How To Start A Local Youth Race Team

Find a Coach (we can help)
Pick a Name
Form a USA Cycling Club
Create a Club Packet

Grow Local Racing

Racing can be expensive. Acquiring a bike and gear is easy compared to the investment in both time and money getting from race to race. Lowering the bar to entry, relative to other sports, increases the reach. Races don’t have to be gold plated. Keep it simple, race tape, stopwatches, and volunteer emergency staff. USA Cycling makes it easy to enjoy the benefits of sanctioning, we recommend working with them:

Excellent Insurance
Free Youth USA Cycling Membership
No Cost for Gravity Based race licenses

Creative Racing Formats

Get creative. Scramble starts, racing as foursomes, extra timed skills like tire changes, route finding, etc. Creating a fun environment is what it all about.

Be Friendly

Following in the footsteps of local hockey teams, open your team to the community by hosting ‘ride with a racer’ days where members of our team are encouraged to bring new friends to fun rides and share what they have learned.

Support Parents

Families just starting in the sport getting to a first race is pretty intimidating, there is a steep learning curve, Teams can make getting to that first start gate much easier by creating a support network of knowledge. Participation in local races prepares families for racing at the regional level. Mentor other parents, packing lists, bike, and gear, what to put in the car, having a race license, seeing familiar faces all cut down on the stress of getting into the sport.

Recruit More Teams

Once you have an established team, we recommend putting a portion of your outreach to helping new teams form. Create something as simple as a link on a website ex: https://www.galbraithgravity.com/start-a-team) Each solution and location will be unique, but sharing knowledge with other coaches is key. We need more coaches and parents interested in starting teams. You do not have to be a coach to start a team, you just need to have the motivation to get a group together.

Dave Simeur -Galbraith Gravity Racing, a gravity-focused youth racing team based in Bellingham WA.