Development ideas

Since RL has become the new king, I can see a big push happening to develop things. That's great. There are some Fresh ideas and passionate people here.
I'm just throwing my 2 cents in, as I have been very involved with CI and the road juniors (u23 & elites) for the last few months. It might throw a different perspective, and is not in any way trying to be argumentative.

Look at it from a few angles...
Why don't young kids race?
1. Not enough races. Dad expected to drive to Kerry for a 15min race... Don't think so.
Take seniors for example. Ryan did 80 races this season. How many xc events could he do? 6?
Our juniors last year had a choice of the xc nationals or the junior tour of Ireland (6 days?). We never saw them again.
Maybe a soccer type approach, with a race at a venue week in week out? Any other ideas?

2. No role models. Mtb gets no coverage. I'm sure loads of kids in the Uk admire wiggins & cav. Like I did with roche in th 80's... What are kids aspiring to? Football is far more tempting. Or the lure to the TdeF.

3. No future prospects. Where does a talented 18yo go? With road, they get whipped up by a French or Belgian team. All our talented roadies are. Zidan, Dunne, Wilson, Bennett, Downey, Doyle, Mullen.... At least 10. That's where roadies cut their teeth. Plus they get the chance of progressing to the next level.
Realistically, Mtb has no next level. Yes, the top 5 in the world get paid well, but you only have to look at robin to see where being the greatest rider Ireland has produced gets you. What, 20 Nat champs, and probably never earned a penny?....
Racing for your country only motivates to a certain point.
Don't know the answer here.... Anyone else?

4. CI's involvement...
Not sure what is expected of them. The other diciplines (road, track) have strategic plans. Take road. They have the 2020 team. Developing well etc, and mostly funded by Neenan travel. The 18yo hopefuls are racing for foreign teams, week in week out, without costing a penny.
Track has got Eoin Mullen as their biggest hope. Terry got him a scholarship in the uci at Aigle. Again, he's in a top class facility, doing 4 hours a day on the boards.
What does Mtb want from them? From the outside (and this is nothing personal), we are a small bunch of whingers who can't get along with ourselves or anybody else. We expect them to fight battles we got ourselves into. If the riders & committee can't get along, then we will never go any further.
Believe me, road has it's problems, but they keep it behind closed doors. This is nothing personal, and I can see why people are frustrated, but I think now is a time for a fresh start. Time to become a streamlined unit, and bury axes.
Again, just my view.
We need to prove to CI that there is a proper plan in place, and that we are not just standing with our had out asking for money without knowing what or who we need it for. I'd say it's easily possible to borrow the van to go to Uk races, to give the kids something to aspire to. Keep in mind, anyone involved needs paperwork (coaching qual, Garda clearance, Uk police clearance, code of ethics, prob first aid). Now is the time to get organised.
Mtb is a minority discipline, with very low membership numbers, so our slice of the cake is bigger than we deserve (going by %). there are 15000 CI members. Over 1000 A4's. Over 100 roadraces a year. We struggle to get 100 riders at a race.

So, topic open to sensible ideas. I've built up a good relationship with the staff of CI (the company, not the board), and can try get answers from inside. And no, it doesn't make me a traitor or turncoat :-)
I work with the roadies & trackies at races, as I enjoy racing, and seeing the world. I'm still an mtbr at heart.
RL, I'll sit down for coffee anytime. Same to byrner etc, if you all feel there is anything to be gained.



Stew

Many thanks Stew!

Jon Hynes has taken on the role of XC Development and was really impressive when he spoke to the AGM. I wouldn't like to put words in his mouth but I think his focus will be on trying to get kids out riding their mountain bikes first and foremost and introducing them to racing from there!

Unfortunately, like everywhere else these days, finance will always be a big issue. The Offroad Commission had a total annual budget of €20k last year so frankly fantastic local efforts like those underway in the North, Marko Kavanagh's initiative in Epic and I'm sure others that I'm not aware of are where the main focus will be in the short term!

What about an apology from the Offroad Commission to EPIC please..that would be a start !! and get rid of that ridiculous on line only sign on crap and get an NPS in Dublin/Wicklow , whats the feckin delay ?

my two cents; we could expand the leinster league similar to the ulster and munster leagues , dublin/wicklow has the biggest population of mtbers and plenty venues, the dads would be more likely to drive to 6 races an hour from home , also spread them out across the season one a month for 6 months .

How about clubs approaching local councils to see if they can use local parks (e.g. Marley, Tymon, Corcaigh in S Dublin) for MTB development days? Maybe put a little short course in with a few small obstacles. I understand that there are qualified coaches now about, they should surely be able to run well structured, insured events like these, make them cool looking events, with bikes there to try, meeting and watching the better riders, advertising maybe (Experts Cycles / Giant Dublin). This might not only get the kids engaged but also crucially the parents. With small kids myself I saw how balance bikes have become popular based on parents seeing them around the parks.
By the way I would think that a great obstacle to getting young kids involved is their lack of transport, hence if we don't have the parents into it, then we not be able to get the kids out, road cycling doesn't have the same issue perhaps. Most kids live miles from mtb centres and unless their folks bring them to these centres they haven't a hope.

I'm way ahead of all of you..the key to the whole thing is giving up your own time to do this..hands up whos giving up there own time and people can take that personally if they want to. Its all about sacrificing your own time, same with any sport.
EPIC is the only Club in the South making any effort to run a youth group and I don't see people falling over themselves to help Mark. If you want to help with the Development of the sport then you contact Jon Hynes and give him some of your time.
I have a big initiative coming , you can help me if you want to. Less talk more action. I might be an awful pain in the arse to some people but I started the whole Kids,Sprocket,wolfpack thing, not some golden nice guy. I had to give up Friday evenings for the whole summer last year to do it. Because somebody had to.
I will be starting Sunday afternoons with them , the week after the ROC, will I be inundated with help every single week..I doubt it very much .
Richie

One of the big issues for the grassroots is lack of (accredited) volunteers for transport and supervision of the youth members.

Clubs could do with a number of committed people, most likely parents, who are willing to do a basic course on coaching/first aid etc for working with the Youth riders.

It can't be left to a small handful of people like Richie, Marko and Jon in Cork/Martin up North to do all the organisation/work alone...

Maybe as well to move some of this to the public section of the forum so parents/non-members can see and maybe want to get involved with offering some of there time?

What age group are you going to be catering for with this Richie, if its 5 up count me in. Wolfpack on Saturday isn't good for Aoibhin with GAA and swimming but a Sunday afternoon would be perfect and I've been promising to bring her to "The Mountains" for ages.

5 up bad boy..seriously, it really really irritates me that me..the carzy lunatic cantankerous ******* of Irish MTB is the one kicking up a fuss about this..I warned Sophie yesterday that I was going to turn her in to Irelands answer to Emile Batty..I don't think she'll ever speak to me again..she has no interest in Mountainbiking at all. I am in discussions with DLRCOCO as we whinge on here !

I'll bring my 5yo too - hopefully she'll try / like it and I can then help
my 2 yo is more keen - she actually does re-inactments on her tri cycle of falling off saying "daddy fall ovv mountain bik in mudd"..
I'll be there the next time its on
How much is that kids bike in your place anyway Richie?

Bring the youths to the bmx track, no kid likes to ride up a mountain, it just no fun, I'll help with training any MTB kids that come and I won't let the BMX kids steal their lunch money or bully their parents.

thats bollox..plenty of kids like to ride up mountains and I have already poached your number 1 superstar and another up and coming superstar..you're doomed. But you can redeem yourself by organising a day in Rathoath for us , I guess it will have to do till I get our state of the art government funded track here in the Riviera..calll in and see me you loser, i have good news for you !

Of course I'll help , pick a day sat or sun and I'll sort something out for the kids and the parents. Hope they like pizza.
I'll drop in soon.

grand