Women should be encouraged to have fun in sport at any age. In cycling specifically, this should be an option that’s provided along with one to become a professional or even competitive athlete. 

Both women and men enjoy cycling. Let them enjoy it! I love the sport but I’ve been driven out by riders who have different goals than I do. It’s not fun getting humbled during every practice.  If there was an opportunity for me, and many others in a similar situation, to have a more relaxed club experience, I would still be an active member of the club.

Club leaders, coaches, athletes, sponsors, volunteers, race organizers and everyone within every sport are in the sport because they love it. The opportunity to keep people who love the sport in the community is so important. More and more people are finding it hard to discover something they are passionate about. Those who have a hobby that they love should be encouraged to stick with it.

Some readers have tuned out at this point. I can sense you thinking, “How will this effect me?”You may not be an avid cyclist or even someone who is into sports, but I assure you, this has an impact on us all. When people in our society are happy they tend to be kind to those around them. That is an observed fact. We can us this knowledge to infer that having more people who are happy make more happy people, and the cycle continues. Who doesn’t want to be treated kinder? 

I’ve come across the argument that there’s no point to putting effort and money into making this a viable option because women will just naturally leave sport from the ages of 12-18. I truly believe, after living on this earth for sixteen years, that women can and will stay in sport if they have the support and opportunities available. The love for an activity doesn’t just go away overnight for that many people in a specific population. Things drive them away. For many, it’s the overwhelm created by the pressure of sport environments. 

Cycling can be a leader in inclusivity. As our world grows and changes, cycling has struggled to keep up. We don’t have celebrities in the way other sports do and we can’t sell stadium tickets. But what we can do, is to get a new generation of people riding their bikes. Starting a community of cyclists who love riding can be cycling’s new legacy.

Creating environments like this improves overall club health. A cycling club is almost a living organism. If the energy of the members is off for any number of reasons, the conditions change. People find themselves enjoying group rides less. Having people who are in the club simply because they love riding their bikes improves the “vibe” of the whole club. 

Cycling is good for individuals physical and mental health. If you don’t want to empathize with others, the Government of Canada is trying to encourage people of all ages to stay in shape. This allows for less taxpayer money to go to helping people who aren’t in shape, and instead to more prevalent things. 

Having more people in a club means more support in both physical support and financial ways. Having people who love and support a sport organization provides stability for everyone involved. Everyone has a secure idea of what the year ahead looks like 

Teams would also get more committed athletes out of this change. Some women who have developed skills and love the sport would move to racing. The difference is, they would do it because they want to. Not because there is internal pressure to compete. Teams would get competent athletes ready to be refined, instead of starting from the ground up. 

Teams would also receive more club coaches because they don’t need to have the skill level of being a great athlete. All that would be required is that they have to be a good coach. Those coaches would learn from these experiences and have more skills to potentially help competitive athletes in the future. 

Other sports already do this. House league soccer for U-18 women requires minimal commitment. It’s a fun environment for participants and keeps young women involved in sports they love.

You have the opportunity to divert money to athletes who want to race, not those who are in for fun. While there should certainly be more funding to fun programs, there’s no use putting money for professional athletes into people who aren’t aiming at that level. 

So, what do I want from you? First of all, I want you to think about the evidence I’ve presented. Don’t just take my word for it. Consider what you think about this idea. Ask people in your community what they think. And, a revolutionary idea: ask real human women in sport what they think. I am only one mind and while I’ve done my research and talked to people in my community, every individual is different. Use this wonderful fact to improve your life, and the lives of others. 

I also ask you to fight for women’s equality not just within sport, but in everyday life. We have to work together to make meaningful change. As an individual, this task can seems daunting. Start small. Work within your sport, organization, or community to give women opportunities to do what they love. Supporting organizations that do this is a great first step. I’ve linked a page on my blog that talks about groups doing great things for women here. If you have the time or the resources to help them, I strongly encourage you to do so. 

Reading about important things is sometimes hard to do. The subject of inequality definitely falls into this category, but as most of us can agree, women should be encouraged to have fun in sport. Educating yourself is one of the most important things we can do as a society to make change. Because of this, I thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this blog post. Keep thinking about we can make a difference in the world until I see you next time. 

The end.