Youth Programs
As the provincial governing body for the sport of cycling, Velo NB is focused on introducing young people to the pure joy of riding bikes with the aim of developing lifelong cyclists and competitive riders across the province.
Velo NB aims to promote healthy living and active participation plus the development of young athletes in New Brunswick by focusing on four key areas:
HopOn
HopOn is a games-based cycling program that teaches school-aged kids across Canada the joy of cycling safely.
Velo NB has taken the framework and adapted it slightly to align with programming and to make sure that it works effectively in different communities. While there might be minor regional differences, the HopOn community works hard to ensure that there is an overall alignment and that each and every program offered is of the highest quality.
Community Outreach
Velo NB proactively reaches out to local bike shops, cycling clubs/teams, and other cycling organizations to see what’s happening for youth development in their region, and to see if Velo NB could help out by sharing ideas from other regions, resources, and promoting programs and events when and where possible.
Provincial Youth Racing
Velo NB works to develop and sustain a Provincial Youth Race Series targeting: U13, U15 and U17 athlete participation, racing and the advancement of girls and boys. The primary objective is to promote the development and/or adapting of events with age-appropriate categories, on age/skill-appropriate courses and distances, based on Canadian Cycling Association’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) recommendations.
Provincial Youth Projects
Velo NB works to develop Provincial Youth Projects targeting U17 and U15 aged athletes, boys and girls, and their coaches to work with or combine with High Performance Junior and U23 athletes on identified projects. The overall goal of the team is to help develop both coaches and athletes across the province by providing them education, support and an opportunity to race as a team at select events outside of New Brunswick. The long-term objective of the team is to identify and develop athletes for future national-level competitions such as the Canada Games, Canada Cups and/or Canadian Championships.
How can you play a part?
To reach our youth focused goals, Velo NB actively seeks the participation and support of athletes, coaches, cycling clubs, local bike shops, event organizers and other volunteers, sponsors and financial partners.