Last week iRide’s Vancouver head coach Wes “Tubs” Ochitwa started full, 4-day programs again in the Lower Mainland area with a visit to Fleetwood Secondary’s Grade 9 classes. All in all, five classes took part in the week’s event, totaling 145 students who smiled and laughed through some of the wettest weather Vancouver has seen this autumn.
Despite the weather, Wes said the week was a great success in part to the support of school staff in letting the kids get wet and muddy, but also because of the panache each student brought to their iRide sessions.
Wes reports:
They came out guns-a-blazen and put everything they had into the bike. A definite highlight for the Fleetwood students was enjoying a 2 km trail loop that is part of the school grounds. The mix of evergreen and deciduous trees along the trail provided a really cool mix of protection from the rainstorms and a dazzling mix of color. The trail was a great place to travel to and refine new skills after our sessions of games and courses.
Wes also reported that despite coaching these Grade 9 students, the fundamental template of iRide’s event structure and the collection of skills and games used were easily adaptable to this older group.
Over the four days, we played all of our iRide games: Foot-down, Lightbulb and my favourite, Jamaican Joust. I was impressed with the speed and commitment of these young riders and we all had a blast. I’m always amazed at how well these games are recieved, even for older kids who are good at bike handling. On the last day, as a special perk when working with older students, I even jumped into the games to create some new challenges.
iRide battles wet and wild weather last week. Grade 9 students at Fleetwood secondary perfecting their cyclocross pic.twitter.com/76JvawI8tp
— Cycling BC (@CyclingBC) November 3, 2015
Looking to become involved in iRide as a coach? Cycling BC is hosting two separate coaching seminars this November. You can choose from a condensed 1 day program run in Vancouver on November 8th or a full 2-day program over the weekend of November 21/22nd. To register, please contact admin@cyclingbc.net. The full calendar can be found here.
If you’re a fan of Cycling BC’s iRide program, check us out on Twitter, Instagram, or donate through Chimp to support our programs in your area. To learn more about iRide Summer Camp or book future in-school events, please contact iRide@cyclingbc.net or (604) BC-iRide.
