Lancaster BMX

Click on the link! https://fb.watch/Ikdssdsj0d/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Check out this awesome video for this weeks racing. Thanks Blake Rossi!!

What makes a great track is the volunteers. Unfortunately they are hard to come by. If everyone did a little, nobody would have to do a lot.
I’m grateful for those who help.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1747455283523651&set=a.219817779620750&type=3&mibextid=wwXIfr

𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I hope everyone takes a few minutes to read it. This is not an easy message to write, but it is an important one for the future of Waukegan BMX.

To our Waukegan BMX families, riders, and community,

I want to be honest with everyone about where things currently stand at Waukegan BMX.

Over the last few years, we have accomplished a lot together. The track has grown, our events have improved, our rider base has expanded, and we have continued building something really special for local kids, families, and riders. This past weekend was another example of what Waukegan BMX can be. The compliments we received were appreciated more than people probably realize, and it means a lot to know that people see the progress being made.

But the truth is, behind the scenes, the track is being held together by far too few people.

We have a small board in place, but only a few are regularly available to handle the majority of what it takes to keep the track operating. Those same few people are taking off work, rearranging family schedules, and putting large parts of their personal lives to the side to make races, practices, track prep, events, concessions, registration, repairs, planning, and everything else happen.

That is not sustainable.

This weekend only happened because volunteers from other tracks stepped in to help make it possible. More than half of our volunteer base on Saturday came from outside of Waukegan BMX. While we are incredibly thankful for those people, we also have to be honest about what that says. Our own track cannot continue to depend on other tracks, the same small group of families, or one family carrying the weight week after week.

My family has put a lot of our lives to the side to help make Waukegan BMX as successful as possible. We have done it because we love this track, we love this sport, and we love seeing kids and families have a place like this in our community. But it is getting harder and harder to justify the amount of time and energy being poured into the track when the help just is not there.

At this point, if one family is gone, there is a very real chance races cannot happen. That is not sustainable. That is not healthy for the volunteers who are here every week. And that is not a path forward for the track.

We have held volunteer training days and had little to no turnout. We have asked repeatedly for help at races and practices. We have offered to teach every role. We have made it clear that no one needs to know everything before stepping up. We give volunteers free practices and races as a thank you. But too often, when help is needed, people stay seated and wait for someone else to do it.

We understand that families come to the track to race, to watch their kids, and to enjoy the evening. We love seeing parents riding with their kids. It is one of the best parts of BMX, and seeing entire families involved in the sport is awesome. But we also need people to understand that when everyone races or watches and no one helps, the races cannot continue. It may look like everything is running fine, but that is often because the same few people are stretched far beyond what is reasonable.

We are at the point where this has to change.

Starting now, if we do not have volunteers signed up for the core positions needed to safely and properly run races, we will have to begin cancelling races. That is not meant as a threat. It is simply the reality of where we are. We cannot keep running events without enough people to run them.

We also need people to understand that volunteers need to be signed up before the day of the event. Far too often, we hear people say they will help if they are there. While we appreciate the willingness, we cannot plan an event on ifs. We cannot ask riders and families, including people who may be driving from other tracks and making trips that are several hours long, to come to Waukegan BMX and simply hope that enough people show up to properly run a race. We have to be able to make a decision before race time. We cannot be sitting in the dark wondering who may or may not be there to help.

The core positions are not impossible to learn. We need people willing to help with things like registration, staging, scoring, concessions, gate operation, track setup, awards, cleanup, and general race day support. Some jobs are small. Some are bigger. Some can be learned in one night. But we need people willing to step forward and commit some time.

A few more people helping each week would make a huge difference. It would spread the workload out. It would keep the track from relying on the same handful of people. It would give Waukegan BMX a real chance to continue growing.

I am saying all of this because I care deeply about this track. I would hate to see the progress we have made go to waste because not enough people were willing to get involved. I love having this track available locally for my son and for so many other families. I love the community that is being built here. But as things currently stand, I personally do not see a path forward for Waukegan BMX unless we begin seeing more consistent help.

That truly hurts to say.

We need volunteers signed up for tonight and for our upcoming races. If you have ever thought about helping, now is the time. If your child races here, if your family enjoys this place, if you want Waukegan BMX to continue, we need you to step in.

You do not need to know everything. You do not need to be perfect. You just need to be willing.

Please sign up for a position, ask where help is needed, or come talk to us at the track. We are happy to teach you. We want more people involved. We want this track to succeed. But we cannot keep doing it alone.

Waukegan BMX has come too far to let it fade because too few people were willing to help carry it.

Now we need to see if this community is willing to step up and help keep it going.

And if you are reading this from another track, this message probably applies there too. I can almost guarantee that someone at your track is feeling the same way. Please volunteer there. Please ask where help is needed. Please do not wait until the same few people are burned out before stepping in.

Tyler Kroll
Track Operator
Waukegan BMX

P.S. Volunteer sign up page: https://signup.com/go/NhhLPVr

If you plan to help, please sign up ahead of time so we know the core positions are covered before race day.

Sorry for the late notice. Winds are over 25 miles an hour.

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