Why Support KCBMX in Newbridge?
• For the greater social good … Young people use a BMX track so that they can develop in a fun and safe environment. They not only develop their skills as BMX riders but also as people.
• As the sport of BMX Racing is relatively inexpensive to enter its not surprising to note that our socio-economic profile transcends all groups from ‘A1’ through to ‘DE’.
• One of the main objectives of KCBMX is to get more young people and their families involved in sports, this will result in a healthier and happier society in future years. The self esteem that riders get from being able to say they are part of a sports club or team in their chosen sport is something that can benefit all aspects of their life.
• Construction of a BMX track will raise income tax revenue and reduce the cost of social welfare, crime prevention and healthcare. Spending on equipment will generate VAT receipts and create jobs in the bike industry further reducing social welfare spend.
• Upon completion the facility would be eligible to host National and international events which would boost the local economy.
• BMX unites a community. When events are held at a track, shops and businesses reap the benefits from the increase in foot traffic due to the amount of competitors and spectators that attend.
Riders, parents and the whole community come together to create an event that can best showcase their BMX Club and town.
• For a healthier future … Ireland’s obesity rate is increasing faster than that of the USA, as is Ireland’s crime rate. BMX as an organised sport will help combat both. BMX Racing is very attractive to the kids of today, it’s a ‘cool’ sport to be involved in.
• BMX is an extremely competitive sport where riders have to learn very quickly that the effort they put in through training is what they get out in a race, a lesson that translates into everyday life.
• Since 2008 BMX racing has been an Olympic Medal Event and has since become one of the most popular additions to the Olympic movement. It is hotly tipped to have one of the highest viewing figures for Rio 2016.
• BMX racing provides a safe and challenging sport for male and female alike. It’s clean, exciting, adrenaline fuelled fun that whole families can get involved in whether as a racer, spectator, track volunteer or even a sponsor.
• The Irish BMX Racing community has a wide range and spread of age, gender, soci-economic, and demographic profiles. Our members range from 4 years old up to 40+, both male and female.
INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
Individual sports like BMX are becoming more popular among young children. Read on for the many ways individual sports can help foster important life skills such as independence and building focus as well as how they’re especially beneficial for children with special needs.
Unfortunately a lack of facilities in our country are preventing kids from experiencing this amazing Olympic sport. While team sports like soccer and GAA have been funded by government many individual sports such as BMX have found it difficult to secure funding or support from local authorities. We are hoping that providing key pieces of the puzzle expertise, funding and a demand for the facility that the council will be able to provide us with a viable site so we can make the dream a reality.
Benefits of Individual Sports
Individual sports such as BMX can help develop a child’s character.When you play other sports, you can rely on your teammates, and it can give you the illusion that you can tune out. In BMX, it’s just you out there, figuring it out on your own. It builds a lot of independence. Individual sports also teach kids how to set goals and challenge themselves to achieve their personal best. And because participants often receive a more in-depth evaluation from their coach, it allows them to practice taking criticism and using it to improve their game, a habit that will undoubtedly benefit them later in life.
Encouraging participation from a young age is important because individual sports such as BMX (and golf, track, swimming, etc.) have many unique benefits for kids that aren’t as prominent in team sports. Apart from encouraging the development of fine and gross motor skills, agility, endurance, and hand-eye coordination, as almost all sports do, individual sports combine physical fitness with mental development. In a sport like BMX, a player is responsible for every move he makes. His success is his own, but so is his disappointment –
– a combination that can quickly build confidence and self-esteem along with coping skills and resilience. And because participants are alone on the track, without teammates and sometimes even without a coach, they are forced to develop independent thinking. Kids quickly learn how to problem-solve on their own. They have to think on their feet, be able to change strategies and tactics, and resolve their own conflicts.
Learning to work as part of a team is also an important life skill, which is why individual sports on the junior level often incorporate team elements. While kids compete individually, they’re often part of a larger team setting, contributing points through their performance toward an over all team score.
THE PROPOSAL
BMX racing today is held on specially prepared dirt tracks over jumps and around banked berms such as the Ratoath Track in County Meath. Typical tracks are 350m to 400m long and races are sprints between 8 riders that last under 45 seconds. There currently is no facility in Kildare for people to take part in this exciting sport. We intend to fund and build such a facility in Newbridge. Our vision is to construct the facility within cycling distance from the town centre in order to make it as safe and as accessible as possible to the kids that will be using the track.
We have come to an arrangement with a developer to fund the project.
• The contractor and Kildare county BMX Club will be responsible for the full cost of the track development. Approx value €150k.
• Site of approximately three acres is required for the scale of facility planned.
• A full site plan will be provided by the club with detailed cad drawings.
• Contractor will undertake all required testing on identified material to be used in track build and notify EPA formally of the source of materials.
• Final landscaping will be an integral part of the agreement with the club and their contractor and the facility will be finished to an extremely high standard.
• The club/contractor attend any public consultation and carry out extensive engagement with residents close to any proposed site.
• ESB, The contractor will provide details of all utilities, underground and overground in or near the site well in advance of any agreement for work to proceed.
• The contractor to comply with the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 for all phases of the project
ABOUT KCBMX
KCBMX was established in June 2015 by Ross Dunleavy with the goal of creating a state of the art BMX facility in the newbridge area. Ross is a qualified level one cycling Ireland coach and is passionate about the growth and success of the sport on the island. He has a track record of success having previously built a motocross track in damastown co. Dublin in partnership with fingal county council.
He currently serves as treasurer of DCBMX in Dublin until such time as a site is secured for the newbridge project. His son Callum is a four time Irish champion and current uk number 3 in the under 6 age group.
Throughout 2015 Ross travelled to 10 rounds of the british bmx series and was a member of the delegation that took home two world titles from the BMX a member of the delegation that took home two world titles from the BMX world championships in Zolder,Belgium.
During the year Ross made strong connections within the BMX commission of cycling Ireland and other clubs within the sport, all of whom have committed their expertise and support. Newbridge cycling club have also expressed an interest in using the facility to coach there underage members.

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