Sprockids in Israel

Sprockids has always been much more than just a mountain biking program. While engaging young people in a healthy life style Sprockids also focuses on providing youth with an opportunity to learn about them selves, while empowering them with the skills, values, and strategies to succeed in life. I had been invited to Israel to run a series of clinics for young riders and to conduct training sessions for new Sprockids Leaders. As the date for my departure approached the realization that this seeming surreal trip was about to happen became very clear. One early morning in March I had gone for my usual ride before school and was sitting on my “special rock” in the middle of Canada's west coast rain forest when I realized the next time I would be on a bike was across the world in Israel. As a teacher I am always asking my students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, and I was about to put my advice into practice.
After 15 hours of sitting on planes I touched down at the airport in Tel Aviv where my hosts Jack and Sheena Reardon met me. Jack is one of the main coordinators for Sprockids Israel, and was instrumental in arranging my visit. Once I was settled into my hotel we were off to their sailboat for some amazing Israeli wine, great food, and to review my itinerary. As we sat under the stars on their very cool Turkish built wooden sail boat I started to unwind from my travels and it became very apparent the next two weeks were going to be an adventure I wouldn't soon forget. I have been a teacher for close to 30 years, have run the Sprockids program since 1990, but I have to admit I was a little nervous and apprehensive about whether I would be able to connect with the young people here in Israel. I don't speak Hebrew and even though I would have a translator working with me I just didn't know if I could pull it off. The next day Jack and Sheena picked me up from my hotel around 10:00 AM and we headed to the Soleus Cycling Center to meet Daniel Ben Menachem. Daniel was the other main player instrumental in setting up my visit to Israel. On a side note it was Daniel and his son Lior who built the first single-track trail back in 1991. Later in my visit he would take me for a ride on this very trail. Daniel had just opened his new cycling center, the first of it's kind in Israel, and this was where the majority of our training sessions would take place. Around 3:00 PM Avinoam Yanai the leader of the Netanya Sprockids club arrive with 19 of their riders. This is one of 10 Sprockids clubs supported by the One to One, a British based charity organization represent by Hedi Wax in Israel. This particular group of riders were of Ethiopian descent and trace their lineage back to King Solomon, The story of how their parents had been smuggled out of Ethiopia, some twenty years earlier, and brought to Israel by way of ships, submarines, and airplanes is one worthy of a Hollywood epic movie. I have always believed in the magic of the bicycle and despite the language barrier it didn't take long to establish a connection with these young riders. I took the riders through a series of stations and a variety of games which resulted in not only improving their riding skills but bring a lot of smiles and laughter to all of us. When it comes to kids they just don't seem to worry about language, difference in cultures, or other barriers adults create. The session lasted around three hours and at the end you could feel the honest bond and respect between all of us, a direct result of riding together. After the young riders left the adults went inside for a Sprockids presentation / training session, which ended around 8:00 PM. Then it was off to explore some of the unique restaurants of Tel Aviv. This was the format for the rest of the week. Each day a different group of young riders would be involved in the riding clinic, while future Sprockids Leaders would observe and learn a variety of methods, techniques, and approaches on how to run a successful Sprockids Program. The skill level of each group varied dramatically and being able to adjust the clinic to meet their specific needs is a very important component of a successful Sprockids Leader. As a Leader we want to provide our young riders with a safe, fun, and enthusiastic environment where they have the opportunity to learn new riding skills and develop the positive attitude necessary to take their riding to the next level.
For successful teaching and learning to take place a Sprockids Leader must establish a connection with their students and a sense of affiliation between the two parties must take place. The next morning I found myself riding with 37 Grade 9 students. Most of them spoke a little English, and as the morning progressed they tried their best to teach me some Hebrew. I found out my name meant “Fish” in Hebrew, and this would serve me well in connecting and breaking the ice with groups throughout my visit. After a fantastic morning of riding we returned to the Soleus Cycling Center for another training session. This time my group of riders was some of Israel's top young XC racers sent by the Israeli Cycling Federation to check out what the Sprockids program was all about. It quickly became apparent these young riders knew their stuff so the challenge would be to elevate their technical riding skills. Utilizing the riding skill stations, which had been build from the designs found in the Sprockids Instructional Manual, the riders were presented with a series of situations requiring them to incorporate proper technique, if they wanted to successfully ride such challenges as plank rides, drop offs, skinnies, and teeter totters. After the sessions all these riders had met the challenge and it was obvious they had elevated their riding proficiency. Even these racers were proud of what they had accomplished. The next day they came by with their coach to say “Hi” and watch the next group of riders go through the course.
The next day's group represented the other end of the spectrum. They were young riders around 8 years old and had only been riding for less than a week. It was very apparent they were quite nervous about what lay ahead, but within 10 minutes they were all having fun as their skill level improved with every turn of their cranks. By the end of their session there were huge smiles on their faces as they successfully navigated their way around the course to the cheers and applause of the observing Sprockids Leaders. Even though not all of them were able to perform all the tasks perfectly they understood the concepts and mastery of the skills would occur over time.
Every day I found myself faced with new situations and challenges requiring me to adjust my teaching style, as well as my expectations and learning outcomes for the group. But that is the essence of Sprockids, the ability to adapt and adjust the program to the specific need of, not only the group, but also the individuals within the group. Sprockids is all-inclusive, “Nobody sits on the Bench!” For the final session we traveled to the town of Bet Shemesh to work with a group of young Jewish and Muslim riders with the SRBC Sprockids Club lead by Eitan Hevroni. We started with around 17 riders, but as the session progressed, and the word spread quickly throughout the neighborhood, and before long more young people appeared and joined our group. Numerous adults stopped by to watch these young people go through the circuit. It was an honor spends time with such a diversified group, and one could not help but be energized and inspired by their spirit. This was my last session in Israel and as we loaded up the cars and headed out of town everything came into perspective. I have always been passionate about Sprockids, and the bicycle's ability to engage and unite all demographics of young people. These young riders once again proved to me kids are kids no matter what language they speak, their religious beliefs, the political climate within which they live, their economic situation, and all other seemingly difficult barriers just seem to melt away once they are on a bicycle. Being able to guide them into the magical world of mountain biking has to be one of the greatest adrenaline adventures of my life. Every time I have the opportunity to work with young people I come away smiling, knowing I have opened up a whole new world to them. One they will continue to explore for the rest of their lives!

On July 5th two cyclists' worlds changed forever. They were struck from behind by a vehicle while out on a training ride. Fortunately, “The Fates” were on their side and they both survived. As of September 1, 2006 Sean Stanhope (age 16) is back on his bike, while Matt Cottrell (age 20) is going through an extensive recovery and rehab program. Both riders will be back racing in 2007. Matt has courageously written about his experience in a series of articles recounting his ordeal.

The Longest Ride of My Life

By Matt Cottrell

... Another day of training... The same routine as always... I got up, showered, ate my oatmeal for breakfast and got dressed to ride. I made a snack for the ride and headed back upstairs. It was 9:00 am. I was sitting on my bed half dressed. I picked up the phone and called Sean's house. His mom picked up. "I'll go wake him up," she said. Shortly after, Sean picked up the phone half asleep. I asked him if he wanted to go for a mountain bike ride. "Sorry, man. I can't. My bike is in the shop," was his reply. "How about a road ride instead?" I asked. He agreed. I told him he'd better show up this time because he was almost an hour late for our last ride. I'd leave my house in 40 minutes. Sean needed an hour so that he could eat and get ready. "All right," I said, "meet you half way in Davis Bay."

I finished getting dressed and headed back downstairs to see my uncle and aunt. They were heading to Vancouver for the day. I wanted to check when they'd be back. Then I looked over my training schedule with my uncle. I knew today was going to be long so I wanted to split it up. I had some interval work with leg speed drills to do. I started them here at home on my rollers to knock off some of the time I needed to make up to meet up with Sean. My total ride time that day had to be around 3.5 to 4 hours. My uncle and aunt headed for the ferry. Starting my ride with a good warm up, I got right into my intervals. Today was my first ride with my new Power Cranks. The cranks measured out how much power I put out in watts. It's a great training tool. As I finished up with leg speed work I heard my uncle and aunt pull back up in the driveway. They had missed the ferry. We had a quick chat before I headed out the door to go meet Sean. The rest of my ride was supposed to be a LSD ride (Long Steady Distance). Nice and easy.
I had 30 minutes to meet Sean. That was just enough time to get to Davis Bay from where I live in Gibsons. I rode the highway through Roberts Creek so that I wouldn't miss him by taking the side roads. It was sunny with a cool breeze. Wearing a jacket was a good call. I was passing the Canadian Tire store in Wilson Creek when I saw a biker in red coming over the bridge from Davis Bay. It was Sean. We greeted each other as always. "You made it?!" I cried. He laughed at me. We headed onwards through the back roads in Davis Bay. Pulling over for a nature break, Sean asked me if he could use my phone to call his girlfriend. I said, "Sure, no sweat." I gave him my phone. He dialed her number. I could hear him say, "Hey baby. I'll be an hour at the most." I burst out laughing. Sean was going to her house for a visit after our ride. He wrapped up the call and we continued our ride. We dropped back out onto the highway. Riding into Sechelt Sean suggested we ride out towards Porpoise Bay and add an extra 30 minutes to our ride. I agreed.

Sean and I have been on the same team for the past four years. Before that we were going on big rides with his dad and the Halfmoon Bay crew. We had become really good friends. Our summers were spent traveling all over B.C. racing our bikes. On our rides together we talk about our training, sweet places we like to ride and what's new in our lives. Actually, we both have girlfriends now and that's what we mostly talk about!

We stopped on the way back into Sechelt to switch MP3 players. He had a couple of new songs to share with me and I had some he hadn't heard before. The day was getting warmer. My pockets were full of food so I kept it on. I asked Sean if he was up to riding out to Redrooffs Road and back, another 25 kilometers or so. He was hesitant. He said there was construction just north of Sechelt and the traffic was slow. I needed to put in another 30 minutes before heading back to Gibsons so I asked him again. This time he said okay. We rode out of Sechelt with an easy pace. I was in front. We got to West Sechelt and there was the construction in the south lane. I didn't go hard. I was following my program and what my power meter read. I really liked my new cranks and the feedback I was getting from the meter to guide my training. We passed where some new condos are going in. It was where the Wakefield Pub used to be. Traffic was bad going towards Sechelt. I noticed a lot of cars with campers and boats. We had a couple more corners before we would reach our turn around point of Redrooffs Road. It was mostly downhill with a couple of little climbs. Finally it was almost flat and we had made the last corner. I could see the road ahead. It was a long straight stretch. Sean was right behind me... I didn't hear her coming...

This couldn't have happened to us...

I can remember this. Everything is soft. But I feel okay. I am back in Davis Bay. I am repeating the ride over in my head. But I am alone. I can't feel or hear anything. Everything is soft, mellow and painless. I am riding my bike in Porpoise Bay now. I don't now how I got here or what's going on. This is the worst dream. But it feels good. But I don't feel good. I am getting really scared. Everything is starting to speed up. Faster and faster... I am in Sechelt, then West Sechelt... I don't know what's going on!...

I woke up in the arms of a woman holding my head. She was saying, "It's okay, it's okay. The ambulance is on its way." I could see tears in her eyes. I started to cry. She was holding my head in her lap. I started to scream. I was so scared. I can't describe the pain I was in. I was lost, lost in the pain. I didn't know where I was. All I could do was scream. It hurt so much! I felt myself getting more scared with every breath I took. I could feel my leg smashed into what felt like a thousand little pieces. I couldn't move my head... my shoulder hurt so much. Another woman asked me for a phone number to call my family. She was standing over me to block the sun from my face. Two numbers came to my head but I didn't know in what order. They were my house number and my uncle's cell number. The lady holding my head was wiping the gravel off my face. Everything stung. I could feel my left hip and back burning from the road rash. I could feel everything. I couldn't scream anymore. And then everything got calm again...

I opened my eyes and realized I was holding the hand of a man named Dave. I could see firemen everywhere. I had Dave right with me. I could touch his face. I cried, "Please don't leave me. I'm so scared." Dave reassured me that he was not going anywhere, that he would stay right with me. He repeated it over and over. He told me to keep breathing. I couldn't help but scream out with the pain that I was in. I looked up and suddenly Sean's mom Jackie was there. All I could think about then was my mom. Jackie asked me for a phone number to get hold of my family. I told her to get my cell phone out of the pocket of my jersey. It had my mom and dad's cell numbers in it.

Dave kept asking me questions to keep me from going out again. He was right there with me. I told him how I love to bike. I told him that I would be racing in the Canadian Nationals in less than two weeks in Sun Peaks. I told him my birthday was coming up on Saturday. I was going to be 20. I told him my family and I would be going to Horseshoe Bay to the Boathouse Restaurant for my birthday dinner. I told Dave about the camping trip I went on with my girlfriend Julie and my buddies on the weekend. Then I turned and asked Dave how Sean was. He said he was going to be all right. Dave was right there with me. "Your Uncle Jeff is on his way," he said.

Paramedics were there now. They were going over everything to make sure I was okay to move. I was lying on my right side. I could feel I was in the gravel on the side of the road. I looked down at a beautiful ambulance attendant cutting my gear off. "Matthew, my name is Michelle. We need to get you and your leg stabilized." I followed what she and the firemen said. They wanted to flip me over onto my back. On Michelle's count the firemen rolled me onto my back... Pain!!!

I looked to see Sean about 60 feet down the road from me. In the ditch as well he was laying on his back. Dave told me that two helicopters were on the way to get Sean and me. They were going to take him first, because they needed more time with me. Jackie was back and forth between us. She got hold of my family. They would meet us in Vancouver. Uncle Jeff would be here any minute. My mom was on Vancouver Island with my sister so I didn't know if she would be able to come and see me.
I was moved onto another stretcher and then taken into an ambulance. Two helicopters landed on the highway. Dave was still with me. I didn't want him to go. I had an intravenous in my hand and was given morphine for the pain. Everything started to become hazy and I felt so tired. Dave said Uncle Jeff was there but I wasn't allowed to see him. The helicopter pilot said he wasn't allowed in but that he was going to meet me in Vancouver. I was moved to the helicopter and strapped in. Dave wasn't allowed in either. That was when I had to say goodbye to Dave. All I wanted was my Uncle Jeff. I didn't want to feel alone. But Dave reassured me. My family was going to be on the other side waiting for me.

The doors were shut and the engine started. My mind was all blurry and all I did was stare at the roof. I don't remember the helicopter ride over to the Vancouver General Hospital. It was a 15 minute ride but it felt like 30. I don't remember arriving and I don't remember getting x-rays when I got there. I do remember seeing my family show up. Everyone was there. Having them all with me eased my mind. I love my family so much. It was hard to see how upset they were. I hated seeing my mom cry. My family was back and forth seeing Sean and me. Sean's dad was on his way to the hospital too.

My x-rays showed I had a broken left tibia and fibula. As well, my left clavicle was broken. I was going to need surgery that night for my leg. It would be days before they tackled my shoulder.

After surgery I was able to see my family. They told me that everything had gone well and that with time everything would be okay. But to me it wasn't okay. I now have a titanium rod down my tibia with two screws holding it into place. The surgeons had to cut my leg open on either side to let the swelling release. I was told I had compartment syndrome. I had 52 staples holding my leg back together with a cast wrapped around my leg. I was happy to have my family.

This is the first installment of Matt's story. Check back here for the next chapter of, "The Longest Ride of My Life."

Youth Racing and Competition: Opening Doors to Personal Discovery

Being active and having fun should be a part of everyone's life. Unfortunately though, somewhere in the evolution of our modern society action, adventure and fun have moved out of the physical realm and into the fantasy world of a computer screen. The concept of “athlete” has also evolved. Once standing for any person involved in everyday sport, it now denotes something much more “elitist”. These are two significant factors when considering the deteriorating physical condition of today’s youth.

Sprockids is all about involving young people in the life long sport of mountain biking, while also teaching them the skills, values, and strategies to succeed in life. One of Sprockids main focuses is to redefine the role and definition of sports in our society. Mountain biking is all inclusive! “Nobody Sits on the Bench” in our sport. Sprockids appeals to a large segment of young people, including those youth who would never consider themselves “athletes”. It is not gender specific, nor does it require some special athletic ability. Everyone can begin at their own level and immediately experience personal success. This is critical if we hope to change the mindset of a generation, this is critical. We want today’s youth to embrace the attitude that being active, in all its forms, is something to be incorporated into one’s daily life. Success breeds success. If being active provides the individual with happiness, laughter, a strong sense of self esteem, camaraderie, adventure, and personal fulfilment, then it will become part of their everyday life. With this transformation, we will have succeeded!
Life is a series of competitions, some so small and seemingly insignificant we aren’t even aware of them as competitions. The Sprockids Program deals with competition in a very positive and fun manner. Learning from our mistakes and our successes is a subtle part of every lesson and ride. Riders are naturally aware of the differences in their riding expertise and the Sprockids philosophy encourages the participants to share their knowledge with everyone. Girls naturally seem to embrace this philosophy of the whole group succeeding over the individual, whereas it appears more difficult for the males. Males are much more reluctant to give up their position in the group’s riding hierarchy. Once they have discovered the keys to mastering a specific skill they really don’t like to share them. It takes awhile to get them to buy into this idea, but once they have, the skill level of the group skyrockets. This is where the camaraderie and group dynamics come into play. The concept of competition is still there, but the interaction between the members of the group happens on a very subtle level. The next logical, and necessary step for the development of some riders is competition. The introduction to competition should be a race where those that are ready to compete for the podium have the opportunity to test their skills against others of a similar mind set, while the other young riders who are not yet at this stage are included in the race. However, their success is measured and celebrated on a “personal best” scenario which could be as simple as completing the race. I always encourage each rider to focus on doing their best and being proud they are out there riding. It is all about being involved, having fun, enjoying and celebrating the moment, and striving to improve upon their last performance. Each individual strives to reach new heights and levels of achievement, no matter how small they may seem in comparison to others. Being publicly recognised for one’s achievements is something very special, but what is really important is that each individual understand that while others may not notice one’s achievements you notice yourself!
Competition can be an important component of a riders’ development. In the early 80’s, a trend in education steered students away from competition and into a homogenised arena where keeping score, competing against one’s peers was frowned upon. Participation was everything and though this aspect of the movement was extremely admirable, by eliminating competition, we denied young people, especially the boys, the opportunity to push themselves, and to discover their talents, their abilities, (both physical and mental,) their limitations, and how to deal with success and failure. These latter two areas being critically important “life lessons” every individual must learn in order to succeed in the real world. Competition is a very important component of human nature, and one of the primary reasons humans continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of life. Research has shown that competition is especially important to males. Boys thrive from the challenges of competition. It peaks their interest and gets their adrenaline flowing. This physiological jump start to their system has to occur before many of them will commit themselves to the task at hand, be it physical or mental. By removing the element of competition we are denying them the opportunity to fulfil their basic needs and the opportunity for success. Competition, when presented in a positive and fair manner is a very important arena for individuals to “step out of their comfort zone” and engage in challenging interaction between peers. What must be scrutinised is not competition per say, but rather the organisers who set the tone and create an atmosphere where all participants feel like winners. The participants must learn how to handle success and defeat in such a manner that allows the individual positive experiential growth. Recognising one’s strengths and weaknesses is extremely important, and only by experiencing first hand these situations can an individual learn how to cope with the psychological repercussions competition can present.
We all learn something from competition and we must continue to provide young people the opportunity to push themselves, both physically and mentally. Racing is a very important component of the mountain biking experience and one where the participant discovers their hidden strengths and talents. While competition may not be for everyone there will be a segment of young riders who will want to broaden their racing experience by becoming involved in organised racing. These races provide a higher level of competition, and one where the participants must take their racing seriously. There is no “faking it’ out there on the race course. The competition can be intense, but the rewards are that much sweeter. Competition, on all levels provides a microcosm of life, and one that should be experienced continuously though out ones life!

Sprockids Curriculum

Sprockids was designed by Doug Detwiller, an elementary teacher living on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. The Sprockids is a multi-tiered program which provides young people with the opportunity to experience success on a variety of levels. Today the Sprockids Program continues to be acknowledged internationally as the premier youth mountain biking program. The program is being used in over 17 countries by; teachers, law enforcement agencies, cycling clubs, community centres, boys and girls clubs, and parents. In Canada Sprockids has teamed up with the CCA, (Canadian Cycling Association) to develop a National Youth Cycling Program for Canada based on the Sprockids program.

Mountain biking may not supply all the answers to the health issues facing today’s youth, but Sprockids will engage a huge segment of the youth population who are not getting off the couch and discovering the fun and benefits being active provides. Another unique aspect of the program is the positive interaction between parents and their children. Rather than being delegated to the role of a spectator, merely driving their children to their activities, parents are able to actively participate with their children. Mountain biking allows the adults to share in their child’s experiences, while rediscovering the playful youth inside themselves. Cycling is one of the few sports were this can happen.

Getting Girls on Bikes

(Photos are of female riders from the Sprockids “Coastriders” program.)

How to get more girls into the sport is a question that is constantly being raised. Having taught PE and coached teams for over 25 years I have found some strategies that definitely help encourage more girls to come out and give biking a try. The first, and definitely most important step, is to find a female teacher/leader or rider to come out and lead the group. The girls need to identify with another female, one they can relate to and feel comfortable discussing any problem, question, or situation. I have been very fortunate to work with some great female riders that were able to motivate even the most timid and self conscious girls to come out on a ride with the group. This female ride leader does not have to be an expert rider, just a person with lots of positive energy!

I always feel very privileged to be included in the “Girls Only Club” and have definitely learned a lot about having fun from the girls. Even if I am called upon to demonstrate a skill, teach some mechanics, or repair a bike, I do my job, and then fade back into the background. This session is about girls and they need to feel that this is their world, “For Females Only.” This is the second most important element about getting girls involved.

Peer pressure at this age is extremely powerful, as is the interplay between boys and girls. If you mix the boys and girls together before the girls feel they are ready to ride with a mixed group you risk not seeing the majority of them coming out for a second ride. The dynamics within the two groups are very different, and at this point it is not beneficial to your program to combine the two. Boys tend to be very competitive towards each other and tend not to share their riding knowledge because it might jeopardize their position in the riding hierarchy. This is not always the case, but you will quickly know who your sharing males are.

On the other hand girls tend to be much more positive and supportive towards each other. They will share their secrets with each other and are much more receptive to suggestions and instructions from their peers. Rather than being focused on themselves they tend to draw energy and pleasure from the success of the group. Use this energy and go with it. If you keep the atmosphere light and fun the number of girls that join your group will grow. It is amazing how quickly their skill level elevates and how excited they become when they realize how they are able to ride terrain that only a few weeks prior they would never have even attempted.

Here is a check list of strategies to help encourage girls to become involved in your program:

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