*** Getting A Jump On BMX Success ***
Auburn, CA -- 09/18/2007
http://www.auburnjournal.com/content/articles/2007/09/18/s****ts/local_s****ts/01volle.jpg
Photo - Alden Volle, 11, practices a jump on his BMX
bike on a track at his home. Alden recently placed first
at the BMX World Champion****ps in Canada.
At 4 years old many children are
just learning to ride a two-wheeler bike.
But when Alden Volle was only 3 ½ years old he not
only was proficient without training wheels on a two-
wheeler but also rode a small motorcycle around the
family's 5-acre home in Penryn.
Today at 11 years old, the Forest Lake Christian School
student is ranked No. 1 in the world for his age group
from the BMX World Champion****p competition held
in Victoria, B.C. in July.
"When Alden was 5 ½ we went to a BMX race in Reno,"
said Alden's mother, Teri. "We bought a BMX bike right there."
Teri recalls that within 10 minutes of purchasing the bike,
Alden entered his first race, a qualifier. That same day he
made it to the main event race and placed fifth out of 65 kids.
In a BMX race the course is 1,500 feet long. Competitors
try to exit the eight-person gate, careening through several
hills, obstacles, turns and jumps on a single-gear BMX bike
in the fastest time.
According to Alden, BMX bikes are extremely lightweight,
being built with titanium and carbon fibers and the wheels
are much more narrow than an ordinary bicycle. BMX
racers usually build their bikes, part by part, although
some entry-level models can be purchased in stores.
From that first race six years ago,
Alden knew he would continue competing.
"That first race felt great," Alden said.
"I wanted to keep going."
Alden said after his race in Reno he pushed his parents
into taking him to the track at Oak Creek in Roseville.
Today Alden races in the expert division where he
competes on two national factory teams - the American
Bicycle Association, Staats Challenge and the National
Bicycle Team, Dan's Comp.
Although Alden concentrates on BMX nine months
of the year, for the last four years during the fall he
devotes his athletic abilities to the Junior Eagles foot
ball team. Alden feels his time with football doesn't
hinder his BMX training as both s****ts work on
strength, agility and foot speed.
"I like the glory of being on the football team," Alden said.
"I like the camaraderie, and I've made a lot of friends."
When the football season ends in a few months Alden will
continue to train with T.J. Johnson, his BMX coach who
believes Alden has exceptional athletic abilities.
"Alden loves to try everything," Johnson said.
"He is very coachable, you tell him how to do
something one time and he does it. He's very
physically advanced.
Johnson said from January through August of each year
he works with Alden at the Roseville track a few days
each week perfecting his jumps and working on conditioning.
For Alden, being a good BMX competitor not only
requires strength and endurance but also discipline,
focus and mental confidence. He also attributes his
success to his parents.
"They are strict," he said. "They know I need
to train. I work on sprints with both my mom
and dad."
His parents also work with him at home on
the four-person gate they built at their home.
"Eighty percent of a BMX race is getting
out of the gate fast," Teri said. "It's aggressive."
Being the world champion BMX rider requires not
only lots of practice on the local tracks but extensive
travel as well. Alden and his family travel several week
ends each year throughout the season and have been to
almost every state in the country as well as the World
Champion****ps in Victoria, B.C.
As for the future, Alden thinks he might try mountain
biking as many colleges offer this type of competitive
team. He's also looking at the 2010 Olympics where
BMX racing will be a s****t for the first time.
Teri said she's enjoyed the time she has spent on the
tracks. It has allowed the family to spend time together
as they often travel in their motor home to many of the
races and Alden's 16-year-old sister also participates
in BMX racing.
Although Alden said being a world champion is a great
feeling, his mother believes her son is humble with all he's
achieved.
"He takes it all in stride. If he loses a race, he is hard on
himself and always tries to think of what he'll do in the
next race to do better," she said. "I'm proud of all his wins,
but more im****tant is when someone at one of the races
tells me what a good kid he is."
Geneb...Wenatchee,Wa****ngton-USA
All Things Northwest in BMX!
***** Gene`s BMX *****
http://www.genesbmx.com
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