As a federation, USAT has worked to keep
up with the wave of young triathletes by tai- loring rules and distances. This means appro- priate distances that are safe for youngsters, as well as rules about equipment. “We wanted to increase the elements of safety and reduce the concern that kids need all kinds of fancy aero- dynamic equipment to do a youth triathlon,” explains Kelley. Making things like aerobars, aero helmets and disc wheels illegal at the younger ages, USAT hopes to make the sport both safer and more accessible. Even with these measures, there is some
question as to when a child should sign up for his or her first triathlon. Kelley initially entered his daughters at ages 5 and 6, saying, “you could literally do a triathlon with floaties and a tricycle and you’d still get that multisport experience.” As long as the course is designed and staffed appropriately, even the youngest athletes can garner enjoyment from triathlon competition. This is especially the case be- cause the youngest kids don’t need to put in any training to do races that often include a 50-meter swim, 2 miles on the bike and a half- mile run. For them, it is simply about participa- tion and turning grown-up competition into child’s play.
CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS Even as the sport grows, it faces a number of
hurdles when compared to other youth athlet- ics. Although USAT has made a push to keep top-of-the-line equipment off the courses of youth races, cost is still oftentimes perceived to be high. “Sometimes parents get scared away by gear, travel and registration costs,” says Begg. Seebohar says this can largely depend on your geographic location. If you live in an area with access to kids
events and teams, it’s less of a challenge. Kids that Tri and other organizations such as Kids Triathlon Inc., and MiracleKids Triathlon try to keep costs low for participants and keep the mood light. “Our goal is to get kids involved in the
sport,” said Tom Gildersleeve, the event di- rector for Kids Triathlon Inc., an organization that often pairs events with the NFL Play 60 campaign and offers scholarships to kids and families in need. Gildersleeve estimates that 5 percent of the 5,600 young participants from six events were able to compete due to schol- arships. “We don’t want financial reasons to keep anyone from doing triathlon,” Gilder- sleeve added. Another challenge is parents pushing too
hard. Tony Schiller, the race director of Miracle- Kids Triathlon, said parents at his event don’t shout at kids about what place they’re in; they cheer for all the kids. “We don’t keep score, we don’t keep time
and no one minds,” Schiller said. “It’s a com- bination of having a good event and a good model, but no doubt about it — it’s the sport. If you’re making it fun, the sport is electric.” The fact that it isn’t yet an NCAA sport (USA
32 USA TRIATHLON WINTER 2013
Triathlon is pursuing NCAA emerging sport status) may also deter some parent from en- couraging their kids to participate. When a child shows talent in another sport early on, he or she may stay the course in hopes of the reward of a scholarship upon grad- uation from high school. For instance, Begg was recruited by Harvard for crew. Despite this,
Begg says that she continues to compete in triath- lon over the summer and that the diversity in disciplines makes her a better all-around athlete. Indeed, hav- ing never rowed, she was recruited by Harvard, largely thanks to the athleti- cism she gained as a triathlete. As she begins training for Ironman Lake Placid in the summer of 2013, she also points to the fact that triath- lon is a lifelong sport. “When I’m done with college, I’ll be able to keep competing,” she says. She suggests that by starting early, tri- athlon was ingrained in her mind as a fun and accessible sport. Seebohar says that while there are a few
perceived remaining hurdles for youth triath- letes, the benefits far outweigh the challenges. “Triathlon teaches sportsmanship, how to fo- cus, listen and set goals,” he explains. “From a physical standpoint, kids learn agility, balance and coordination so they know how to handle their bodies and be physically active.” What’s more, the pageantry surrounding
youth triathlons gives kids something to look forward to. From cheering parents, to goodie bags and finishers’ medals, completing a triath- lon gives a child a sense of accomplishment ex- perienced in few other venues. “While there has been a lot of growth, I
think we are only tapping a small base now,” adds Seebohar. “I see it getting more and more popular with increased opportunities for youth. We are really on the verge of seeing an explo- sion in terms of growth.”
LINKS USA Triathlon KidZone:
www.usatriathlon.org/kidzone
USA Triathlon Splash & Dash:
www.usatriathlon.org/splashanddash
USA Triathlon Youth & Junior Nationals:
www.usatriathlon.org/youthnationals
Young Tri:
www.youngtri.com Kids that Tri:
www.kidsthattri.org IronKids Triathlon:
www.ironkids.com TOUGHKids Triathlon Series:
www.toughkidstri.com Peak Multisport:
www.peakmultisport.com MiracleKids:
www.MKidsTri.com Kids Triathlon, Inc.:
www.firstcoastkidstriathlon.com
“You could literally do a triathlon with floaties and a tricycle and you’d still get that multisport experience.”
Tom Kimmell
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