Become a Pedalhead!
Do you remember your dad or mom holding the seat of your bike as you tried to balance and ride on your own? If you don’t have the time or patience to teach your own kids, I have the answer for you. Pedalheads is a comprehensive program that began in British Columbia with the idea of teaching youngsters to ride safely and skillfully. Indeed, they boast programs from training wheels to trails to traffic control, all geared to kids who want to ride their bikes better.
The parent organization is Atlantis, which started with a unique program teaching youngsters to swim. In 1995, this learning scheme was applied to children learning to ride bicycles. They are still expanding this program throughout Canada and here in Washington. For more than 25 years and 175,000 children later, the 10-level program of education and skills has proven its worth.
The Pedalheads program is special because it works every time. The bike camp runs for a week at a time, and children ranging in age 2 to 16 years old thrive in the enthusiastic atmosphere. Yes, I said age 2! Younger participants are often dependent on those “training wheels” and use this crutch far longer than necessary; the camp helps them move onto the next level.
The camp coaches are college age and young adults who are trained in a learning curriculum that can accommodate all age and skill levels. Each day a different skill is highlighted, and every camper’s attempt is loudly cheered with high fives and fist bumps all around. The small classes and individual attention instills confidence in the young rider, and very soon those training wheels come off for good.
On the first day of camp, riders are put in small groups based on age and skill level. The coach will spend time explaining about a good fit for the bike helmet and adjusting the seat and handlebars, if necessary. A typical camp day, whether morning or afternoon session, begins with some easy games before getting on the bike; games such as “Simon Says” or “Red light, Green light” help set the happy mood of camp and let the children and counselors learn names. They then break into groups and work on skills. The children bring their own water bottles and snacks for break time and enjoy some relaxation with their counselors under the shade canopy. Before everyone heads back to their bikes, there is often a safety lesson, like learning the hand signals and naming the parts of a bike. That is followed by more games – this time with the bikes – like bicycle baseball, “Storm the Castle”(knocking over the cones), and bicycle bowling.
Even the very youngest riders share in the desire to “lose those extra wheels” and be a real bicycle rider, and the small groups and one-on-one time with their enthusiastic coach brings self-confidence to try out their new balance skills. By the third day of camp, there are very few training wheels in sight.
Of course, parents can stay and watch the lesson, but the kids really do better with just the counselors present. But on the last day, the youngsters are ready to show off for their families.
The coaches set up an obstacle course with orange cones and a jumping ramp. Although most of them don’t need any extra help, it is always cheerfully available. While listening on the sideline, I enjoyed all the joking camaraderie between the kids and their coaches. When one 5-year-old fell, I grimaced, but he got right up and told everyone, “The bike fell, I didn’t!”
Naturally there will be some spills, one child said to his mom, “I got a ‘dirt bath!’” And, with that, jumped right back on the bike.
But what about the older bicyclists? I had a chance to see a session of pre-teen riders in action and was impressed with the coaches who refined the skills of kids who thought they already knew it all. There was precision cycling, like turning on a dime, and an obstacle course that taxed them all. Finally, the coach took them out riding on the street with special awareness of cars and pedestrians.
The importance of starting out on the right foot with bicycle safety, for even the youngest child, can’t be stressed enough. And following up with road lessons for the more skilled riders is a must in today’s society. Don’t let another summer go by without advancing from training wheels for a 7-year-old. And, for your peace-of-mind, when an older child is ready to bike to school or a friend’s house, be sure they have the experience of bike camp under their belt.
Summertime and school vacation sessions are offered in the greater Seattle area, so go to: info@pedalheads.com for more information.
