On The Pegs April 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 4 | Page 59

On The Pegs
Vol. 2 Issue 4 - April 2018
P 59
Did your Dad get you involved trials?
Dad is my #1 fan and I am his #1 fan. He started me in trials very young just to
let me give it a try and maybe have something to do on the weekends together.
It seems like all of a sudden it turned from riding in the yard once in a while to
making it my first priority. I have ridden every local event, every National Cham-
pionship, and every World Championship with my Dad right by my side. My Mom
and my Dad have always supported my love for Trials and wanted me to reach
my full potential. Until recently my Dad has been my coach, mental coach, and
minder for all the hours I spend on and off the bike. He keeps me motivated ev-
eryday (with phone calls now) to remember why I’m in this and to remind me to
enjoy the ride.
There seems to be a good camaraderie in the women’s classes in America.
The women in America are all very close, mainly because we’ve known each
other since before we can remember. On the bike we are usually very focused on
competition and keep it serious, but as soon as the score cards are turned in we
are back to our normal selves. For the most part, in my experience, girls in trials
are very good at separating “work” from “play”. We all want to do well and win,
but are happy for one another when they have successes. American trials girls
usually only see each other for a couple weeks a year but somehow go right back
to where we left off when we see each other again. A big bonding experience for
a lot of the girls is attending the Trials des Nations together, it’s a team competi-
tion where we get to work together for once, not against each other!
What do you thin is the importance of the Youth events at the Trials Train-
ing Center in Tennessee?
Anyone that knows me, knows I love to teach. At home I coach gymnastics to
8-16 year olds and love it! I try my best to make it every year to Trials Training
Days, Family Camp, and be available after events to help the young riders. When
it comes to learning, the best way in my opinion, is to have one-on-one atten-
tion. At the Trials Training Center the classes are usually small enough that each
kid gets more than enough time with the instructor each day. As a kid I attended
all the Family Camps and I still have some of the best memories from that week
each summer. I can’t think of anything better than riding your bike with some of
your best friends. The TTC does a great job at making sure that the kids are hav-
ing fun while on and off the bike. The Youth Nationals and Women’s Open hosted
each year at the Trials Training Center give the youth the opportunity to compete
at an appropriate level and learn how competition works. I know as a kid when I
would get to the Youth National Championships it would motivate me to move
up a class next year and keep my love for riding going. n
Check out Maddie on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maddiehoovertrials/