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Championships HP Year Ahead

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Feature:

BMXWA  

 

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91SAM WILLOUGHBY

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March   is   upon   us   already   and   the  BMX   season   around  most   parts   of  the  country  has  kicked  off.    February   played   host   to   National  Sign   on   Day   and   what   a   success  that   has   turned   out   to   be.   Lots   of  people  making  their  way  down  to  a  BMX  track  to  experience  the  sport.  If   you’re   a   new   member,   then  welcome,   you   won’t   be  disappointed.    There  are  some  great  stories  to  be  told   in  BMX  and   this  month   is   yet  another  example.  Enjoy!!        

March  2014  

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You  can  be  a  part  of  THE DIRT  too!!  If  you  have  news,  event  reports,  photos  or  anything  else  BMX  related,  send  them  to  the  Editor  at  news@bmxaustralia.com.au    Cover:  Max  Cairns  jumping  the  step  up  at  Westside  BMX  track  at  the  recent  National  Series  rounds.    Photo  by:  Andrew  Farrell  

 

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In this Issue

Feature Story: BMXWA

Jingili BMX track

Subaru Partners Nationals

HP Year Ahead

National Series Update

HoleShot Heroics

NSOD in Pictures

Starting 8

Photo Gallery

HP Corner

 

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FEATURE:

BMX WA

   

 

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On the back of the recent National Series round held at the Westside BMX Club in Western Australia, The Dirt spoke with BMXWA’s President Matt Butterworth to find out how BMX is going over on the West coast of Australia. Such is the expanse of Australia it’s hard to believe that New Zealand is closer to Australia’s east coast than one of our states. Notwithstanding the immense distance from east to west, BMXWA is in the top 3 of membership with just 1% separating them from New South Wales who sit behind Queensland. The distance both within the state itself but also to the other states is more of a perceived issue rather posing any real issues and one, which Matt explained, was overcome by effective communication. “It’s simpler than what is probably perceived actually,” said Matt when the question was put to him. “Our CEO Tania (Wehr) is amazing with her skill set in terms of running the show. “We as a board are very much an operational board, we are very very hands on in terms of understanding and having a finger on the pulse as far as the clubs are concerned.” Matt pointed out that the Board of BMXWA are keen to drive development sessions within the state where he and fellow Board members delivered courses when the visited the far north of the state last year.

 

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“With our North West clubs they are the farthest in terms of distance. We want to ensure we are keeping them abreast of all the information and making sure they are not missing out on any key information. “Last year we sent 3 board members including myself up to the final North West Championship which they coordinate between themselves and us. There were club and official development sessions over the weekend. “That was really well received and well attended and I think it’s just making sure from a state body we are touching all the clubs in terms of that communication and making sure that they are not out there left to fend for themselves.” The development within Western Australia is coming from both an athlete perspective as well as a facility. One of the biggest development initiatives has been to actively grow the newest membership category – BMX Mini Wheelers. “We’ve had a philosophy in the past 2 years of the grass roots level and this is really been borne out of the introduction of the Mini Wheelers,” Butterworth said. “We have the most registered Mini Wheelers in Australia but this also transitions into sprockets a lot quicker than we thought. A lot of the BMX Mini-Wheelers within around 2 months are going into sprockets.” BMX Mini Wheelers is an introductory level where riders develop balance, gross motor skills and independence to begin riding a bike. Riders develop skills that allows their progression further in the sport to become seamless as they progress on to the more traditional BMX bike at 5 years of age.

As a new entry point into the sport for riders too young or not competent in progressing to Sprockets, the program is ideal for younger siblings of existing riders. “There have been 3 clubs that have really been driving the Mini-Wheelers from its inception and I think that has gained a lot of traction from other clubs as well. “We’ve been early adopters and that’s gained a lot of traction with the families that have the children in those particular age groups and wanting to have participation across all levels. The development of the BMX Mini Wheelers is having a positive flow on for not only the clubs but for the state too with increased participation across state events. “We are now seeing a big influx of Sprockets in our State Series where we would have any where up to around 50 sprockets at any one time.” Part of the development of the BMX Mini Wheelers has been to integrate them into the club race night so they become their own class and have their own track time dedicated to them rather than just be held away from the “spotlight”. “At every club night there would be a designated time where they would run the mini-wheelers. It is usually the last straight where they would do it, every other part of the track is closed so it is just for them so they have coaches or the designated club

 

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coordinators for them there.” As has been mentioned the State Series has been one of the biggest winners from the increased numbers of Sprockets coming from the mini wheelers program. Not only are Sprocket numbers on the rise, but also overall participation within the series is up 20% already this year. The State Series has been running now for nearly 15 years in WA. It is a series that has anywhere between 8 and 10 rounds across the state, taking in both metro and country areas. Riders are scored points for each moto they compete in and points are awarded for their overall finish. Depending on the

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amount of rounds held over the course of a year they are able to drop 1 or 2 of those rounds and take their best scores overall. “We hold novice and expert categories within age groups so novices can ride the whole series and get a state series award. We have an end of series awards event usually in December where we would consistently get over 500 people turning up to; it’s a complete family event.”

Volunteers at events like these can be difficult to attract, however BMX WA has found a novel solution to the problem where the riders need to garner the support of their parent or guarding to assist in the running of the day.

 

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“We’ve got a system in place we allocate tasks for each moto,” Matt explained. “They are positions that need to be filled before racing can commence. “An individual rider has to have a person or themselves volunteer for at least 2 rounds for them to actually qualify for the end of series award. There’s an incentive there not only on the parents to ensure their child is going to receive an award if they do qualify, but also for the rider themselves to ensure they are engaging their parents or guardians to help out at the track.” The system isn’t as daunting as it may sound though. Generally there are around 15 positions that need filling per moto and the requirement for the volunteer is to assist with 1 moto that takes around 1 hour to complete. The volunteer only needs to forgo 1 hour of their time at the event which in turn ensures the smooth operation of the days racing and enables riders to qualify for series awards.

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“We found it to be an easy way to get our volunteers particularly on super series. It had a little bit of resistance at the beginning but this has been our 3rd year its been running and now everyone expects that they have to perform. “We’ve had no dramas filling those positions before racing has started.” The state series has also played its part in developing riders for the much larger and tougher competition. Each year a National Series round is held in Western Australia which in recent years has been held at either Bunbury or Westside. The importance of these rounds in Western Australia have several benefits for riders Butterworth said. “To be honest it is a pretty big jump in the standard of racing compared to our state series. “It’s our goal to have one of those rounds every year. They provide such a level of racing experience to our riders

 

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which would otherwise not be able to do so because of the travel factor.” In some cases, Butterworth said it might be the only opportunity for riders to compete at the higher level if they cannot afford the costs of travel to the other National Series rounds or the National Championships. “Because you’ve got riders coming from interstate who may be of a higher caliber and are chasing the National Series, the experience of our riders competing against them makes our riders better too. So its all about the experience and linked in with our track facilities, prepares them a lot better for the National Championship competition.” Western Australia boasts a number of tracks with 5 metre start hills, a requirement now for clubs wishing to hold a National Series round. It’s those facilities that Butterworth believes is also driving the achievement of WA athletes. “I think the clubs themselves have been very proactive in getting the best facilities and that is something in their own strategies for their increased participation,” he said. “It gives the opportunity to riders to give them that experience and transition them to be comfortable in the setting when it comes to Nationals. “They aren’t as daunted or intimidated by the size of tracks, the size of the jumps, the size of the ramps or the speed generated off the ramp. They are comfortable with them from the outset so they have the ability to perform at a lot better. The ability of the riders to evolve with the development of the tracks is yet another reason Butterworth points to his states success at delivering elite riders. Looking at the riders who have represented Australia at the last two Olympics, 4 out of the 10 riders are from WA – Tanya Bailey, Nicole Callisto, Lauren Reynolds and Khalen Young. The longevity of the athletes is an underlying factor too. Butterworth said that those particular riders had been involved with BMX from such a young age giving them tremendous experience. “They’ve been in the sport for longer than 10 years starting from sprockets. Its comes back to that they’ve been in the sport for such a long time to use that experience in terms of their racing over that period.” “We are really proud of all of our athletes particularly Lauren, Tanya, Nic and Khalen. We’ve got a really large scope of experience to draw upon not only for us as a state body but for our riders too. Looking forward to future projects, BMXWA have utilised a number of programs on offer from the Department of Sport and Recreation. One of the programs, KidSport enables Western Australian children to participate in community sport and recreation, no matter their financial circumstances. Eligible youth aged 5–18 years can apply for financial assistance to contribute towards club fees. “We found that out the 18 clubs there are probably 15 who have one or two participants in that KidSport program, so that has been quite a beneficial initiative.

 

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Another program that BMXWA are participating in is with working with Indigenous communities “That’s in its infancy at the moment, it’s only been since the start of the year since we’ve been trying to gain some traction with that one. It’s more linked with our North West clubs notwithstanding some of the others clubs who may have the communities linked to them.” BMX in Western Australia is certainly thriving across a number of levels. From grass-roots to the top of the sport, coaching and officials development and improvements to tracks, the west of this great expanse that is Australia is showing they too can match it with the east coast. There’s no doubt that the upcoming 2014 Subaru BMX National Championships will showcase the best Western Australia’s riders who have had the benefit and experience of what the state has been developing for them. The Dirt would like to thank BMXWA President Matt Butterworth for his time, Tania Wehr (BMXWA CEO) and Andrew Petricevich for sourcing and supplying the images.

 

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Rain. We need it, love it & hate it. Depends really on when, where & how much. In BMX it is generally not good. All the clubs in the north of Australia need to deal with huge amounts of rain that can dissolve tracks to sludge in between the straights. Back in the late 2000’s Frank Mitchell, Alan Tunney & Lisa Coon pondered on how mother nature might be defeated and ways to build a facility that would allow NT riders to race & practice in the lead up to the national championships. What followed was a sequence of events & planetary alignments that would see the first permanently covered BMX track in Australia become a reality. Designs and budget figures were organised. Discussions were held with the then federal member for the seat of Soloman Damien Hale. Damien was excited about the growth of BMX and set off looking for ways to help. During the 2010 federal election campaign Anthony Albanese made an announcement at the Jingili track that the Labor party would commit $1.5 million towards building an all weather BMX facility that could host national level events. Natasha Griggs of the Liberal party matched the commitment. How good was this? When the votes were counted it was Natasha Griggs who won the seat of Soloman and figuratively jumped on the bike and continued to race it through the hallways of parliament. It was late in 2010 when NTBMXA received a letter from Federal Labor Party member Simon Crean confirming the election commitment. A meeting was set up with representatives of the Community Infrastructure Grant program & the NT Government. The details of the grant application process were discussed. NTBMXA knew that there was going to be a mountain of work to do and this meeting verified it. It was made clear that the money was not in the bag until we submitted an application that met all the

 

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requirements. We were in staging thinking about this rare opportunity. The decision was made to get on the gate & race hard all the way to the line. NTBMXA approached a number of building companies with their plans. In some cases it was not easy to convince them that BMX could secure the funding and complete a project of this size. At this point the grant application had not been signed off because there were still requirements we needed to meet. A meeting was held with Ahrens Area Manager David Lester. This company was more than capable of completing this kind of project. Managing Director Stefan Ahrens and the board were excited about being involved with the BMX community & being part of the sporting hub at Mararra. Ahrens efficiently went about the task of drawing detailed plans for the grant submission. They also gave every assistance they could to help us get the grant application to sign off stage. By mid 2012 the value of the Australian dollar was falling and the cost of steel was rising. This was putting big pressure on our budget. We needed to find more money. NTBMXA set out to find the extra funds. Fortunately this was another one of those planetary alignment moments. In late 2012 the NT was having an election. Aussie BMXers were front and centre at the Olympics. We had positive discussions with Terry Mills and he was very interested. He said that if he became the NT Chief Minister the NT Government would inject $300,000 into this project & a similar amount for Satellite City BMX Club upgrades. Terry won the top job and wasted no time in keeping his word. The federal grant application was successful and signed in June 2013.

 

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With a 3 to 4 month lead time for the steel we were looking at the prospect of building the structure through the wet season. Not ideal, but with a grant acquittal due in June 2014 it needed to be done. In October 2013 we crested the point of no turning back. The Jingili track was demolished to make way for the construction equipment. Construction went well up until

January 2014. Rain came in a big way. Even though the block had been shaped for drainage & gravel hard stands had been built to try & continue construction there was just too much water. February was a little more favorable & the steel was erected. In March the start hill was built. The roofing iron went on & the lights started going in. Going on in the background was the puzzle of what the track should look like. Brett Barnes at Dirtz had drawn up many versions & variations (He has soooo much patience). The mission was to design a track that is not only iconic but will be challenging & enjoyable for all riders in a 38 metre by 105 metre footprint. Consideration of the ideal corner radius was high on the priority list given the indoor sized area we have to work in. Track construction is due to start in late April with a target of being able to host events by late May. Final details will be completed throughout the season. A project this size is not possible without the help and support of many businesses & people. NTBMXA & Jingili BMX Club would like to thank all those that have been involved. The Federal Government, NT Government & the Department of Sport, Recreation & Racing have been fantastic. Hard working politicians Damien Hale, Natasha Griggs, Terry Mills, Adam Giles, Matt Conlan, Nigel Scullion & Luke Gosling have all played important roles. Ahrens have been a pleasure to work with & thoroughly professional. Other businesses to come on board so far are Coates Hire, NT Automotive Group Kerry’s Holden, Southern Cross Austereo.

 

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BMX Australia’s President Mr Barry Knight is pleased to announce today leading car brand Subaru, as the naming rights partner of the 2014 BMX National Championships that will be held in Shepparton, Victoria from Tuesday April 29 to Sunday May 4, 2014.

The 2014 Subaru BMX National Championships has attracted in excess of 3,000 entries plus their families and will boost the local economy of Shepparton by an estimated $8.5 million as riders from around Australia compete across the weeklong event.

Mr Knight said the partnership with Subaru for the National Championships has given BMX an extra boost as participation in the sport, particularly around the National Championships continues to climb.

“Our sport is very appealing to sponsors,” Mr Knight said. “BMX is not only exciting to watch but is also exciting to be involved in, with participation from as young as 2 years old through to parents who are riding with their children.

“I welcome Subaru’s naming rights partnership with BMX Australia’s National Championships in what has become the third year of such a partnership. Each and every year has seen the Subaru BMX National Championships grow to greater heights and this year’s event is on track to surpass all others.”

General Manager – Marketing for Subaru Australia Andrew Caie said he was thrilled to extend the partnership with BMX Australia.

“The Subaru BMX National Championships have become such a great event attracting large numbers of riders and spectators from around Australia. Our partnership sees Subaru providing the means for riders to realise their goals in becoming a champion and is something we are proud to assist with.”

BMX Australia announces new exciting broadcast deal

The 2014 Subaru BMX National Championships will become the first National Championships to be streamed online through digital partner Epicentre TV. Three full days of racing capturing some of the most intense BMX action will be broadcast free via the Epicentre TV website and simulcast on the BMX Australia website and smartphone app.

The live broadcast will be fully post produced with interviews from Australia’s leading BMX athletes for distribution across the Foxsports network after the Subaru BMX National Championships have concluded.

“We’ve trialed live streaming in a very basic format for the National Series this year,” Mr

 

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Knight said. “However, the live streaming broadcast from the Subaru BMX National Championships will be something that has never been achieved before at any cycling event in Australia.

“There will be three days of live coverage from beginning to end featuring all classes of riding from the Sprockets through to the Elite finals and includes the Oceania Championships. Multiple cameras will capture all angles of the track as the championships are broadcast globally giving friends and family who are unable to make it to Shepparton the ability to watch it anywhere.

“This is major step forward and can only be achieved with the valuable support of all our event partners,” said Mr Knight.

Event Schedule Broadcast Schedule

Tuesday

29 April 11.00am – 5.00pm: Open Practice

Wednesday

30 April

7.00am – 10.55am: Practice

11.00am – 12.00pm: Sprocket Coaching Clinic

12.00pm – 12.30pm: BMX Mini Wheelers

1.00pm – 5.00pm: Pre-Titles Racing

Thursday 1 May

8.45am – 11.00am: Sprocket & BMX Mini Wheeler Participation

11.10am – 12.30pm: Sprocket & BMX Mini Wheeler Presentations

4.20pm – 5.00pm: Opening Ceremony

5.20pm – 9.30pm: Racing – Crackerjack, Dynamite, National Series & Oceania Championships

LIVE STREAMING

11am – 9.30pm

Friday 2 May 9.10am: Racing (Block 1)

After Block 1: Racing (Block 2)

LIVE STREAMING

9am – 4pm

Saturday 3 May 10.00am – 4.00pm: Racing LIVE STREAMING

10am – 4pm

Sunday 4 May 10.10am: Cruiser Racing

Live streaming via www.epicentre.tv www.bmxaustralia.com.au & the BMX Australia App available in the iTunes Store and Google Play.  

 

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HP Year Ahead

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At last month’s National Series round in Western Australia, The Dirt spoke to BMX Australia’s National Coach Wade Bootes about what the High Performance Program has been involved in and what is coming up. It’s shaping up to be a busy year for riders in the High Performance Program (HPP) and for those looking to break into the team with regular camps being held at the Australian Institute of Sport BMX facility on the Gold Coast and track sessions at the Brisbane SX track. With events spread between Australia, Europe and the America’s, traveling and managing the athletes ability to cope with the changes is going to be paramount as BMX Australia strives for international success in 2014. “The last few months we've had a few camps with some of the junior riders and some of the Elite riders,” Bootes said. “We're doing once a month get togethers, last week we had a great showing at the Brisbane SX track.” The sessions at the Sleeman facility are geared towards several outcomes to assess the ability of riders, testing riders against international standards and individual performance gains. “We’re just seeing who is capable of getting round the big track, getting over the big jumps and just trying to analyse riders between the start and finish line.

 

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“We can see where we sit as a nation and which riders are going to give us the greater chance to get us a result internationally.” Training in the HPP has geared itself to specific areas which have become critical to the performance of athletes within the sport said Bootes. “We are just really trying to hone down what is critical in the sport at the moment. Definitely getting to the bottom of the start hill first, landing the first jumps. “Also just have good track flow so working on 2 straight efforts and having that conditioning to back up each race 30 minutes apart which is what the World Cup circuit is about. “Thinking about those critical things, how we can improve the individual needs and then try to set things up so we can get the best out of all the riders that we are working with.” Asked whether the approach is to apply the same goals across the group of athletes or to target areas of the riders Bootes said it was a about implementing strategies that dealt with the individual needs of the athletes while increasing the overall talent collectively. “There has definitely been a collective improvement from everybody with different strategies of changing things up. I think the guys really understand that, they don't see it in the daily training environment because they are challenging each other all the time but when they come to a completion they can see what they are doing is working.” Shortly the BMX Australia High Performance team will start crisscrossing the globe in pursuit of the World Cups and World Championships. “The first one on our international stage

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is the England super cross event then we fly back straight to Australia and then fly straight back to Holland, so that's the roughest part of the year,” Wade said. “We are going to base some of the riders in Europe for at least 6 weeks to minimise their travel and get more international racing experience, other riders will have their professional contracts to fulfil which they'll go back to America and race the circuit there.” Travel will take them to England, back to Australia and then Holland, Berlin, back to Holland for the World Championships, onto Argentina and over to the USA as the season ends. With such an exhaustive season ahead, priorities will change as the year progresses. Later this year Olympic qualifying starts again for the 2016 Rio games where Australia hopes to again fulfill its maximum roster of riders like it has for the previous 2 games. “The Australian Sports Commission's "Winning Edge" program is based on World Championships; the World Cups are basically your developing racers to get into the worlds. “We have to qualify the country so we have to have strategic plans within the year to do that and then obviously the Olympic selection for the country starts in Berlin in June so just priming things up to be in a good position from there on. “Realistically it becomes a 2 years battle against all the other countries.”    

 

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Rounds 3 & 4 of the BMX Australia National Series wrapped up in Western Australia with the same riders from the first day of racing backing up for the wins on the second. The remarkable achievement was a first in this year’s series where there have now been 3 winners in the Elite Men’s class and 2 winners in each of the other classes. Racing was held over 3 motos for the Elite Women with Buchanan winning all 3. “I wanted to be more consistent today and not drop that first lap like I did yesterday,” Buchanan said after racing. “During the third round it got a little bit tight between Melinda McLeod and I coming down the first straight; just managed to get the edge and she didn’t jump the big step coming into the first turn and I managed to come out in first.” It was the same scenario for Bodi Turner where he stayed clear of trouble by staying ahead of the pack. “It was a good day again today, I had a lot of confidence coming into it from yesterday and just trusted myself,” Turner said after the win. “I’ve been working really hard on getting out of the gate first and down the straight. Today in the final I had one of the best gates I’ve ever had and from the first jump I knew I had the lead and just held onto it to the line.”

 

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Speaking on the differences from last year Turner described it as being one where he gained a lot more confidence. “2013 was a year of big experience, I got pushed around a bit but now coming into this year I’m pushing bars with some of the big boys. I don’t see them as guys I look up to, I see them as my competition and I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to beat them. “I’m trying to get consistent results and prove myself so I can get onto the world stage,” Turner said. In the Junior Elite classes Max Cairns comfortably took the win on the track but the hot conditions didn’t suit him as he struggled in between the later races with keeping food down as he altered his diet to back up from yesterdays race. Cairns was never beaten all weekend winning every moto, semi-final and final across the 2 days of racing. “Being out at the front is something I aim for, you don’t get into any collisions. Out the front it’s just you and you can only blame yourself if something goes wrong, “ Cairns said. Harriet Burbidge-Smith on the other hand “walked the tightrope” as she entered the first corner in the Junior Elite Women’s final. “It wasn’t the ideal gate start and first straight but I knew all I had to do was stick to my lines,” Harriet said. “That’s the thing with BMX, sometimes those crazy lines payoff and there was no way I was going to back down.” The wins by Harriet, Max, Caroline and Bodi have all put them to the top of the leaderboard of the National Series with just one round left. The final round of the competition takes on extra meaning as it becomes the Oceania Championship. The Round 5 event will be held on Thursday May 1 in Shepparton during the 2014 Subaru BMX Australia National Championships.

 

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The  DK  Bicycles/LKI  Clothing  Hole  Shot  Award  was  introduced  at  the  opening  rounds  of  the  BMX  Australia  National  Series  held  in  January  at  Nerang.      The  Hole  Shot  Award  is  awarded  in  the  Finals  of  the  Elite  Men  and  the  Elite  Women.  In  the  case  where  the  Elite  Women’s  class  does  not  run  a  final  (i.e.  3  motos  for  points  overall),  the  Hole  Shot  will  be  awarded  in  the  Junior  Elite  Men  –  as  has  been  the  case  in  Rounds  1,  3  and  4.    During  the  National  Series  rounds  held  at  Westside  BMX  a  rare  double  was  pulled  off  when  both  Max  Cairns  and  Bodi  Turner  claimed  the  prize  both  days.  They  both  went  on  to  win  the  final  on  both  days  as  has  been  the  case  of  who  ever  has  won  the  Hole  Shot.  

Round  3  Junior  Elite  Men:  Max  Cairns  (VIC)  Elite  Men:  Bodi  Turner  (VIC)  

 Round  4  

Junior  Elite  Men:  Max  Cairns  (VIC)  Elite  Men:  Bodi  Turner  (VIC)  

 

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2014  Hole  Shot  Award  Winners  Leaderboard    

Junior  Elite  Men       Elite  Women           Elite  Men  Max  Cairns  3         Caroline  Buchanan  1         Bodi  Turner  2  

Matt  Juster  1  Anthony  Dean  1  

 

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2014 National Sign on Day The Dirt has been featuring some of the activities from National Sign on Day. This month we have a small write up from Bunbury (WA) and Centenary Plains (QLD) plus a heap of photos showing what the clubs got up to as they went about recruiting new riders. Bunbury The Bunbury BMX Club had another successful and hot Come & Try Day on Saturday 22 February 2014, with 28 registered riders. The Club had great support from local member, 2012 Olympian and W2 - Lauren Reynolds & W3 16 Girls and Junior Elite rider - Rachelle Smith, who helped out and coached the new riders.

 

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Centenary Plains On the 22nd of February Centenary Plains BMX – Brisbane, held our BMXA National Sign on Day. The event was a significant success as we saw 14 members join in the week leading up to the event due to the increased marketing at local schools (newsletters), 12 members joined the week of the event inclusive of the day itself and 9 the following week as a direct result of the campaign. This means for our club we have signed up 35 new members by focusing on this event and pushing the BMX message to the greater community. The event on the day was managed by Nikki Marton (Club Secretary) and coaching provided by Darren Domin (Coaching Director) and Cruz Marton (Club Coach) and assisted by all of the wonderful and amazing committee members as well as existing members. A special shout out to Jess Mudge for organising the marketing and Vanessa Warburton for organising the canteen.

 

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Q:  Last  song  you  listened  to  on  your  iPod?      A:  Drake  album  

Q:  Favourite  piece  of  equipment?      A:  My  bike  mechanics  stand,  no  broken  backs  anymore.    

Q:  First  bike  you  owned?      A:  Mongoose  Menice  J    

Q:  What’s  your  race  number  mean?    A:  21  –  I  was  announced  on  the  team  for  the  London  Olympics  on  my  21st  Birthday.  

Q:  If  a  movie  was  made  about  you,  which  actress  would  be  cast  as  you?  A:  Sandra  Bullock  

Q:  First  race?    A:  WA  State  Super  series  round  in  Medina  WA  

Q:  Favourite  quote:    A:  The  goal  isn’t  to  live  forever,  the  goal  is  to  create  something  that  will.  

Q:  Best  advice  you  have  been  given?      A:  Nothing  worth  having  comes  easy

8 On the gate Lauren Reynolds

 

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Q:  Last  song  you  listened  to  on  your  iPod?      A:  Heartbeat  -­‐  Childish  Gambino    

Q:  What  famous  person  dead  or  alive  would  you  like  to  meet?    A:  Dwayne  Johnson,  better  know  as  The  Rock,  is  an  inspiration.  

Q:  Favourite  piece  of  equipment?    A:  It  would  be  wrong  if  I  wasn’t  to  say  my  bike!    

Q:  What’s  your  race  number  mean?  A:  I  started  racing  with  the  number  55,  it  was  taken  when  I  went  for  my  career  number  so  I  decided  to  put  a  1  on  the  end  and  now  I  race  with  551.  It’s  a  good  thing  I  like  the  number.    

Q:  Favourite  holiday  destination?    A:  My  favourite  holiday  so  far  would  be  Queenstown,  NZ  with  my  best  mate,  dad  and  my  brothers.  Also  one  of  my  only  holidays  without  my  bike.    Q:  What  superhero  would  you  be?      A:  I  have  Superman  undies,  so  I  would  say  Superman.    

Q:  If  a  movie  was  made  about  you,  what  actor  would  be  cast  as  you?    A:  I  would  hope  someone  funny  –  Will  Ferrel,  Adam  Sandler,  someone  along  those  lines.  

Q:  Favourite  quote?    A:  Attitude  is  a  little  thing  that  makes  a  big  difference,  also  the  only  quote  I  have  tattooed  on  me.    

8 On the gate Corey Frieswyk

 

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Photo Gallery This  month  we  take  a  look  to  see  what  has  been  happening  in  the  world  of  BMX  on  Instagram.  You  can  follow  BMX  Australia  on  Instagram  using:  BMXAustralia  

 

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HPP CORNER Words: Paul Sales  

Further to my previous article on recovery this is the second instalment for riders wishing to enhance performance and gain a better understanding of recovery methodoligies.

Psychological considerations in recovery

Under-recovery or poor recovery can contribute to stress, staleness and burnout. Athletes must be well versed in a variety of recovery techniques and be diligent about applying them. Recovery strategies include regeneration (physical repair), physiological and behavioural strategies (for example, icing, relaxing, etc.), and some coping responses (for example, debriefing). Increased physical, mental and/or emotional demands and stressors on the athlete require greater recovery. Athletes' training programs may need to be adjusted to allow for a greater emphasis on recovery during periods of increased training or personal stress. The psychological gains from good recovery practices include increased motivation, a sense of well-being and the reduction of training and/or life stress.

More psychological benefits are listed under the various recovery strategies below. While these strategies are by no means exhaustive, they offer a range of options that are frequently used by athletes in enhancing their recovery.

Massage

Massage after hard sessions/games can help to facilitate recovery by minimising the effects of fatigue, reducing muscle tension, and lowering stress levels. It increases blood circulation in localised areas and the mechanical warming and stretching of soft tissues provides temporary flexibility gains (Calder 2000). Massage also enhances relaxation and promotes a sense of well-being within the athlete. Massage can be done through a qualified practitioner, or self-massage techniques using various commercially available tools, such as Physio Friend, foam rollers, Massage Sticks.

Compression Garments

Compression garments assist with improving venous return and with the lymphatic system. Veins rely primarily on muscle action to assist with returning blood to the heart, by creating a pumping mechanisms. The effects of gravity are also important. Compression has a similar effect, and especially when in a static position or immobilised. Such instances maybe long period of travel from an event, plane travel, sleeping. They are a useful tool between events, when other types of recovery such as relaxation are being used. Lying flat with compression garment on and elevating the legs are a great short term means of improving recovery for riders between events. The lymphatic system in the cleaning system of the body and compression garments assist this system in much the same way as the impact in venous return.

Self-monitoring

Using a 'daily measures' training diary is another way to monitor the recovery process. Daily recordings encourage athletes to monitor and recognise their body's physiological and psychological responses to training, competition and life in general. Athletes should record resting heart rate, hours of sleep, energy levels, training quality and effort and general/overall

 

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feelings. These should be reviewed regularly to check adaptation to training.

Relaxation

Using relaxation techniques can enhance an athlete's physiological recovery from competition. Athletes should be well-practised in progressive muscle relaxation (focusing on each muscle group one at a time and progressively relaxing the body, usually from toes to head), visualisation, meditation, and various breathing techniques.

Debriefing

Debriefing after a competition or training can be very helpful in dealing with the emotional and mental demands of competition. Athletes should mentally review the session, including how they felt and what they learned. This can be done with the aid of the sport psychologist or coach, but the athletes can also debrief themselves by analysing their performance and deciding what to focus on in their next session (Halson et al. 2004)

Other psychological techniques that may aid recovery

• Athletes should have a good awareness of their short and long-term goals. This helps them to stay motivated and to adhere to training and

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recovery protocols. • All aspects of their lives should

be nurtured, not just sport. Having good life balance allows athletes to devote their energies to training and recovery.

Adherence to appropriate recovery techniques will assist athletes to feel rested and refreshed after

 

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training or competition. These positive feelings enhance their psychological recovery and well-being, and help ensure they stay motivated to continue training and competing to the best of their ability.

Remember: preparation for next training session or competition starts at the end of the previous session - recovery is a vital ingredient in your athletes' next performance.

For further information visit the AIS website. The following table is sample recovery timetable that you may wish to employ.

Table 1: Timetable for recovery

Before training/competition

Eat and drink pre-event meal that has been practised and works for you.

Keep well hydrated.

Monitor pre-session weight in minimal clothing.

Make sure you warm up properly, including dynamic stretches.

First 5-10 minutes afterwards

Cool down properly with light aerobic exercise.

Eat post-event snack with high GI, CHO and protein.

Use set static stretching routine.

Check post-session weight in minimal clothing and after towel drying.

Work out fluid deficit (1500ml for each 1kg lost) and drink!

10-20 minutes afterwards

Continue to hydrate.

Contrast therapy.

Self-massage.

Within two hours afterwards Eat more food.

Continue to hydrate.

That evening

Have a hot shower.

Continue to hydrate.

Relaxation techniques.

Next Day

Check urine colour – 'well-hydrated' means urine should be clear/pale.

Eat healthy foods, choosing plenty of CHO-rich food.

Pool recovery session.

Debrief – with yourself, your coach or sport psychologist. Next day  

 

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