Sport In Profile UK Issue 16 | Page 40

Racing Metro 15 FOLLOW US ONLINE twitter.com/sportinprofile R Racing Metro 15 acing Metro 15 has been set up with the aim of developing and inspiring riders in their region. Sport in Profile Magazine recently caught up with Team Representative Steven Walton to find out more about the good work they’ve been doing lately. Involvement Aims and Objectives He told us, “I’ve personally been involved in coaching for around twelve years now, coaching riders from the age of five upwards. One of the riders I used to coach in the early days is now a member of the Great Britain National Team. Although instances like this are rare, there are more riders coming into the sport as its public profile is much greater now, which makes things more accessible. I set this club up last winter to address something I felt was lacking.” “We set Racing Metro 15 up to provide a level of support that we felt riders weren’t getting in the area around Newcastle. Some clubs feel they can’t or don’t have the experience to coach riders to a level they really need to prepare them for the eventual jump to Junior, and then Senior level. When there are some set ups catering for this, often only the best riders are selected. As long as the rider shows some promise and is prepared to work hard, we’re prepared to give them a The Role “Giving young riders the benefit of your experiences is one of the most satisfying parts of coaching, If you can prevent someone making the same mistakes you did when you were starting off, it can save years off a riders career. The challenges are that often you know you’re doing the right thing, but there’s sometimes little support as people sometimes want to see evidence that what you’re doing is working. People are more liable to latch onto something they can see is already working.” 40 Issue 16 chance and show that anyone, with the right level of support, can achieve things that they could never have thought they could. That’s not to say we don’t want a few winners as well, just to show everyone how it’s done, but it’s not the main aim.” Atmosphere “So far I’d say it has went quite well in the first five months. We’ve received lots of positive comments around what we do and the design of our race kit. We’re having to balance the fact