The Chase Younger Learner’s Society, a recipient of the HopOn Community Sport for All Grant, expanded its HopOn programming in Chase in 2023. In its third season with HopOn, they were able to offer new club coach training, yoga & bike programs, and access to bikes for participants who needed one.
The spring season included two programs: the Monday program for intermediate riders and a Tuesday Yoga/Bike program for beginner riders.
“The objective of our new Yoga & Bike program was to allow space for joy and creativity for girls when they are on their bikes. The space was non-competitive and supportive. We saw the participants bond with each other over different elements of cycling each week.
The lessons were enhanced by yoga sessions taught by Shannon Byrnes, the yoga portion was 45 mins – 1 hour and explored themes like creativity, self expression, and strength. We also incorporated these themes into the group rides to and from the yoga spaces.
Additionally, with two instructors and 1 chaperone, the group rides through town were well supervised and we were able to incorporate road safety into the program each week. We are eager to organize more bike programming throughout the upcoming summer season.” – Kristen From, Lead Instructor
The more traditional 5-week Monday program returned for its third season after launching in the spring of 2021.
“This year, we noticed that the program attracted mostly experienced riders, with only a few participants who were less experienced. Fortunately, we had a high instructor:participant ratio so we were able to successfully accommodate our brand-new, less experienced riders.
As always, the games were a big hit and we focused on climbing, cornering, ratcheting, stop’n go’s on hills before heading to the trails. The weather conditions were mostly favorable, allowing us to carry out the sessions as planned.
Cindy, Kristen, and Tristan work so well together. They are so good at establishing a light-hearted atmosphere, where children feel comfortable and motivated to challenge themselves.” – Ashton Sweetnam, Chase Young Learner’s Society Manager
Over the summer, the Canada Sport for All Initiative grant permitted the society to access a trailer and equipment to reduce barriers to cycling further. Drop-in summer and autumn programs were a big success, providing flexibility for families travelling for part of the summer.
“This autumn, my fellow instructors and I watched as our little riders bonded with one another as they traversed different challenges and explorations each week. The objective of our autumn cohort was to promote cycling in the community, explore nature spaces, and learn about road safety. We visited various places in the community, including Chase
Creek, Village Pollinator Gardens, and Burkholder Bros Corn Farm. At these locations, we incorporated educational games and activities. ” – Kristen From, Lead Instructor
In total, the HopOn Chase presented by Chase Younger Learner’s Society received 39 registrations for the program(s).
To learn more about bringing Cycling BC’s HopOn program to your school please contact us to explore the different opportunities.
See you on the trails!
