Now in its fifth year, the Transylvania County Schools Cycling Club began with a few faculty members at Brevard and Rosmanhigh schools who wanted to expose kids to cycling. The idea was to support students who wanted a new way to get outdoors, then help them identify a group to ride with and provide support.
According to Brevard High School teacher Kevin Spradlin, one of the original faculty organizers, TCS Cycling met those goals early on.
“We rode once a week at various locations,” he said. “In a place like Brevard, where do you start? With so much to choose from, students were often amazed at some of the cool spots they were riding right in their backyard.”
Generous community support helped the club engage students who might have missed out, and keep them coming back as well.
Noelle Khare, a teacher at Brevard Middle School, saw the success of the club and joined up to provide access for younger students, starting three years ago. “She really jumped in, and since then it’s taken off like crazy,” added Spradlin.
The roster has climbed to roughly 50 students from around Transylvania County Schools.
Khare said recruiting sixth-graders was a great way to attract members, since eligibility for interscholastic sports doesn’t start until seventh grade. This has created a unique window to teach and reinforce some of the most important lessons cycling has to offer.
“We have had some of our riders work as cycling mentors with Trips for Kids out of Asheville,” Khare said. “I’d like to trickle down into elementary schools, and offer a 4th-5th grade program with high school kids as mentors. The community has given so much; I want us to get involved in giving back.”