By P.J. DiPentino
Berthoud Recorder

For the past year Rocky Mountain Racers have been working really hard to bring the Boys and Girls Club of America a BMX program, and a recent visit from Rocky Mountain Racing and Women’s Pro superstar Dominique Daniels has given the group a boost.

The brand new Pulliam Youth Center located in Loveland has become a model for the national program being developed by corporate sponsors PowerBar, GT bicycles and the Berthoud BMX Association. In conjunction with the ABA the program kicked off last week with an introductory clinic with Daniels. The clinic was an information forum along with a skills demonstration for the crowd of nearly 100 kids who came out to participate.

Helmets and bikes were the only negative part as kids had to line up five-deep to get a turn on the brand new BGC track. The eager kids rejoiced as they rolled over a small version of a sanctioned BMX race track. Many smiles were visible as boys and girls of all ages listened patiently to Daniels’ instructions. After an hour, the kids were brought out to the BMX track for supervised riding.

Before long kids were streaming down the track in single file fashion yelling and screaming as they traversed the new track. The BMX program is designed to promote healthy living through organized races at the BGC BMX facility. Riders will be instructed by local experts and then will race in a six week season, starting in July, with a Boys and Girls Club Championship at the end of summer. The concept is to bring an alternative way of staying fit for the non-traditional athlete.

With the formation of extreme venues like the Dew Tour and X Games, more kids are skateboarding and riding bikes then ever, giving away the football and basketball in favor of fast wheels. The hope is that the BGC clubs will be able to offer a self-sustaining program. The BGC children themselves will maintain the track and earn credit towards training and races. The races will also be operated by the older children as part of an ongoing program teaching business skills and implementation.

This landmark program could prove to be a model for the building of tracks all across America in the future through the Berthoud BMX Association.

For information or donations of bikes or helmets, contact the Berthoud BMX Association at (970) 308-5630.