The VELO Sports Center Youth Cycling Program

Objective:

Design activities help children feel competent and comfortable participating in various fun, challenging sports and activities.

The focus of this stage is the initiation of fundamental movements, including running, jumping, and cycling activities.

Exposure to a broad base of movement activities. VELO Sports Center (VSC) recommends that parents guide their children to be physically active and develop fundamental movement skills through structured and unstructured free play in multiple environments.

The key focus for this stage:

• Encourage physical activity throughout the day, focusing on fun.
• Develop fundamental movement skills in a fun & safe environment.
• Introduce a track bike and skills through lightly structured drills.
• Provide the opportunity to explore the velodrome.
• Develop balance and coordination.
• Introduce basic riding through a qualified USA Cycling coach.
• Develop an interest and passion for cycling in all children.

Early childhood is a formative stage of human development that involves significant growth and development and is the beginning of the formative years.

Besides the rapid growth in body size, there is also the rapid development of the brain and nervous system and related learning of movement and motor abilities.

VSC coaches will:

• Create a positive, fun, and safe environment for all participants.
• Encourage active participation by all participants.
• Be clear and precise in communication and use terminology appropriate for the age.
• Limit the amount of technical or tactical information to what is appropriate for the age.
• Ensure the participants have the appropriate equipment when on the velodrome under your supervision.
• Have an organized plan for each session.

All coaches must have the appropriate USA Cycling Coaching certificates and complete the following:

• Background check.
• Current USA Cycling Coaching license.
• Completed the United States Center for Safe Sport online program.

Program cost: Free

Register: Click here

Objective

To help develop overall athleticism and sport-specific skills.

Participants continue developing movement abilities across multiple sports and environments at this stage. In late-specialization sports such as cycling, early specialization can be detrimental to later stages of development.

Participants should develop a solid base in a variety of sports in each of the physical literacy environments (e.g., swimming, athletics, gymnastics & skiing/skating, road, and mountain biking). Club-to-club competitions can be introduced, but competition results should be separate from the program's focus.

The focus should remain on the long-term athlete and cycling development—the VELO Sports Center’s key focus for the Learn to Train stage.

• Continue to develop physical literacy.
• Continue encouraging participants to participate in complementary sports.
• Participants at this stage should continue learning basic cycling fundamental skills while adding more on-track drills and exercises.
• There is no need at this stage to specialize as a sprinter or endurance rider; however, trying different cycling styles is encouraged.

This sampling stage allows the participant to try activities that focus on fun, pleasure, and socialization.

• Encourage goal setting that is process-orientated:

• Long-term goals.
• Short-term goals based on skill development and not competitive results.
• Team spirit: learn how to relate to different groups of peers.
• Important psychological skills to develop:
• Development of abilities to concentrate.
• Development of visualization skills.
• Deliberate effort: the ability to deliver effort and enjoy the feeling of the effort during the activity.
• Responsibility:
• The ability to associate joy with effort and competition.
• The ability to take risks and accept failure as a regular occurrence of sports development.
• Begin to introduce mental preparation.

Formal competition can be introduced in this stage, although it must not divert the focus from a developmental process. Competitions should be limited to the local geographic area. Competition should be fun and structured to address training age and abilities differences. Athletes should be recognized for their success and achievement.

VSC coaches will:

• Create a positive, fun, and safe environment for all participants.
• Encourage active participation by all participants.
• Be clear and precise in communication and use terminology appropriate for the age.
• Limit the amount of technical or tactical information to what is appropriate for the age.
• Ensure the participants have the appropriate equipment when on the velodrome under your supervision.
• Have an organized plan for each session.

All coaches must have the appropriate USA Cycling Coaching certificates and complete the following:

• Background check.
• Current USA Cycling Coaching license.
• Completed the United States Center for Safe Sport online program.

Program Cost: $45 per month 

Register: Click here

Objective:

Prepare athletes for the competitive environment, continue to refine technical adaptability and ancillary skills, and develop the physical attributes of a good cyclist.

General Description:

This is the time to optimize general athleticism and fitness and specialize in cycling disciplines.

Training should be individualized to the athlete’s particular needs in each facet of performance – technical, tactical, physical, and mental, with the understanding that these areas are highly interdependent.

Training volume and intensity increase during this stage and athletes are encouraged to try other VELO Sports Center programs,  so incorporating recovery methods and monitoring is essential. The training season becomes longer. Competitions become more critical, and the focus shifts from development to performance. Athletes learn to prepare for competition and learn to handle competitive pressures. This is the time to consolidate individual strengths and rectify weaknesses.

Also, at this stage, USA Cycling has its National Team Development Programs, and racers with a racing age of 17/18 could represent their country at a UCI Jr. World Championships. Athletes who have developed the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and motor skills needed may invest their effort into specialized training in Cycling, sprinting, or endurance.

VSC coaches will:

• Create a positive, fun, and safe environment for all participants.
• Encourage active participation by all participants.
• Be clear and precise in communication and use terminology appropriate for the age.
• Limit the amount of technical or tactical information to what is appropriate for the age.
• Ensure the participants have the appropriate equipment when on the velodrome under your supervision.
• Have an organized plan for each session.

All coaches must have the appropriate USA Cycling Coaching certificates and complete the following:

• Background check.
• Current USA Cycling Coaching license.
• Completed the United States Center for Safe Sport online program.

Program Cost: $55/month

Register: Click here