More Track Coaches: The Challenge for 2013

In the 18 weeks between the start of May and the end of August 2012, the “No Vacancies” sign was up for anyone wanting to make an evening session booking during the week,writes Alan MaCrae, with no fewer than 95% of the evenings available already booked by local cycling organisations, companies and individuals. In only its first full summer of operation, this has made Bournemouth’s new Cycle Track already one of the busiest outdoor tracks in the country during the peak Summer period.
Key to this success was the newly installed team of volunteer local Coaches. During the Centre’s build phase they were only 2 in number but were joined at the Opening of the Centre in July 2011 by a further 11 newly trained coaches. In something of a baptism of fire those Coaches responded to the early demand during what was left of Summer 2011 and have since grown in stature and experience in meeting the challenges set by everything that the Olympic Summer of 2012 was to throw at them. Each week, coaching for Novice, Intermediate, Competition, Club and Corporate sessions was professionally delivered as riders across the age and ability spectrum took to track cycling in their hundreds.
Track use during the daytime relied on the very small section of the Coaching Team available during the day. Sessions for local schools and the University proved very popular, peaking at 230 children attending Bournemouth’s first ever Schools Cycling Sports Day held amongst nearby Primary and Junior Schools. Winton College, located right next door to the Centre, has now trained their PE teachers to coach cycling and this will be shortly extended to the use of the track on their own fleet of special bikes. Saturday mornings has proved particularly popular amongst U14s with an explosion of attendance at the Saturday Kids Club.
The outstanding results in Track Cycling at both the Olympics and Paralympics have almost inevitably pushed interest off the scale. In addition, there will be even more youngsters coming through via the Schools’ links Programme providing a massive challenge ahead in 2013.
Alan McRae from the Bournemouth Cycling Centre says “The volunteer Coaching Resource is the most precious asset. Growth in the number and experience of Coaches is fundamental to the further expansion in rider numbers using the Centre. Any cycling organisation, club, group or individual wanting to use the Centre in Summer 2013 need to look around and encourage colleagues to get trained to provide this much needed additional resource. It would be sad if we had to turn bookings away next year because insufficient coaching resource is available. Now is the time to contact British Cycling and apply to get trained.”
For further information contact
Alan McRae via alan.mcrae@uwclub.net