Cycling BC HopOn school and summer coach Angela Law joined our instructor team in 2017-2019 and has since pursued post-secondary studies in kinesiology and physical education. As an experienced cyclist, Angela participated in Escape Velocity’s DEVO program as an athlete and club coach, followed by multiple seasons with Cycling BC’s HopOn program.
Angela’s calm nature helped her connect with school students of all abilities and her cycling experience sparked a passion for physical education. In 2021, Angela took on a leadership role as the onsite supervisor with the Canuck Autism Network.
Continue reading to learn about the highlights and learning moments of Angela’s season with Cycling BC’s HopOn program.
October 2021
Hello Readers,
The iRide instructor experience (rebranded as HopOn in 2022) was a great stepping stone and introduction into the world of teaching. Delivering iRide to groups of students with varying skill sets and motivations gave me opportunities to practice my communication skills and relate with young people. Since then I’ve continuously worked to improve and grow my communication skills and confidence to deliver to a wide range of audiences.
It has gone on to serve me well in many environments and scenarios working with neurodiverse populations in sports, recreation and school. Since IRide, something clicked for me when I finally became comfortable and embraced my own coaching personality. I was still discovering this during my time with IRide. I am now confidently able to teach individuals of diverse abilities, by adapting or modifying activities using my imagination and creativity. I can readily switch into a fun and silly mode, but also know when it is right to be assertive and serious. I’ve become fluent in knowing the right time and place to say something. And more importantly, I know when to say as few words as possible or keywords to get my point across when instructing individuals possessing a spectrum of differences in social communication and intellectual understanding.
Many of these aspects, you modelled and I am lucky to have observed in both iRide and DEVO.
My most rewarding challenge to date is my current role where I mentor, train and guide support workers to provide one-to-one behaviour support for children with autism in sports and recreation. I have the patience and empathy to connect with children and youth but now the maturity and articulation to facilitate learning for adults, to help them hone their craft. The journey has come full circle as I go back to where it started, taking the next step to pursue teaching physical education. It started with iRide and now with lots of training, mentorship, and dipping my toes in various environments, I’ve grown in many ways. The younger me was wishing I had all this in 2018! But we all start somewhere and I am grateful that being an iRide instructor was a part of it.
If you are interested in exploring careers in education, sports, or working with others of all ages, I recommend Cycling BC as a great start to your journey.
Angela
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Follow Angela’s career here and learn how to apply to become a Cycling BC instructor at cyclingbc.net/hopon.