Participation Days

WHAT ARE PARTICIPATION DAYS?

Participation days, called Ride In2BMX, are events held by BMX Australia affiliated clubs as part of membership initiatives for attracting non-members to the sport of BMX.

Any member from the general public can attend a Ride In2BMX event and try the sport of BMX free of charge. Riders are covered under BMX Australia’s insurance, as long as the club has applied to hold the event, received approval and completes the paperwork required to be emailed to BMXA after the event has been held.   

 WHY ARE PARTICIPATION DAYS IMPORTANT?

Increasing the number of members and participants in our sport is a key aspect to our success.

More members mean:

• More membership revenue
• More volunteers to assist the club
• More spectators to create atmosphere at your club
• Greater capacity to have success in obtaining grants
• More potential sponsorships
• Greater presence and awareness of your club and BMX in the local area
• Keeping kids off the street
• Community approach to the sport

 DID YOU KNOW?

Statistics from your club’s membership, racing events and participation days can be extremely helpful when applying for funding or sponsorship. Documented information can be attached to funding and sponsorship applications to paint a picture of who the club is.

Local councils and governments are always interested in boosting their local economy through tourism. A key example is holding large state or national events like the State Titles, National Series or National Championships.

The companies who you approach for sponsorship will want to find out how many people they can potentially reach to promote their brand. This in turn will provide benefits to club members and help build a relationship between sponsors and clubs for further sponsorship opportunities.

For more information see the Club Marketing and Grants/Funding section under As A Club. 

PARTICIPATION DAYS

RIDE IN2BMX

Ride In2BMX events can be held by your club at any time during the year at any date that suits you. There are no limits to how many Ride In2BMX events a club can hold and you can decide to have an event which targets all ages or you might want to hold a specialised ‘Ride’ event which targets girls, Dad’s or Mum’s.  Some clubs find holding Ride events after a large event like their State Titles is particularly successful.

Ride In2BMX Application Form

Ride In2 BMX Flyer

Showbag Items

​HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL RIDE IN2BMX EVENT

To run a successful Ride In2BMX Event, it’s important to plan, have a schedule for the Event and encourage as many attendees as possible.

So, what to do and when to start planning?

CLICK HERE for BMXA’s Ride In2BMX Guide – advising who to target to attend, a suggested schedule for the event day and activities you can hold.

CLICK HERE for a 16 week planner to prepare for your ride event – this includes putting together your ride event team, applying to BMXA to hold your event, promotion ideas and returning your attendance spreadsheet to BMXA.

During the 16 weeks of planning, make sure you:

• Appoint a coordinator for your event
• Apply to BMXA for approval to hold your ride event
• Ensure all nominated coaches and officials are valid and appear on the BMXA valid lists of coaches and officials.
• Encourage your current members to bring friends and family along to try out BMX.
• Involve some of your club’s riders in the day, they can demonstrate as well as aid with administration requirements.
• The club could run a race meeting before or after the event to showcase what the sport is about.

CLICK HERE to download the important tasks to attend to in the week leading into your ride event.

At the end of your event, BMXA emails a welcome letter to your attendees encouraging them to become part of your club, if they didn’t sign up on the day.

​TIPS FROM OTHER BMX CLUBS

• Start early with local advertising: newspaper, schools, council ‘What’s on guide’, community noticeboards, bike shops, shopping centres, banners.
• There is a lot of leg work involved in getting information out to the community, but once it is all set up, next year is a little easier.
• Ask your experienced riders to wear club uniform and have them talking/explaining the sport to the children then provide a racing demonstration.
• Don’t forget the parents! Engage parents and provide information on what is happening.
• Remind participations to wear the correct clothing (long pants, long sleeve shirt etc).
• Try to round up spare equipment – helmets, gloves, bikes for potential new members to borrow on the day.
• Hold a basic bike maintenance workshop.
• Have your local bike shop come and bring a bike in each size that riders could try.
• Ask the local bike shop for discount cards for people who participate.
• Promote the sport as a family fun day with a friendly atmosphere.
• Have coaching sessions between 9am-12noon in age groups then finish with a sausage sizzle for lunch.
• Try to get local junior elite, elite or Olympians to attend the club’s participation day.
• Have a structure/format for the day.
• Have information on your club website or Facebook page for the best contact.
• Don’t stress, the people who come on the day are there to have fun.

 FAQ’S

If our club does not have an accredited coach can we still hold a Ride in2 BMX Event?

Yes – if your club does not have an accredited coach you can ask a coach from another club to attend.

Click here for a full list of valid accredited coaches.

If your club is interested in getting a Club member accredited as a coach, check the BMXA website to see the Coaching courses currently on offer.

What are the First Aid requirements?

Clubs are required to have at least one person who holds a First Aid certificate in attendance on your participation day. Please note that all accredited coaches are required to have a first aid certificate.

What do participants have to bring along?

Participants can ride on any 20” or 24” bike.  Officials and Coaches must do a check of the bikes before they are allowed on the track.

For safety reasons all participants must have an Australian Standards helmet, long pants and long sleeve tops. They must also wear gloves, flat soled shoes and socks that cover their ankles. Having second hand equipment is a great way to encourage your local community to participate.

Starting Gates are not permitted to be used for Ride in2 BMX events. Attendees will have to become a member to learn how to safely ride down the start hill.

How many people can we expect to attend?

The number of people attending a Ride In2BMX event varies per club. The clubs that have had the most success is those that put as much information out to their target market as possible.

Is the club required to purchase insurance?

BMX Australia provide free insurance for clubs who hold Ride In2BMX events, provided attendance spreadsheets are returned within 2 weeks of the ‘Ride’ Event being held. Further Ride In2BMX events will not be approved until all previous Attendees sheets have been returned.