Hallamshire Go-Ride League
The 2009 Hallamshire Go-Ride League got underway at the Graves Tennis & Leisure Centre, Sheffield, this week with an excellent turn out for the opening event.
The format, loosely based around the Stars'' cycle speedway facility at the Centre, is a popular way of introducing youngsters to cycling in a safe, controlled and off-road environment.
The first event last year attracted twelve riders but by the end of the hugely popular four match competition, forty-five young and novice riders had competed.
This year, however, twenty-six riders attended the first of six scheduled events with the possibility of further sessions at Valley Park (Sheffield) and Bolsover venues and maybe a "grand final" all-day event on a Sunday in the autumn.
An exhausted club spokesman added: "We were taken by surprise at the support of the HGRL as we always intended this as a low-key event to support our weekly clubnight programme. Now we will have to think again!"
The club had set British Cycling membership targets of eighty affiliates by the end of 2009 but by the end of May this year the Stars had already entertained over 300 youngsters from several Sheffield schools at exclusive events. With more sessions planned throughout the year, the trick is now to convert the "passing trade" into full membership.
The spokesman continued: "We also have problems in terms of numbers of volunteers. We already have a fairly large staff with four club coaches and a dozen or more regular supporters but the 2009 club programme is very aggressive and we would like more helpers to share in this success."
The Sheffield club run at least two regular clubnight sessions plus weekend competition every week throughout the year (apart from a midwinter break around the time of the annual Stars'' "Winter Challenge" cyclo-cross fixture) although this year the schools sessions alone have probably doubled the overall workload.
Whilst the Stars are already engaged with many schools, they are also looking at working with the likes of supermarkets to establish Saturday Clubs whereby, according to the spokesman, "Mum and dad can drop the kids off at the track and get some serious shopping done in the meantime".
Whilst admitting that the growing numbers of members and associates is getting very difficult to manage, the spokesman admitted: "This is, however, a very nice problem to have!"
See www.sheffieldstars.co.uk for further details