This season we’re introducing a skills certificate scheme for PPYCC Inner Ring members. Many parents and members will know from participating in other youth sports that this is a fun and motivating way of tracking achievements and progression.
While there isn’t a formal British Cycling certificate scheme for young riders, there is a British Cycling syllabus which all of our qualified coaches use when designing their Saturday morning sessions. This syllabus covers a range of skills organised into three technique groupings: bike handling, core cycling and group riding techniques, and these will form the basis of the PPYCC skills certificate scheme.
We have a wide range of skill levels at Inner Ring, from 8 years old members who may not have been riding a bike very long to 12 year olds who may be accomplished riders and racers. Therefore we will arrange our techniques into three skill levels. Our youngest or newest riders will begin at Level 1, while older riders in the group should be working towards Level 3. Skills progression within each technique grouping will be tracked using a rider passport booklet that will be issued to each rider, we tested these with some riders last season and they were very excited to have a rider passport with their name on it! The coaches will sign the booklet to verify when a skill has been achieved, and the coaches decision will be final. Once all skills within a level have been achieved then a Level Mastery Certificate will be awarded.
We will build in regular assessments into our Saturday morning sessions. Further details will follow on the PPYCC website about the detailed skills we will be covering within each technique grouping. Please note that mastering a level is not related to progressing between Inner and Outer Ring, or progressing between the informal groups that are arranged on a Saturday morning. These things will remain at the coaches discretion in order to keep safe and balanced numbers in each group.
We will be giving out the rider passports when we start back on Saturday 3rd April at the end of the session, for riders to take home with them. Please bring them down each week to hand in at signon, and the coaches will update the passport and return them at the end of the session. We will also keep a spreadsheet tracker in case any passports get lost, the first passport booklet will be free however replacements will incur a small charge to cover costs.
A number of other British Cycling Go-Ride youth cycling clubs have advised us on the setup of this scheme and we are very grateful to Pedal Heaven, Hillingdon Slipstreamers, Maindy Flyers and East Bradford Cycling Club for their valuable input.