We had a great clinic this week at North SeaTac BMX. So far these All-Girls clinics have been a big success in my book - not calculated by total numbers or cash payout so much as the improvement in the girls themselves. I have discovered that the girls tend to push their skills a little more without the pressure of boys watching and heckling them.  It’s impressive to watch them learn to manual and jump without anything holding them back all they need is a little coaxing in the right environment.

 

 

This week’s clinic had 15 girls ranging from 6 yr-old Lauren who’s dad just bought her a fresh GT Mini and sent her off to me having never gone down a BMX start to 15 year-old Jiovonn who has been racing for awhile. Local pro Brittany Bates helped me out with kid control, the SeaTac staff was out in full force dialing in the track and Seattle gave us plenty of sun for the two day camp so it was hard not to have a good time. I really focused this group on getting over their fears of manualing and jumping as well as being aggressive in corners, something I don’t see enough of in the younger generations. I am very proud to say that we saw a few diggers as some of the girls finally loose and blasted each other trying to pass. By the end of the second day I couldn't get little Lauren off her bike to take a drink, she just wanted to keep charging like the energizer bunny with a brand new battery. 11 year-olds Kelsey and Kiolani impressed me big time learning triple-manuals and doubling through the rhythm (I’ve never seen that in girls so young), and 15 yr-old Jiovann was trying to take me out in pump races. It’s so gratifying to see such improvement in so little time, all most girls need is a little encouragement and understanding that they can still be a girl and ride like a boy.