The Parent and Volunteer

Each track needs a home club to provide a base for local riders. A committed group of volunteers that turn up on a regular basis, every week on the day and time regardless of the weather or other commitments. Children in particular will very soon lose faith in an organization that will only operate when it suits them. To many kids their school and their BMX club are the only stable things in their lives with the only reliable adults, sad but true. A rolling program of events is a must in order to maintain interest with rewards and recognitions. The reward system is important in particular to new members and supporters. Also of importance is to encourage one or two established, older racers to be involved with the club, as younger riders need their local heroes to look up to and emulate. The whole community benefits by getting kids into sport who quite often shy away from mainstream sporting activities . It takes them off the street, away from the TV, video or computer games and gives them a life.

On a lighter note:

You will know that you have truly become a dyed-in-the-wool BMX parent when:

You justify the purchase of a new frame by telling your wife it is a safety item.
Your ABA number is printed on your checks
You own a clean copy of the movie RAD.
You video your kids races including practice.
You have a charge account at all the track vendors.
You have your BMX parent web page sent by the ABA to other track operators......
When you stand for the national anthem and you place one hand over your heart and one hand on your wallet
You have a email reply from the President of the ABA framed and hanging on your wall
You have the email from BMX Hall of Famer's autographed, appraised and hung on the wall
You have a collection of race flyers from various tracks from the last 20 years and spend your spare time organizing them.
Someone in your neighborhood asks you how old your kid is and you reply "13X"
You automatically load up the bike and you're only going down to the corner store.
You fall asleep at the wheel of your car and it takes you to the track instead of home.
You are late for work but never late for sign-ups.
Your kids bike is insured for more than your car.
You develop a craving for hot dogs.
You pay a computer programmer a whole lot of money to write a points tracking program.
You buy a real expensive laptop to record the points on.
You throw out the spare tire in your car trunk to make room for bike parts.
Your kids birthday cake has a miniature BMX track on it and all his gifts are BMX parts.
You can't decide whether to go to your sister's wedding or to a double points race.
A Sunday drive in the country means you're going to a race out of town.
The first item on your monthly budget is entry fees and not the mortgage payment.
The only clean clothes in the house are a pair of leathers and a jersey.
The telephone bill has at least three calls a month to the ABA office.
Your internet home page is set to www.ababmx.com
The stoplight at the corner turns green and you try for a hole shot.
Someone mentions a table top and you look for a pile of dirt.
You can't remember the birth dates of your family, but can remember the birth dates of every other kid in your kids class.
You try to claim a bike shop on you income tax.
You start a BMX business so you can take a tax deduction.
No one can understand what you are saying but another BMXer.
You are flabbergasted by the price of hamburger at the supermarket but not by the price of a TI bottom bracket.
Your kids bike is color coordinated and your living room is not.
You think all of the above is gospel truth.