My latest whinge...

Zebee Johnstone wrote:
snip
I suppose a big name athlete might get people curious enough to try
that sport, but I don't think the effect is huge. I know that after
having watched a top class freestyle cyclist I'd have trouble even
thinking about bunny hopping a curb, never mind jumping on and off
walls....

Well I suppose it'd be more challenging on the 'bent...

Tam

Bleve wrote:

snip We have a J-cycle program designed to do this with kids, but much
less
so with adults.
I decided to do it on my own with my coaching stuff (I'm not touting
for business!) to provide support and coaching for grass-roots riders,
as you point out, senior coaches and the clubs etc pay little attention
to non junior, non elite riders. It's their loss, working with D grade
riders and seeing them improve is immensely satisfying, and a healthy D
grade bunch is great for the sport across the board. Maybe the next
Phil Anderson or Robbie McEwen will come out of it, probably not, but
they're racing, training, being involved and getting fit, which beats
posing at cafe ****** any day!

Damn straight, and a big thumbs up to you for it as well. My boxing
coach was just like that - everyone was important regardless of their
talent, provided they wanted to be there - and everyone who went wanted
to come back, because the encouraging atmosphere, where everyone was
important, was great!

Peter McCallum wrote:
Last year Mackay Hockey Assn organised an "adult beginners" course. We
ended up with far more participants than we expected, some have started
playing, others have taken up coaching. It's great for the sport but
mostly I'm happy that a few more people are comfortable with their
ability to be active on the weekend.

This is the sort of thing that all sporting associations should be
doing, IMO.

Bingo.

Tam.

Terry Collins wrote:

Tamyka Bell wrote:

Given that obesity levels in Australia are pretty appalling, and getting
worse, does anyone else think that, instead of the govt spending money
so much money on elite athletes, we should probably focus on encouraging
EVERYONE to play sport?

Well, not sport, but certainly more recreational[1] activities.
but that isn't a popular attitude. I do not support kids engaging in
competitive sport outside their local area as i think until they are
adults, it should be about fun, then they can decide if they want to
compete heavily.
snip

Well, see here's the thing - when did "sport" become something that had
to be highly competitive? When kids are really little, they struggle
with remembering rules, etc... play develops from something that is
highly disorganised to something that has rules, that becomes a sport...
But why don't they just appreciate having a good game? Why is everything
about winning and losing?

Big thumbs up to the fact that the sport of cycling gives participants
different grades in which to race, so that you can do it at a level
which is challenging, without being depressing. And a big thumbs up to
all the fun runners out there who don't give a damn that they took twice
as long as the winner! --- If there are so many adults out there that
understand that winning isn't everything, why are kids struggling with
this image?

[1] loaded definition folks {:-)

Terry Collins wrote:
snip
Actually, 24hr races are not encouraging people to get off their butt.
they all seem headed for elite idiots who make great TV. If these sort
of events want to encourage "active involvement" they need to cater more
for the fun rider, e.g no single track, multiple bridges, different
grades, etc.

Dude, have you ever been to a 24hr race? Here's some tips:

1. I am not an elite rider. Never have been, never will be. Especially
not on the bloody MTB.
2. It's an extremely encouraging atmosphere, far more than the
supposedly supportive triathlons etc.
3. In most cases, you can do it as a team or a soloist - I think
Australia only has one solo-only 24hr race.
4. Everyone admires the 24hr riders just because they had the
guts/bravado/insanity to believe they might be capable of doing it,
regardless of hour it works out.
5. They're not all that technical, most courses have beelines around
technical sections so really good riders get something more fun, and the
rest of us don't have to fall off.
6. They provide sections that are steep, sections that are easy, and
acknowledge that different riders will find different things hard. There
will be tight winding sections and open harsh hills and loose descents.
Riders are free to get off and walk.
7. There are not different grades but there are different categories. If
you're not fit or competent enough to do 24hrs of single track, pick a
partner (I've nabbed Gags for the next one!)
8. It'd hardly be a 24hr MTB race if there was no single track. It'd be
a 24hr deadly-treddly race.

Tam

Bleve wrote:

snip
The way I look at it is that a bike race is not a zero sum game (or in
the case of bike racing, less than zero sum!). You "win" in a race
when you achieve what you set out to achieve, and that's not
necessarily first over the line. How you set your goals is a key.

Ah, how many times did I try to explain that to hippy...

Tam

TimC wrote:
snip the rant

And what if the "sport for everyone" program had a cycle awareness
program, an active transport (walking/cycling) program, etc?

veering steadily OTHey do you reckon a kayak counts as active
transport? I could kayak to uni every day...

Tam

Bleve wrote:
snip
Compulsory school sport is not "the" answer, but it's got to be part of
an overall strategy. Our school had wednesday afternoon "elective
sport" where we could do all manner of things - some of the kids played
golf (and aparently that's a sport?!), some football, soccer, table
tennis, 10 pin bowling, windsurfing, kayaking, rowing, running ..
*anything* as long as it was vaguely physical. That's not realistic
for onehorse country schools, but I'm sure a lot of other things
-could- be done in that context. The aim being to show kids what's
available, and let them try (and learn) as many as possible.
snip
We had that, each term or semester we could pick a new sport. I never
picked a competitive sport again. I tried martial arts and then moved to
and stuck with aerobics at a local gym. We had to walk half an hour to
get there as well.

Tam

Vincent Patrick wrote:

Tamyka Bell wrote:

Exactly - students are expected to pay back HECS debts, and even
students on PhD scholarships will as postdocs contribute tax (in a
higher bracket than from their undergrad degree) - oh except that with
no incentive to keep scientists in Australia, most head overseas...

PhDs in a higher tax bracket? You obviously don't mean the PhD scientist I
employed who previously had a job stacking comics. :-(

Well, at least he had a job. His basic science degree would've got him
the dole.

Tam

Plodder wrote:

snip
Interesting thread.

I know, I wasn't expecting it to take off so fast!

I don't see a lot about the simple pleasure of plodding along.

Ah, but you'll find plenty in my blog, about ultra running :-)

snip

So, how about some stories about plodding, chatting and smelling the roses?
Not just here, but in contact with other people? Instead of boasting about
how you can ride quicker than a car for in peak-hour traffic, how about
chatting about how it's a good feeling to get some air and turn the pedals?
Who, apart from other efficiency-obsessed people, gives a toss if you shaved
12 seconds off your commute? The key to converting people to riding is to
relieve the pressure to perform and emphasise the fun aspect.

By all means, bang on about speed and efficiency but save it for a race
context, not for converting non-cyclists or non-competitive cyclists. That's
your fun, but it simply makes many others feel they shouldn't bother.

snip

Excellent points. Remember how fun it was when you were a kid to just
jump on your bike and ride for no reason. I had nowhere to go and
nothing to do and I just went. I'd ride over bumps because they were
bumpy. I'd ride down hills because they were scary. Oh wait - that
sounds like my MTBing now!

I trained with a women's circus for a bit over a year. Warmup consists
of playing a game. A stupid game, like the dead cockroach one (get
tagged, lie on the floor with legs in the air, someone carries you to
the safe place for your next life), or something like friends and
enemies (run around, keeping your friend between you and your enemy,
without them knowing who they are to you). We run around like idiots for
10 minutes and end up giggling like kids because we've been playing a
stupid game and there's no purpose to it other than to move our bodies,
and it's fun! And then some of the women said they came back because of
the games.

Perhaps fun is the key.

Tam

Tamyka Bell wrote:

Bleve wrote:
snip

Compulsory school sport is not "the" answer, but it's got to be part of
an overall strategy. Our school had wednesday afternoon "elective
sport" where we could do all manner of things - some of the kids played
golf (and aparently that's a sport?!), some football, soccer, table
tennis, 10 pin bowling, windsurfing, kayaking, rowing, running ..
*anything* as long as it was vaguely physical. That's not realistic
for onehorse country schools, but I'm sure a lot of other things
-could- be done in that context. The aim being to show kids what's
available, and let them try (and learn) as many as possible.

snip
We had that, each term or semester we could pick a new sport. I never
picked a competitive sport again. I tried martial arts and then moved to
and stuck with aerobics at a local gym. We had to walk half an hour to
get there as well.

Tam

Not picking on you Tam but at least a few people would consider martial
arts as the ultimate competetive sport.

Dave