believe that his love for two wheels is growing naturally. He has been around bikes all his life. He was in a Burley trailer as a baby (which has now been passed through 3 families-thanks Anne!), training wheels as a toddler, a tag-a-long (which he still enjoys) to riding like a speed demon on two wheels.
Shea loves going to bike races and bike related events...and just hanging out with bike folk. My tentative, cautious child is a different person in this world. Fearless. Hangs with the dudes and dudettes and acts like he is one of "them". Really cracks me up, but heartens me to know that he can sense when he is around good people.
Last summer, when Shea was just turning 5, he was not quite ready to give up the training wheels. He was disappointed when he found out he could not do the pee-wee summer program until he did. This spring, he turned 6 and we decided he needed to come off 4 wheels to 2. We knew he was ready, but my son is a creature of habit and needs a little pushing sometimes. (just ask me about potty training sometime) Sure enough, in 5 minutes, he was zipping around. Needless to say, he was REALLY proud of himself.
So today was a big day. First day of bike camp. When we arrived, the 1st session was still going, so Shea busied himself riding around the main area with the other waiting kids. Once the 2nd session got rolling, he jumped right in feet first. Even after the session was over, he rode around for another hour and watched some of the women and master's track racing. And he got to see auntie Liz!
What was truly cool was to see that Jimmy Alvord is still coaching this program. I think it's been 15-20 years that he has coached this program. Jimmy is terrific. It is clear he loves the kids. He engages easily with them, is funny and has good rapport. Most importantly, he teaches bike safety and bike handling skills in a non-competitive, fun manner. The last time I saw Jimmy, we rode a tandem at a training race. I am proud to have my son under his guidance. As a parent, I know he is in good hands.
The other fantastic things was to see how many kids and parents turn out for this program. There were as many girls as boys participating which was really cool. All in all, about 50 kids participated between the 2 sessions. The best part...It's FREE! That's right, FREE! The program runs for 4 Saturdays. The VPCC runs 3 sessions, 1 in June, July and August with a 9am and 10am session each. At the end of the summer, the kids are showcased on a Friday night and get to do a victory lap amongst the pro's.
If you are a parent looking for something to do with your kid in the summer, this program is highly recommended. After camp, the whole family can enjoy watching bike racing or head across the street to the Rodale Park and ride bikes together as a family. Either way, it's a win-win situation. Don't live in the area? Check out the links to area Velodromes around the country at www.velochicks.com and contact the facility to see if they provide a program of similar quality.
