REPORT. BMX RACE DAY WEEKEND David Sheehama Secondary School, Outapi Friday 20 Sunday 22 January 2017

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1 REPORT BMX RACE DAY WEEKEND David Sheehama Secondary School, Outapi Friday 20 Sunday 22 January 2017 Some of the 65 kids who took part in Outapi raceday on Saturday 21 January 2017 (Pic: Nicola Waterworth, visiting British Cycling consultant) 1

2 1.0 INTRODUCTION: 1.1 NCF's Kids on Bikes programme: the context for the Outapi visit We continue in 2017, to work within the framework of NCF's development plan. The Kids on Bikes programme combines several of the plan's strategies - - taking cycling development to the regions, i.e. transforming cycling demographics to correspond more closely with national demographics - getting kids, specifically 5-9 year olds, onto bikes as early as possible. A related aim is to get more girls into cycling -introducing BMX as a UCI cycling discipline -training local coaches to a NCF Level 1 coaching qualification [i.e 2 notches below the internationally-recognized UCI Level 1 coaching qualification] so that they can conduct cycling training sessions for kids - holding a race in BMX format, albeit on a flat surface - signing an agreement with a local partner in this case, Physically Active Youth (PAY Windhoek) to set up, and manage, a local bike programme, using the bikes which are donated to the partner at the end of the weekend. By end 2017, with your sponsorship, we had established the following regional centres: Omuthiya, Oshikoto Region Okahandja, Otjozondjupa Region Gobabis, Omaheke Region Omaruru, Erongo Region In Windhoek, Khomas Region, working partly with your sponsorship, and a sponsorship from Marathon Sugar, we have established BMX groups at Physically Active Youth (PAY), and KAYEC. In the budget which we submitted to you for the period June 2016-June 2017, we planned to extend to Outapi, Omusati Region. RMB Namibia granted additional funding for this period to establish a centre at Rundu, Kavango East Region. This means, that we are potentially close to being able to establish a formal northern regional BMX league. 1.2 BMX programme for 2017 With your sponsorship, we will this year host these events Jan Raceday Outapi done! 3-5 Mar Raceday Rundu 18 Mar Challenge 1 Omuthiya 7 Apr Challenge 2 Windhoek 10 June Challenge 3 Gobabis 1 July Challenge 4 Windhoek 12 August Challenge 5 Omaruru 9 Sept Challenge Finals 2

3 2.0 Looking ahead: up-skilling kids we have already reached We plan to do this by - re-visiting each centre established in 2016 as follow-up holding an Open Challenge event there that means, any child in the area aged up to 16 and under, can come and take part in a morning's BMX flat racing as funds allow, purchasing for each established centre, some 20 bikes, for the 5-9 year olds to grow' into establishing where we can with local RMB Namibia-compatible sponsors, a pump track there are for example, already such discussions for a pump track at Outapi building a basic but standard layout BMX track on Farm Windhoek. As soon as we can we will start hosting national events there allowing local coaches who have enough documented coaching hours, access to a NAM Level 2 coaching course. 3.0 PARTICIPATION AT OUTAPI 3.1 Participation by age Although an introductory raceday event is meant for 10 and under kids riding on the small 16 BMXs purchased for the local centre using your funds, we found that children of all ages presented themselves, with indemnity form in hand, to take part in the racing... AGE Subtotal Sub total Total all ages TOTAL This is a good thing really, as it suggests there should be great support for the regional Open BMX Challenge event planned for Omuthiya on 18 March It also shows, that cycling as sport and recreation has the potential to divert teenage energy from personally-harmful into positive activities. It would be a good thing though if the BMX Outapi centre could eventually reach out to the 14 and older kids in the community as the decreased participation in these age groups is markedly different... hence our desire to provide established centres with the standard 20 bikes as soon as feasible. 3.2 Participation by gender NCF maintains basic statistics on this variable, and tries to observe trends, because increased participation in bike riding by girls is one of our cycling development strategies which your sponsorship supports: AGE Sub total Sub total BOYS GIRLS Totals 3

4 TOTAL So, in summary 6-10 age categories, gender participation : 66% boys and 33% girls; age categories, gender participation: 62% boys and 38% girls (rounded off). This is encouraging! 4.0 BMX RACE DAY FORMAT We were pleased to be able to welcome at the Saturday 21 January event, not only RMB Namibia representative Odille Tjongarero, but also Matheus Ndeshitila, Senior sport officer Omusati Region, and Deputy Mayor of Outapi Town. The event was held on the sports field of the David Sheehama Secondary School. Raceday began at 08:00 with briefing for the 8 trainee coaches, and continued until around 10:15 with setting up the field, registration, and practice for the kids, assisted by the trainee coaches. Thereafter Race director Hella Rust sorted the kids into motos. A BMX moto typically comprises 8 riders of the same age category and gender, but the rules do allow some changes to this format in the interests of participation and race efficiency. 11 participation motos were formed, with kids sorted primarily by their physical size, rather than by age. 12 and Under boys - 3 motos 10 and Under girls 3 motos 10 and Under boys 2 motos 8 and Under boys 2 motos 10 and Under girls 1 moto Every child took part in 3 participation races, before the stronger riders were promoted through to the 4 finals motos: 8 and Under boys, 10 and Under boys, 10 and Under girls, 12 and Under boys. The fifth finals moto - 8 and Under girls was not run, because only 1 girl in this group could ride. The morning's racing included the customary break between the participation motos and finals motos, to reward all the children who participated, with a personal certificate and a small gift, before we continued with the finals motos at around 13:10. Racing ended around 14:15. Trainee coaches were busy throughout the morning, assisting their kids through 33 participation races and 4 finals. They had a short post-race break, after which their formal training continued in one of the classrooms at the David Sheehama school. 4

5 5.0 THE FINALS The strongest 3 riders in each of the 4 finals motos: 8 and Under boys 10 and Under boys 10 and Under girls 12 and Under boys received respectively a gold medal/red ribbon, silver medal/blue ribbon, and bronze medal/green medal. The 5th finals moto - 8 and Under girls was not run, because only 1 girl in this group could ride. The winner, who could ride, received a well-earned gold medal. Silver and bronze medals were awarded to those girls whose coaches were able to push them the fastest! Medals were not allocated in the 12 and Under boys motos, but podium placers received small cash prizes instead. After the three participation rounds, there was a break during which each child received from Odille of the RMB Corporate Social Investment team, a certificate of participation, and a milo. Once the NCF team had sorted out the top four riders from the combined points of all three participation rounds, the semi-finals, and the finals began. Altogether there were 9 medallists: 3 from the combined girls U8 and U10 final, and 6 from the semi-finals and finals for the boys. From RMB Namibia sponsorship funds, the Namibian Cycling Federation was able to provide a medal for each child on the podium a gold medal with red ribbon for 1 st place, silver medal with blue ribbon for 2 nd place, and bronze medal with green ribbon for 3 rd place. Girls: Final winners of the combined U8s and U10s Girls U8 + U10 Final 1 (gold) Alesha Ais (23) 2 (silver) Jolene Nautoro (42) 3 (bronze) Imelia Stefanus (1) Boys: Final winners by age group, and registration nr Boys U8 Final U10 Final 5

6 1 (gold) Romario Jefthas (5) Boeta!Harasaeb (46) 2 (silver) Prince Dlamini (53) Johannes Petrus (38) 3 (bronze) Nico Langerman (8) Dantani Gaomab (32) The next photos show the finalists, with members of RMB's Corporate Social Investment Team: Under 8 + Under 10 girls Girls: l-r: Imelia Stefanus (bronze), Alesha Ais (gold), Jolene Nautoro (silver) Under 8 Boys; l-r: Nico Langerman (bronze), Romario Jefthas (gold), Prince Dlamini (silver) Under 10 Boys: l-r: Dantani Gaomab (bronze), Boeta!Harasaeb (gold), Johannes Petrus (silver) 6

7 6 COACHES TRAINING, and OMARURU BIKE CENTRE CONTRACT During the Omaruru BMX weekend, NCF presented its fifth NCF Level 1 coaching course (three at earlier raceday weekends, and one at the 24 th June Challenge event Windhoek). Regional Sports Officer Berthold Karumendu gathered together certainly the most lively, and engaged group of trainee coaches to date! Participants were: Michael Gugowab, Dio-Rico Naraseb, Dirck Kuzatjike, Nghoshi Serron, Quinlow Rittmann, Gideon Musambani, Johannes Nekongo, Gail Kavendjii, Angela Rusberg, and Daniel Tjejamba. The course was held in a classroom at the Education Centre. As at previous raceday weekends, training comprised a Friday evening theoretical session, a hard work practical session during the raceday event on Saturday morning, followed by another theoretical session on Saturday afternoon. There was an exam on Sunday morning. All trainees qualified for their NCF coaching licence Level 1. They are now required to submit to coach trainer Hella Rust, structured plans which reflect 20 hours of hands-on training of children, in order to qualify for admission to an NCF Level 2 coaching training course. Below, on the left, Berthold Karumendu, Regional Sports Officer Omaruru, and Steve and Odille of RMB Namibia, with some of the trainee coaches 7

8 At the end of the coaches training, NCF signed a formal contract with the Omaruru Bike Centre, represented by Berthold Karumendu, Michael Gugowab, and Quinlow Rittmann. The contract primarily sets out provisions relating to the bikes' secure storage, and practice days and times. 7 BUDGET A revised Omaruru budget will be submitted to the RMB CSI team once it has been reviewed by the NCF Treasurer. 8 THANKS To our main sponsor RMB Namibia, thank you for your wonderful sponsorship, and for being actively involved in the raceday always a pleasure to have you there! Thank you also to Honourable Hendrina Gebhardt, Mayor of Omaruru, for your presence. Thanks as well to our other sponsors: and partners: To Mannie's Bike Mecca for bike maintenance equipment. To Raceday.events for sponsorship of bike numbers, kids' numbers and certificates. To Hella Rust for sponsored coaching material, and to Ingrid Milz, who is not an NCF Exco member, for her time as official scorer. To Berthold Karumendu, Regional Sport Officer Omaruru, for assistance in preparing for the event. To Ulla von Holtz, for super pics of the day, many of which can be seen on our NCF facebook page. Also thanks to the trainee coaches for their help and attendance during the weekend, to the local teachers, and to the parents who came along to watch, and to support their children. Sally Harper, NCF Exco, 25 July