The Board of Directors of Latvian Sports Education Institutions LSIIDP together with 5 other European organizations related to the field of sports and, in particular, cycling, participates in the BMX project “Training to Win” of the Erasmus + program. Currently, the project is working intensively to develop a training course for BMX trainers, which will be an open educational resource, so it is available to all those interested in this sport in Latvia and throughout Europe. The training program will serve as a guide for coaches, especially those who want to move from the status of a driver to a coach and have a wealth of practical experience, but need to supplement and strengthen the theoretical knowledge base in this sport.

The training course will include several sections. The topics of the first section will be devoted to theoretical general competencies in sport, including psychology, pedagogical methods, etc. The second part will include specific content required for BMX sports on physical condition, sports rules, techniques, tactics, psychological aspects. The third section will be devoted to practice, in which all the acquired theoretical knowledge can be applied in practical training.

“BMX traditions are strongly rooted in Latvia. We have great riders who have achieved great achievements on a European and global scale, a motivated new generation, knowledgeable, enthusiastic coaches, as well as responsible race organizers and judges. We are strong and competitive in this sport, so we can share our knowledge and skills by creating a training program for coaches all over Europe, ”says Sandija Zaļupe, LSIIDP project manager.

Professionals in the field of BMX, including the coach of Valmiera Sports School, BMX Club “Tālava” and Valmiera High Class Athlete Training Center (AKSSC) Olafs Lakučs, driver and at the same time coach of Smiltene Children and Youth Sports School Renārs Auga. He is also an ambassador for the project, who, with his experience, growth and achievements, is able to set an example for young riders that getting an education is important alongside a sports career.
Athlete's video card   

 PHOTO of the local meeting of the project teem.

So far, the project has undergone extensive preparations for the development of a training course. A study has been conducted on a European scale, including in Latvia, by interviewing BMX coaches, athletes, organizers of sports competitions in order to find out their needs, wishes, attitudes, opinions and proposals for a successful, effective training process. Last autumn, immediately after the BMX European Cup, athletes of various ages, including elite riders, from Latvia, Spain, Portugal and Slovakia met in the Portuguese city of Anadia to perform a physical test or a so-called "Battery Test" series. The testing was organized by the project's main partner CLUB BMX School Zaragoza, Spain, as well as the project participants, the Portuguese Cycling Federation Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo and St. George's University Universidad San Jorge. The obtained results are summarized, analyzed, translated into all languages ​​of the project countries and serve as a basis for the development of the training course.

The aim of the project is to promote education in sport, with a special focus on the development of skills needed in BMX sport and the training of coaches to improve the safety of sporting careers and young athletes. Project partners - International Centre for the Promotion of Education and Development CEIPES, Malta Street Sports Association MSSA, Slovak Cycing Federation Slovensky Zvaz Cyklistiky are also actively participating in the project side by side.

BMX “Training to Win” project is co-financed by the European Union.

Information about the project in Latvian can be found on the LSIIDP website here

Information about the project is available here: https://trainingtowin.eu/