Thread SO wasn't what I was hoping for 🙁
I visited a school in wales a couple of years ago who are miles ahead. They had dug some trails in and taught technical skills at lunchtime. It was ACE! Up near where the Athertons lived IIRC.
When I was in School in Abergavenny over 30 years ago we spent the last 3 years of PE on a Wednesday afternoon, taking the school mini bus and going hill-walking around the Brecon Beacons with a couple of enlightened teachers. Beat kicking a ball around a field any day!
Unfortunately nanny state will have put an end to such activities I fear.
Yup PE in a muddy field every Tuesday am
Did anyone else here play murderball during PE lessons? We'd only play it if the weather was truly awful.
I'd still be the one with least pubes in the shower if that had happened.
I see the PE departments across the UK failed a generation. 😉
I think it could be the future for a good few schools....
Here's hoping it gets more girls into the sport.
As an mtber most of my male riding chums have been on bmxers but not one of my female riding chums.
I think it gave the males more confidence and skills, that took me ages to get as I was a lot older.
Unfortunately nanny state will have put an end to such activities I fear.
Well the whole point of the thread shows that's not the case you miserable bastard.
My daughters school in Bingley West Yorkshire has a purpose built pump track was completed last year. 😀
Part of the active schools projects worked on in East Dunbartonshire includes mountainbiking, ED's Cycle Co-op who I do a bit of work with provide a fleet of MTB's for the high schools in Bishopbriggs to use, along with providing islabikes, training and rides for primary schools and nurserys in the area.
They were doing local history lessons with school classes using the bike fleet as transport too.
Just put in an £89K bid to build a 3km MTB track in our school grounds... 😉
I see the children from our local secondary school up at Llandegla all the time with school. Fortunately this is the school my two will be going to 🙂
I went to that school...cycling was one of the least thought of activities back then...I'll take a gander at the weekend.
I see the PE departments across the UK failed a generation.
Despite being british junior 10mile champ at the time our school wouldn't even let Peter Keen go out training on a wednesday pm, good to see that schools aren't so blinkered these days 🙂
We are currently building a pump track at my school in Bolton.
All of you speaking about cycling in schools, please get in touch. 1. So we can highlight how much IS happening and 2. So the wedge of money I wheedled out the Scottish Government yesterday can get spent well, and be even bigger in future...
Mrobinson AT LTL.org.uk
Www.gflscotland.org.uk
Grounds for Learning in scotland.
Learning through Landscapes in England, Wales and NI.
My 12yr old has bmx as one of his school activities...we had cross country or the slipper..
Looking good for active participation in sport beyond school which is where lots of kids stop doing any team games etc.
Agree a generation of kids were badly let down. The teacher strikes in Scotland essentially stopped some schools from partaking in sports and a non competitive ideal was promoted which reduced it further.
My wife moved from England to Scotland at end of primary school and didn't do competitive sport again till she returned to England at A level age. Mind you probably stopped several people loosing teeth given the way she wields a hockey stick!
Looking good for active participation in sport beyond school which is where lots of kids stop doing any team games etc.
Exactly. Have you just read some of our research at work? 😀
Did anyone else here play murderball during PE lessons? We'd only play it if the weather was truly awful.
Yep. Only rules were "No biting and no willy-pulling." There was often bloodshed. Best game ever invented. 😈
Just put in an £89K bid to build a 3km MTB track in our school grounds
What sort of school is that? Eton?
@scapegoat - in our case the only rule was no eye gouging.
Larbert high is the school is the school my daughter goes to (and son went to) One of the PE teachers used to run trips to Glentress (but my son never wanted to go as they only done the blue), Good to see they are building some trails (looks like the Dams) have cycled down there before and will need to go down and check it out.
It's directly outside school mark, next to footbal pitches, due open in Easter holidays.
What sort of school is that? Eton?
The trails in the first post at Larbert are £280k.
Who's building the trails for them Matt? Any idea?
It's directly outside school mark, next to footbal pitches, due open in Easter holidays.
Thanks Matt its not like my 15 year old would think to mention this to me and by your description it sounds like its right outside her best mates back garden.
@zigzag
I *think* from description it is Collective Training...but not sure.
In 5th year and 6th year we were allowed to choose our Wednesday afternoon activity. The PE dept rubber stamped our request for mtbing and school became fun for one day a week! Being in Ft William, good trails were literally minutes away. Unfortunately a couple of people got found in a pub in town and the whole thing got cancelled.
This was 1996, not sure if health and safety people would allow that these days!
Looks to be be down towards the Valley...maybe near where the Chocolate Staircase used to be?
I tool rifle target shooting in high school gym class! 8)
The school had a real rifle range in the basement. And a bunch or .22 cal bolt action target rifles. Yes, IN the school! (Not air rifles) 😀 'Merica. 😀
Mountain bikes were just going into mass production, so no mtb... 😐
NICA is spreading mtb as a competitive school sport now, though. [url= http://www.nationalmtb.org/ ]http://www.nationalmtb.org/[/url]
Just followed a bunch of school kids on the trails out here in Rotorua, they were getting mtb skills coaching, i overheard someone say the whole school was being made to do it. I wish we had lessons like that when i was at school, it would have made a nice change to football and rugby.
Excellent.
Collective Training built the bike track at Wallace High School in Stirling. Bit lame but my boys (8 and 6) enjoy zipping round it at weekends.
There's beach volleyball and a climbing wall too but they are always locked up.
Clark and Kent Contractors are building a fun looking pump track right across from the high school in Chryston, jist outside Glasgow.
The teacher strikes in Scotland essentially stopped some schools from partaking in sports
Mid 80's? All school sport stopped but being in Edinburgh I had a golf course round the corner and Hillend ski slope a bus ride away so had a blast. Ended up as a decent skier thanks to cheap skiing and my paper round, so the strike indirectly helped that!
6th form in England, got permission to ride MTB. Had to sign out, then go back muddy to prove we'd been out. Great fun!
There's a primary school in Brighton putting in a pump track at the moment.
Nearly ready...no riding yet...
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That reminds me of our school 100 meter running track.
Back in 91/92 my secondary school had a shipping container full of Emmelle mountain bikes which we'd use in PE lessons, they were great at first then after a while no one bothered maintaining them they were all pretty carp.
That looks great, wonder if the cost includes future maintenance? Got friends at Falkirk so I can see us popping up for a go in the near future. With Bike Track People we regularly go to schools and the kids love getting on bikes and riding the pump track etc they just don't seem to get the chance that often. I'm going to get in touch Matt and see if there are any opportunities for us to do some work with you.
That looks great, wonder if the cost includes future maintenance?
As I understand it, yes.
mrobinson AT ltl.org.uk 😀
Any idea when it is open...have a couple of family members champing at the bit to try them...
Opens in June, but not sure of date yet.
My friend started work there today, so I have an invitation to the opening day when it happens.
Bugger...ok, any idea when the workers fencing will be getting vandalised to 'allow' access?
I've emailed you Matt.
Popped down for a wee look today with kids. What a facility!
Jump line with 2 decent drop offs, 3 biggish jumps.
Tarmac area with line markings and features (planks and rocks).
A loop with some very interesting features, I could ride all but one (needed a bash gaurd) but only just! Proper rocky ridges, big boulder to ride up and drop off, skinnies, rock pavements etc etc. Proper challenging.
Longer easy trail round the bottom with bridge (no rails) over water (1m wide and 50m long).
Short climb to a couple of d/h lines with rocky steps/drops.
2 line pump track with groovy tarmac berms.
Loadsa fun to be had for the kids (and adults, if like me you couldn't resist joining in.
Was pretty busy with BMX kids, be prepared for bad language.
Amusing conversation recount from no 1 son. (9)
Wow that's a cool bike, you must be rich.
Not really we spend money on bikes and stuff instead of x-boxes.
Oh so you don't have an x-box?
No.
Do you have any toys?
Yes loads.
What sex toys.. tee hee hee.
Nuff said, it is Falkirk after all!