In February 2011, Regional Coordinator for the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program, Rebecca Webb, met with the students of Colo Heights Public School to discuss what sports they would like to participate in as part of their AASC sessions. BMX and mountain biking were by far the most popular choice.

Principal of Colo Heights at the time, Glen Leaf, indicated that he would be interested in getting the program off the ground for 2011, especially since the children had requested a BMX or mountain bike program on a number of occasions. Due to the remote location of the site, Leaf and Webb felt it was essential for the focus of the program to be on bike safety, incorporating both cycling disciplines.

A lot of planning was involved in establishing this pathway, including coordinating the acquisition of new bikes, which were purchased via a Special Initiatives Grant (SIG). In addition to this, Leaf helped to promote the program throughout the school’s newsletter and hoped to minimise the inconvenience to parents by providing the option of leaving their child’s bikes onsite and in a secure location.

Due to the strong interest in the program from both the children and their parents, Leaf and Webb wanted to take the pathways action plan one step further by giving the children the ultimate experience of riding on a BMX track. A SIG was organised to cover the school’s expenses for the inaugural Hawkesbury ‘track active day’ and this event set in motion the planning and development of the Colo Heights modified BMX track, which was constructed on Tuesday 2 September, 2012 and is set to be launched in Term 4, 2012.

The construction of the Colo Heights modified BMX was all thanks to a huge community effort with several parents giving up their time to assist in the development of the project. Local businesses and manufacturers also helped by supplying materials and tools as well as advice on planning and construction. One parent has even been begun planning the production of a bike shed which will house the new BMX bikes (that were purchased via a SIG).

The success of this program can be attributed to the fact the principal and AASC Regional Coordinator listened to the strong interest and demand from the children rather than selecting a sport they thought the children might like. In addition to this, establishing links and relationships with local cycling and BMX clubs have also been crucial to the success of the program, especially since this was the first time a site in the Hawkesbury region had run a bike program.

The school has been offering BMX and mountain biking on a regular basis since the first pilot program was launched in Term 4, 2011. This fantastic initiative demonstrates the important links the AASC program creates with schools and local communities to get children more active.