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"The Two Wheeled Approach to Self Esteem"
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National Team - High School Mountain
Bike Camp
November 2001, Victoria B.C.
Each November, 50 to 65 high school students from around the province of British Columbia travel to Vancouver Island to participate in the annual "Canadian National Team High School Mountain Bike Camp" organized and hosted by the Sprockids Program Development Society and Pacific Sports Group. The top five riders in their respective category from the B.C. High School Championships are invited to attend the camp. Any remaining spots are filled by riders who's name are submitted by their coaches as individuals who are wildly enthusiastic about the sport and would benefit from the experience. Filling in the slots is never a problem. It would be wonderful if the camp could be expanded to accommodate the huge number of young riders that would love the opportunity to ride with the likes of Alison Sydor, Lesley Tomlinson, Trish Sinclair, Elladee Brown, Claire Hall-Patch, Andreas Hestler, Ryder Hesjedal, and others. The coaches and teachers also have the unique opportunity to receive coaching from Yuri Kashirin, and his team of international trainers!
This was the fifth year for the camp and it proved to be the best ever. The weather was cool and crisp and provided excellent riding conditions. On Friday night the riders boarded the B.C. Ferries for the trip from the mainland over to Vancouver Island. Once we were back on dry land we traveled up to Mill Bay and Brentwood College, our home base for the weekend. If you have ever spent time with a large group of teenagers, you know the energy and dynamics that occured. We were all sleeping in the school's auditorium and, needless to say, we did not get a lot of sleep that night. After a hearty breakfast we all headed to the trailhead, where the young riders were grouped according to their abilities and teamed up with one of the national team riders. From there the enthusiastic participants set off into the woods for what proved to be a truly monumental adventure. After 2 1/2 hours of adrenaline, cardio pumping bliss the various groups started to emerge from the woods. From the smiles of both the young riders and the pros, it was clear that what took place out on the trails was something that they will all remember for a long time!
Once back at Brentwood College, it was time to eat. And eat they did! Fifty five hungry teenagers can consume a lot of food. After the carbs had been taken care of it was off to the various clinics that were set up for the riders. There was a bike maintenance clinic run by several local mechanics, weight training by Lesley Tomlinson, and goal setting by Andreas Hestler. While this was going on the teachers and coaches attended their own clinic, run by assistant national coach Houshang Amiri. Everyone came away from these workshops with some very valuable information that they could use to improve and strengthen their own programs.
From there it was off to dinner, then we headed to the theater/lecture hall where Alison Sydor shared some of her training secrets, along with some unique stories about her career. After her presentation she was joined by Lesley Tomlinson, Andreas Hestler, Ryder Hesjedal, and Geoff Kabush for a very open and honest question and answer forum. The participants had the opportunity to ask the pros some very personal and insightful questions about their lives as world-class athletes. After the forum we all remained to watch a movie, then it was back to the auditorium for some much needed sleep.
We all woke up to another beautiful morning. After breakfast we packed up, boarded the bus and headed down to Victoria for another session of incredible riding. The scenario was a repeat of Saturday. Great trails, great riding, and some fantastic memories. After the ride it was off to the beautiful Commonwealth Pool for a swim and shower. From there it was off to the ferry terminal for the trip back to the mainland. It was hard to believe that the weekend was over and we were all heading back to our respective communities.
These camps are truly magical, with so much more going on then the obvious opportunity to ride with some of the best mountain bikers in the world. During the weekend the participants discovered some of their hidden talents and strengths that will not only make them better riders but help them challenge and conquer many of the situations they will face throughout their lives. Special friendships and relations were also established during the course of the weekend, many of which will last a life time. As for the pros, they leave with a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that they have made a positive difference in the lives of all the participants. For the sport of mountain biking, these camps develop the best ambassadors that we could ask for. There should definitely be more of these types of events for young people. Special Kudos should be given to Sprockids Directors Sam Scorda and Lesley Tomlinson for all their work in making this weekend such a success.