Cyclocross REALLY is here. The metro has a great youth program. Here are the details from the promoters:
DONDERDAG! 2015 SEASON KICK-OFF MEETING IS AUGUST 27.
THAT’S THIS COMING THURSDAY ( DONDERDAG ) NIGHT!
6:30 PM.
We have moved Donderdag! back to Thursday nights! Here’s how we do it. I’ll open the gates at 6:30, riders wearing helmets can sign in and check out the yard. Kick Off night, the ride stays in the mowed turf, on paths in the trees and of course in the sand pit.
We’ll start the meeting at 7pm and want all riders and adults to get in on the meeting. We’ll cover the Donderdag! general operations, expectations of safety and good sportsmanship and we’ll quickly review the SKILL SETS we’ll be covering throughout the season. I’ll be adding a new one this year that will be fun!
We’ll introduce everyone to Jandle Johnson who coaches the KCOI U-20 juniors team. This is a great team to get your juniors in involved with. The KCOI juniors have been coached year round now for about four years, if you include the Donderdag! program. KCOI also keeps a fleet of bikes and may have one for loan to your junior rider if your interested. JANDLE WILL BE BRINGING JUNIOR LOANER ‘CROSS BIKES, for KCOI junior riders to check out, and return at the end of the season. Newbies who join the team this year are just as eligible to check out a bike too! Riders are responsible for repairs, maintenance and return of the bike for the 2015 season. Other than that it’s a great, economical way to keep growing kids on ‘cross bikes.
We’ll also introduce our sponsors who provide course tape, raffle items, funds for course fiberglass poles and hay bails. A couple of these sponsors have been with us since day one.
Speaking of day one, this is our FIFTH season of Donderdag! We have had great support from parents who get their kids out here, the mentors who coach the kids in their areas of expertise and the local Cyclocross community. We are excited to see how many kids we can add to this great winter sport this year. If you have friends and family looking for a winter sport for kids 6-18, get them out here on August 27th. This is a good program with a lot of committed adults pitching in. The race schedules are family friendly with almost all racing held in the day on the weekends. Race days are filled with exposure to a variety of parks, campuses and other natural open areas. Everyone dresses for the weather and the only thing we don’t race in is lightning. Hot, cold, rain, snow, ice, wind, standing water, mud, sand and more mud. Cyclocross race days are full of families with all ages of kids, racing college students and all ages of cyclists from the local and regional teams. At a Cyclocross race you have the chance to watch young racers on striders doing their first lap, to actual professional Cat 1 racers who make carbon and speed seem simple. It’s a great time.
At Donderdag! we have always done our best to prepare families for the race day, we have almost every barrier normally seen, a killer sand pit, standing water when it rains, stone climb and a good berm. The course adds up to about 500 meters and most lanes are a full 10ft wide. Our kids have won the best in the state of Kansas for the last three years, and I can’t help but wonder when the guys in Lawrence are going to start trying to take that trophy!
Come out on August 27th, we’ll make popcorn and set up the power washer if it’s wet. Bring your family and anyone else ready to have a great season of Cyclocross. SEE YOU SOON!
6815 Broadmoor St., Overland Park KS, 66204.
ALWAYS PARK ON OUR SIDE OF THE STREET, OR ON 68TH, THIS IS FOR YOUR SAFETY!
Please feel free to private message me with any questions.