Yes, you can absolutely braap it up on numerous college teams! The colleges that currently have BMX teams are Marian University, Lindsey Wilson College, Fort Lewis College, Lindenwood University and Colorado Mesa University.
The racing association’s Bob Warnicke Scholarship program raises money each year at specific races in Canada and in the U.S. In 2014, more than 300 tracks held a Warnicke Scholarship race.
Not only are there available colleges that offer BMX as a sport but they also have granted many scholarships through Bob Warnicke’s Scholarship program that are awarded ranging anywhere from $500 to $5,000. These awards are eligible for all USA BMX and BMX Canada members who have a current membership, and track operators and officials who participate in BMX racing events sanctioned by USA BMX or BMX Canada.
USA BMX’s CEO, B.A. Anderson says, “As our sport has increased participation in our Bob Warnicke Scholarship races, the USA BMX Foundation is able to give more back to our members — those who are balancing college life with their favorite sport, BMX racing, all of us at USA BMX are thrilled to hand out a record amount — $75,000 — to a record number of students."
Last year, the fund raised and dispersed $45,000.
The Warnicke Scholarship race program was created to help fund The Bob Warnicke Memorial Scholarship Fund, which assists students and their families in meeting the costs of undergraduate college education, trade school, and other education opportunities.
Bob Warnicke was a longtime BMX promoter, remembered for his instrumental role in bringing BMX racing to millions of viewers through the airing of the "Road to Glory Series" on ESPN2 and ESPN. He died in 1994 at 48.
Moving along, what does someone need to do in order to find what school they want to go to not just for the academics as that should be the top priority but also to continue on with their fiery passion to get on the track and race?!
First you must be an enrolled full-time student at the university of your choosing. You should stick to the school's athletic department policies and requirements as well as hold an active collegiate USA Cycling license attached to that university. Maintaining a minimum GPA to stay eligible to race according to the schools standards is also very important. Lastly, you must review and sign the team agreement each season, agreeing that you'll uphold the procedures and conduct of the university, their cycling, and work cooperatively with the coaching staff in all areas related to your development while a student-cyclist.
So what are your next steps if you are interested in joining the team? To express interest, you must first apply to the university you would like to go to and then schedule a campus visit. Be sure to indicate an interest in cycling to trigger a meeting with the team coaching staff during your visit. If after getting a tour you find that the academics program is a good fit for you, then exploring the cycling component is next – so get in touch with the coaching staff of the school! Ways you can get in contact with them is with the interest form on the website or a direct email.
One other thing to keep in mind is that when you go to National races this is a huge huge opportunity not only to be seen by colleges but also getting the chance to race college against college!
Now with all the knowledge of what to do next, get out to your local track and start poppin' some wheelies! If you're unsure of where to go check usabmx.com and find all the tracks near you!
