WORD

Youth MTB Adventures!

FAQ

How is WORD funded

WORD is a registered non profit organisation with the New Zealand Charities Commission (NZ Charity Number CC50833). We operate on participant fees, grants, company sponsorship, and super nice peoples’ individual donations. If you are keen to make a donation contact Ash on ash@word.org.nz

How does the lottery system work for Holiday Camps?

Registrations for the April 2017 Holiday camps will be via an online lottery system. Registrations will be open from 8-11am on Thursday 9 March
All details (except payment) will be taken at the time of registering. At 11.30am on Thursday 9 March, kids will be drawn via a fancy randomized spreadsheet and an email will go out just after 12pm if you have secured a spot. Payment will need to be made within 24 hours. After that, the spot will go to the next person down the list. Siblings will be kept together if registered together for the lottery…good idea!

You many choose as many camps as you would like for a greater chance of getting in…another good idea!

If there are spare spots after the lottery, the registrations will stay open until fully booked.

Groups

We always split into groups based on 3 things: skill ability, fitness ability, preference. Kids will get to choose (with guidance from WORD instructors) which group they ride with for the session. These groups will be sorted out on the first day of the programme. All groups will have a 1:6 or 2:8 instructor/child ratio.

We think the social side of riding is just as important as the actual riding skills. Because of this, we have split the ages accordingly. If your child is turning 13 in Term 4, please choose the 10-12 year old programme. The 13-17 year old programme is for kids already in college. Your almost 13 year old will be stoked to start college AND get to join the older kids at Mt Victoria.

WORD MTB Levels

We will use the following levels for our small groups during WORD. Since we want kids to ride with others around their ability, we might change their group during the term, depending on their progression.
Level 1: Newbie- able to ride a bike, but little/no experience riding off road.
Level 2: Beginner- a bit of experience on easy single track. Starting to get the hang of gentle corners.
Level 3: Intermediate- confident on gentle corners, but still needing work with switchbacks and steeper terrain.
Level 4: Strong Intermediate- totally have corners and rough stuff covered, but keen to try small drops and jumps
Level 5: Advanced- comfortable on steep and technical terrain. High level of fitness (riding 3+ times a week)

Weather

WORD runs rain or shine (hopefully we’ll have more shine then rain!). But in the off chance that the weather is awful, we will cancel the session. Safety is a huge concern for us, and we don’t want anyone to be put in harms way for the sake of a ride. We will post on the WORD Facebook page at noon on the day for Term Programmes and 7am on the day for Camps if we are cancelling.

Cancellations/Refund Policy

Once you have booked onto a WORD course/camp/event the following applies:

More than 7 days before the start date: 80% refund
2-7 days before start date: 50% refund
48 hours before start date: no refund
Injury and miss 3 or more sessions: no refund, but guaranteed spot on next programme (contact Ash on ash@word.org.nz)

Safety

From time to time, your child might fall off their bike, but we make every effort to see that they are not put in a situation that is overtly dangerous. Kids are encouraged to ride at their own pace, and progressions are made slowly. We start small, and build up. We look at obstacles (ie. a corner, a drop, a jump, etc), discuss line choice, and give options. Kids are encouraged to give things a go, but never forced. Walking is always an option. All WORD instructors will carry a first aid kit (and know how to use it), if a situation arises. We ask that your child comes with the items in the ‘what to bring section (emailed out before term/camp)’ to ensure their comfort, safety, and fun levels are high.

T-Shirts!

Each WORD kid will get a FREE t-shirt (1 per year). For 2016 we will be rockin the black shirt with gold logo.  Kids will receive their t-shirt on the first day of WORD for the term or holiday camp.

Photos

Each day we’ll be taking photos at WORD. We love sharing these via the WORD Facebook page. If for some reason you don’t want photos of your child publicized, please let us know on the first day of the term/camp.