Junior section
Our Vision for the junior section is to:
‘Give riders the skills, confidence and opportunities to develop a love of riding for life’
Developing a love of riding for life can only be achieved if riding a bike is fun. That doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes hard, challenging or free of effort but that those endeavours are rewarded with the joy of riding.
In order to achieve this vision we will support riders through:
- Skills Development
- Providing a supportive environment
- Offering multiple opportunities
- Providing a culture which develops a love of riding
Skills development
We will support riders to learn bike riding skills, developing their technique. And building their confidence. Whether riders want to feel more confident when riding to school, join social rides or develop as racers, a knowledge of fundamental techniques are essential. From stopping and starting safely, group riding or learning to drop in over some tree roots, we will support riders in developing these techniques.
The club is open to riders from age three who can perform the basic technique of riding a bike without additional support. We will support riders development through into adulthood to the level they want.
Cycling is not one sport but offers a full range of opportunities, from road riding, mountain biking and cyclocross. The club is not a discipline specific club and we will support riders across a range of outdoor disciplines developing techniques for the road, mountain biking and cyclocross.
In order to support skills development as a club we will:
- Provide structured levels of skills development for rider to progress through
- Regularly assess rider development to support progression where the rider wants it
- Place riders in groups which meet their developmental need and want
- Work with Welsh Cycling in understanding and developing skills pathways
How will we know if we are achieving this:
- Riders will be progressing through skills levels
- Riders will feel more confident on a bike
- Feedback from riders (and their parents)
Supportive environment
Supporting our riders means providing a fun and positive environment for them to develop their skills. Coaches and rider leaders are the life blood of community cycling clubs and Whitchurch is no different. All of our coaches and ride leaders are volunteers who are supported by the club to develop their own skills to support our riders, it is these individuals who provide environments for our riders to thrive. It is therefore essential for the club to support our coaches and ride leaders.
We will ensure safe and engaging places to develop cycling skills. As a club we aim to offer a range of environments across the year, with sessions based on multiple terrains.
In order to provide supportive environments as a club we will:
- Support coaches to attain British Cycling coaching qualifications
- Maintain a cohort of Level 1 coaches
- Support coaches who wish to develop discipline specific skills to Level 2 and beyond
- Offer coaching development with the support of Welsh Cycling
- Support riders who wish to develop into coaching
- Maintain a cohort of British Cycling qualified ride leaders
- Maintain Go Ride Accredited club status
- Provide coaching sessions and events across multiple environments
How will we know if we are achieving this:
- Retaining a cohort of qualified coaches within the club
- Coaches developing to Level 2 and 3 where they wish to
- Maintaining Go Ride accredited status
Multiple opportunities
A bike can take you anywhere. As a club we want to provide a full range of opportunities for our riders to develop a love of cycling. For some that is simply attending fun skills sessions, for others it will be social riding opportunities and for those that want to it is taking part and competing in races at local and national level.
The choice of opportunity will always be rider led. Riding in events and races should always be fun and we will encourage riders to enter events where they want to. Where a rider wants to compete we will support them with opportunities to develop skills and insight to compete at a national level. National series such as the Cyclo Cross and Cross Country Mountain Bike Leagues provide great opportunities for riders to improve skills and enjoy competition in positive environments.
Social riding and riding on roads is a skills for life. We also want to offer opportunities for ride outs, offering social opportunities with the all important cake stop.
In order to provide multiple opportunities we will:
- Provide monthly social ride out opportunities
- Grow social riding opportunities for older riders
- Encourage participation in regional and national events
- Develop riders who wish to compete at regional and national level
- Run club events to support riders grow in confidence
- Have a pool of bikes to enable riders to take part in different disciplines
How will be know if we are achieving this:
- Riders opting to participate in events
- Riders enjoying competition and achieving their own goals
- Retaining riders who wish to compete at regional and national level
- Riders establishing own social rides
Providing a culture to develop a love of riding
Fun, friendships and community are at the heart of what we do as a club. Supporting riders to develop their confidence in their social skills enhances their love of riding. As a club we have gained a reputation for being the loudest club at events, having riders who enjoy cheering and supporting each other as much as taking part, we want to hold onto this culture of friendship and community.
As with any volunteer community led club we couldn’t do it without the support of parents and carers bringing along riders, standing around in the cold and providing encouragement, running repairs and snacks to keep riders going. Providing events for parents and carers to participate in riding, offering social ride opportunities and offering opportunities to volunteer and assist with the club for those that wish are all part of developing a positive riding culture.
Once our riders progress through the club beyond their teenage years, we encourage them to join the thriving adult section.
We are a community club and have a place to contribute to the development of cycling in Cardiff so we can create more safe environments for people to get on a bike. This means supporting the development of Cardiff as a cycle city and encouraging the development of the cycling community in inclusive and open ways.
In order to provide a culture in which to develop a love of riding we will:
- Encourage riders to be positive supporters of all
- Offer opportunities for socialising and fun amongst riders
- Provide opportunities for parents to get involved in the club
How will we know if we are achieving this:
- Retain riders through all age groups
- Maintain our rider base
- Be the loudest club at events!