Farmington bicycling advocacy group receives $40,000 grant from state

A Farmington bicycling advocacy group has received a $40,000 grant from the state that it will use to expand its popular youth cycling program.

Officials from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division announced in a Dec. 26 news release that Farmington Area Single Track, a nonprofit organization designed to mentor and empower young riders, was one of 30 entities across New Mexico to receive a share of $1 million in Outdoor Equity Fund grants. The grants were awarded to organizations, school districts, local governments and tribal communities.

“The organizations and communities receiving funding for their youth programs are not only fostering the next generation of outdoor leaders by introducing new experiences but also planting the see of the possibility of a career in outdoor recreation,” Jon Clark, the acting New Mexico Economic Development Department cabinet secretary stated in the news release. “These 30 programs actively introduce 6,498 young New Mexicans to the outdoors through day hikes, hunting and tanning, bike rides, ecosystem monitoring, adaptive equine camps, fly fishing, acequia cultural preservation, and more.”

FAST plans on using the money to hire additional coaches, and purchase bikes and helmets for use in the organization’s youth cycling program, which has been in place for three and a half years, the organization’s president, Chris Conley said. In that time, FAST has introduced approximately 500 young cyclists ranging in age from 2 to 18 to the basics of cycling, trail etiquette and outdoor appreciation, he said.

Conley said FAST offers the eight-week youth cycling classes twice a year, and there are always more young people eager to register than there are spaces available. He said he hopes the grant – which will allow FAST to hire six new coaches in addition to the 20 already on staff to oversee the program – will allow his organization to reach even more young riders than it has to date.

“This will be something that gives us some other opportunities to work with schools, after-school programs and maybe the reservation to get more kids out,” he said.

Program participants are split into age groups and sometimes separated by gender during the program, receiving instruction on a once-a-week or twice-a-week basis, depending on their age. Conley emphasized that the purpose of the classes is to teach young riders how to share trails with other riders and be good stewards of the land. It is not about honing their skills for competition, he said.

“It’s about letting them develop their love for cycling so, hopefully, they’ll continue to do it for the rest of their life,” he said.

The classes are not free. The program costs $75 for younger riders, who take part in weekly sessions, while the cost for older participants, who ride twice a week, is $100. Conley said those fees help offset the costs of running the program, which include training costs for coaches, and user fees for city parkland and Bureau of Land Management land.

While FAST offers scholarships to some young riders whose families lack the financial means to cover the registration costs, Conley said he doesn’t foresee a time when the organization will make the classes free to everyone.

“I would love to make it free, but the problem I see with free classes is there can be a lack of buy-in and accountability from parents,” he said.

If parents are asked to fork over $75 or $100 for the program, they are much more likely to make sure their child will attend each of the eight-week classes and be there on time, Conley said. If the classes are offered for free, parents may not see as much value in the program, he said.

“Parents might be a lot less apt to get the kids there on a regular basis,” he said, noting that demand for the classes is so high, he would hate to see a spot wasted by a family that might not be fully committed to the program.

One aspect of the program that may change because of the grant is that FAST currently requires participants to supply their own bike and helmet. Conley said the organization plans to use part of the new funding to purchase an enclosed trailer and fill it with bikes and helmets for disadvantaged young riders to use.

“That would allow us to go anywhere and be a one-stop shop and put people on bikes and teach them to start riding,” he said, explaining that he believes the potential for developing young cyclists in San Juan County is almost limitless.

The program’s spring session will begin in the middle of April, Conley said. Participating families can register online at the FAST website, fast-nm.org.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Farmington's FAST plans to expand youth cycling program with grant