This Is What Cycling Is All About: Folsom High Cycling Team



Here I am with the littlest GroveTribe member before I had to get to work scoring the practice races.



The Folsom High MTB Team met at Willow Creek Reservoir to do a simulated race on a short track that will be used during race season.  Parents and ride leaders were invited to see what their kids were up to along with helping out if needed.

We came to check it out thinking that we would be able to sit back and enjoy the racing on what was supposed to be a relatively warm and sunny day (for January).   Well…  The forecast was wrong.  The sun never came out and it was bitterly cold.  The family stayed for a bit, but it was much too cold for my youngest to be hanging out for any length of time. The coach asked that I help with scoring, so I swung by the house to drop the family off in a warm house, and headed back out to the meet.  I also grabbed my helmet, gloves, and shoes just in case I needed to hop on a bike for any reason.  

One of the parent volunteers and his son supporting the older brother.

There were two simulated races that day which were being used to get an idea of where the kids stood in relation to the other kids so that, on race day, they would have a better idea of how to divide the kids into categories.  The first race was primarily for the newer riders who did two laps on the course.  The new riders did really well and as they came around for their lap, parents and volunteers would yell out encouragement to them.  I was really impressed by the friendly environment.  Parents weren’t yelling at each other.   No one was admonished or pressured about their performance.  This is an example of how sports should be for kids.

First batch heads out for warm-ups.  (I was too busy
scoring the race to take more action photos.)

The next race was a much larger group of the more advanced riders who did three laps of the course.  There was spirited competition as the riders battled it out for their place on the lap.  Scoring individual riders as they jockeyed for position was a challenge. Numbers, bodies and bikes sped by in a chaotic blur of teen spirit. Thankfully, I had two people helping me spot the numbers so that all I had to do was to write down the order the numbers were relayed to me.



I had a great time out there in the freezing cold and the eager performances of many of the riders were great to see -we have some real potential “Armstrongs” out there- but even better to see was the support of so many of their family members. There were parents, siblings, volunteers like myself and friends all coming out to make a cheering crowd; fighting the chill with the warmth of their support and encouragement. It was joyful and uplifting to experience and that is what cycling is all about.