The Park Orchards BMX Club is a sporting club that aims to provide organised training and race events for participants wishing to get involved in BMX racing as a sport. The club currently has a good group of members covering both genders and ranging in age from 4 to 50+. The club is friendly and very family oriented as the sport of BMX is one that is particularly well suited to kids.
Our club holds club race days (or Clubbies) generally on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month (from February to early December). Racing starts at 2:00pm for most of the year, weather permitting (arrive at 12:45 -1:00 pm to register). During late summer in Daylight Savings (Feb & Mar), Clubbies move to a later time slot of 5:00pm (arrive at 3:45 -4:00pm to register). Clubbies run for about 2 hours. Gate Practice nights are also run during the daylight savings months, which provide opportunities for club members to come and train together. Gate practice is held most Friday night between 5:00 & 7:00pm (during Nov, Dec, Feb & Mar).
Visitors are very welcome to come along to our Clubbies and see what goes on. “Day Licence” race passes are also available at Clubbies, so you can try BMX racing out for yourself (refer to the “Membership Info” section for more details). Complete beginners can be accommodated, so if your child is only just off their training wheels, don’t let that deter you from bringing them along.
Park Orchards BMX Club is affiliated with Bicycle Motocross Australia (via BMX Victoria), so club members also have the opportunity to compete in the many open competition race meetings held throughout Victoria or the rest of Australia. Several of these events are hosted by our club each year giving riders from other club the chance to see what our track has to offer (refer to the “Calendar & Entry Forms” section for more information).
At our Clubbies, racing is divided into divisions based on ability, to ensure that the focus of racing is on fun and rider skill development, rather than purely on competition. At “Open” Race events racing is divided into various divisions or classes (as set down by the sports governing body). All riders 7 years of age and under race in the “Sprocket Rocket” classes. The focus of these classes is on the development of good riding skills. Our club currently has a good bunch of sprocket rockets which includes a growing number of girls. For riders aged 8 and over (the “Open” classes), the race divisions are divided up by age and gender, with the parents of our junior members filling most of the higher age classes making BMX racing a real family sport.
The Park Orchards BMX Club has been in existence for more than 25 years and is run by a volunteer committee selected from the club membership at an annual general meeting. The club’s track is built on Manningham council land and falls under the local council’s jurisdiction. Therefore the track is open to “public access” whenever official club racing or training events are not running, so you can come and try out the track anytime. The track is maintained by club members, so club working bees are held from time-to-time, when track maintenance is required. When you come and visit our track please look after it and our club members will thank you.
The volunteer committee that runs the Park Orchards BMX Club currently consists of the following members;
- President: Corey Gibson
- Vice President: Pam Beerens
- Treasurer: Chris Doherty
- Secretary and Council Liason: Bruce Shelley
- Registrar: Michael Stephens
- First Aid Officer: Rafx Hamilton
- Canteen Manager: Cindie Sassons (assisted by Sharon Griffiths)
- Facilities Co ordinator: Ian Freeman
- Fundraising Co ordinator: Peter Sgardelis
- Track Maintenance: Rob Symmons
- Coaching Co ordinator: Rob Symmons
- Risk management Co ordinator: Alex Caldwell
- Communication Co ordinator: Michael Miller (Chris Conboy & Jon Colenso - website, Simon Braunthal - Newsletter Editor)
- BMXV Board representative: Janie Denholm
- General Committee: Jon Colenso, Greg Ashmore, Philip Paykel-Samuel, Glen Patterson
