Junior Development Team

ID: 2011-0002
Start Date: 2011-03-15
End Date: 2011-12-31
Status: COMPLETED

A pilot program to determine the feasibility of creating a small mentored Junior (sub 18 year old) Racing Team within the larger adult racing team project. The goal was to provide basic equipment, coaching, and mentor support to junior racers during the season with the main focus on a summer training session for free to all participants. The target age group was 10-14 which aligned with the age of students within the Middle School level after school bicycle programs. This provided the ability for students participating within the after school program to gain an introduction to bicycle racing during their summer vacation. Production of low key weekly training plans and coached rides to encourage the juniors to enjoy riding, keep active, and introduce them to racing.

A basic training plan providing one to two mentored training rides a week along with easy supplemental exercises was produced and implemented. Ari Reinfeld and Christopher Stanton managed the mentored training rides along with the juniors’ guardians. Multiple adult teammates provided coaching and support during races via mentor riding along with the race pack.

The main races targeted by the Junior Development Team were weekly Thursday night Driveway Series race. It provides a small, good condition, closed road race course that is close to the center of town (< 4 miles) enabling easy access and low commute times. During the 2011 season junior riders were able to race for free during the Junior Race at 5pm which further reduce the cost of participation.

A Felt ZW95 road bike was sponsored to one of the junior riders and became the first bike within the team’s bike library. The cost of an initial road bike is the major expense that must be covered before someone can even try out bike racing and, in many cases, can be a limiting factor for families wanting to introduce someone to the sport. The single road bike within the library was ridden by three different juniors through out the season enabling a junior either with out a bike or with a bike which they had out grown to participate and race.