Girls Cycling
We like to provide our pupils with different activities, not to traditional PE sports. We want to inspire them to try something new! Especially our girls!”
PE Teacher, Sandwell Academy
Big Bike Revival, Open Trail and Sandwell Academy have worked together on a small project last year to get their girls cycling. It created so much enthusiasm, interest and fun that we had to go bigger, better and involve more pupils and more girls in 2018!
Big Bike Revival helped revive all of the schools 26 bikes! The school purchased these under a previous grant and after a lot of initial use they have seen little use since but the fleet are now back in action after Big Bike Revival’s funding and support. Open Trail’s Dr Bike came in and serviced all the bikes ready for a summer term of fun and a 2018/19 year of more cycle coaching at Sandwell Academy!
June/July saw 6 weeks of after-school cycle coaching for 12 pupils. They developed their bike handling and control skills on the school grounds such as braking, gear choice, cornering, pedalling and moved on to technical games and lots of small races as well developing more advanced skills such as front wheel lifts and bunny hops. All pupils had a great time and have progressed to become very good riders.
This led us on to a special BIG CYCLING DAY at Sandwell Academy! All of year 7 were presented with Hannah Escott, World Series Champion and GB Cycling Team racer’s presentation “Dare to Dream?” the story of a school girl who was rubbish at PE but went on to race for her country all over the world! Along with all the crashes, hardship and challenges that crossed her path to victory.
This was followed by 3 coaching groups to the girls of year 7. Some were very nervous having not ridden a bike since they were 5 years old, some had never ridden a bike before. All of them took on the challenge and completed the obstacle courses and picked up new skills with bravery and determination. 6 young women learned to ride a bike for the first time! The site was filled with cheering, words of encouragement, smiles and surprises as the girls accomplished so much in just one session. They all requested that Open Trail come back to school so that they can cycle all the time!
