Cedar Ville Sports Club, formed by a group of Anguillian young men, has embarked on a new initiative to further establish itself among the youth of the island, including schoolchildren, and to assist them in positively occupying some of their leisure time.
The new initiative is the re-introduction of BMX biking – the use of popular bicycles for both casual riding and sport performances. A series of demonstrations were held by the club at Campus B of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the Orealia Kelly Primary School and the Morris Vanterpool Primary School. The performances, which are also planned for other schools, were conducted during the lunch hour on Thursday, September 19, with assistance from several promoters of the sport in St Martin/St. Maarten.
Jason Brooks, one of the leaders of the Cedar Ville Sports Club, said its aim over the years was to involve the island’s youth in a number of exciting social and positive activities including car and motorbike shows. “We are now taking full responsibility for bringing BMX bike riding to Anguilla,” he stated. “It is something we can use to target the youngsters, giving them a new sport in which they can have opportunities to travel, even to go to school, and to keep out of trouble. It is something that Dedric Webster first brought to Anguilla but we are taking it up and carrying it forward.”
Shawn Hodge, a national of St. Maarten, who is one of the main persons involved in the BMX biking there, explained the sport: “There are three different disciplines. There are flat BMX biking with tricks; ramp BMX biking with tricks in the air and other elevations; and BMX bike-racing on a track with up to eight persons competing at one time,” he said.
Hodge is the President of the Youth Alternative Movement ,and Director and Master of the BMX racing track, in St Martin/St Maarten.“I found a lot of support at Campus B for this new initiative and we love what we see,” he said. He was accompanied to Anguilla by Gary Fleming and other promoters of the BMX sport.
Dedric Webster, who owns a bicycle outlet in Anguilla, said he was pleased to welcome the BMX promoters to help find alternative sporting activities for young people. He added that he was looking forward to the planned BMX bike show in Anguilla during the third week of October.
Jervis Richardson, one of the newest members of Cedar Ville Sports Club, said in part: “BMX biking is an alternative sport which is gaining popularity. This event in Anguilla is to gain some interest from the youth and to show them a new sport in which they can disperse some of their excess energies. BMX bike-riding can be an alternative for them instead of engaging in negative activities. We have to find new ways for our children to express themselves. The way we look at it, is that the more positive opportunities they have the least likely it will be for them to be involved in negative activities.”
