I'm really excited about this coming Saturday. The 2014 Ontario Youth Cup Provincial Championships will be coming to Ancaster and I will be one of the race officials. This event will give young cyclists (ages 9-16) an opportunity to challenge themselves and compete in both time trial and road race disciplines.
One of my many volunteer "jobs" is as a Provincial Commissaire for the Ontario Cycling Association. Simply put, in the world of bike races, I'm a referee. Earning this qualification involves a lot of in-class training as well as practical "internships", where we shadow senior referees.
Aside from learning all the rules involved, we also receive extra-curricular training in conflict resolution, mediation and effective communication. It's been a great learning experience and it has given me a whole new insight into the world of competitive cycling (as opposed to my experience on the other side of the fence as a busy racer).
For the Championships, I will doing all the finish line judging, which means I will be in charge of making sure the final posted results are accurate and fair. I will probably also help with the pre-race scrutineering, which is where we ensure that each rider's bike complies with the sanctioned equipment specifications (and there are special rules for riders this young).
My preparation for an event starts about mid-week. I review the Technical Guide for the race and make sure I understand the course and the time table. I also look for any unusual or unique features set out by the organizer. When I get to an event, I need to hit the ground running!
Although I normally officiate at Provincial level races, this will be my first Youth event, which makes it even more exciting. It was an especially nice honour to be selected for the Championships.
Race headquarters will be at the Morgan Firestone Arena in Ancaster and the racing starts at 9:30 sharp! If you're in the area and would like to see some kids having a great time riding their bikes, come on out! You can find the Technical Guide here with all sorts of details: http://www.ontariocycling.org/ocapages/web_doc/calendar/20140829-200145-TechnicalGuideRedirect.html
I'll be there in my official uniform (red crested shirt, black pants and black hat) so if you see me, say hi!
No comments:
Post a Comment