Welcome to Music City BMX!

 

You may download the USA BMX Rulebook at:  https://www.usabms.com/site/sections/78. 

Gate practice is held every Tuesday and Thursday during our regular season (March – Dec) from 6:00 – 6:30pm for balance bikes and from 6:30 – 8:00pm for pedal bikes.  The cost is $7 per practice ($6 for each additional family member) and $3 for balance bikes (age 5 and under).  Local single point races are held most Sundays.  Registration is from 2:00 – 3:00pm with balance bike racing beginning at 2:45 and pedal bike racing immediately following.  The cost for single point races is $14 ($7 for additional class - Cruiser/Open/Balance Bike).  The full race schedule can be found on our website; however, we recommend you check our FaceBook page for updates since ALL events are weather permitting and cancellations do not immediately display on the schedule online.

First Time Free! Your first visit to MCBMX includes free use of rental bike, full face helmet, one-day trial membership, and practice. We will provide a basic instruction overview and make sure you are comfortable on the track and the starting gate. 

Website:  www.musiccitybmx.com

FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/MusicCityBmx/

Twitter:  @MusicCityBMX

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/musiccitybmx/

E-mail:  info@musiccitybmx.com

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT4EAXCVotjIHAYVU8sEvYg

We strongly suggest you sign up for text messaging regarding schedule changes via Remind.com:

Send the following text: @bhgc83 to 81010

Square Store - http://music-city-bmx.square.site/

 

Your USA BMX membership is good for one calendar year from the date of purchase and enables you to participate in events at Music City BMX, as well as any other USA BMX sanctioned track in the United States.  There are four tracks located in Tennessee and numerous tracks in neighboring states (see usabmx.com for a list of all tracks).  With your membership, you also receive a one-year subscription to Pull magazine – a dedicated BMX magazine.  You will receive a membership card from USA BMX in the next few weeks.  Be sure to present this at the registration window when you race.

USA BMX also provides secondary sports accident insurance to all members.  The coverage is subject to the deductible and will pay up to the policy limits providing the membership has been verified and the proper accident claim form has been filed within 30 days of the incident.  You must let Music City BMX know at the time of the accident so that the incident is documented on the proper form at the track.

Don’t forget to send a copy of the rider’s birth certificate to USA BMX membership department within 30 days to verify the correct age for the membership.

 

About Music City BMX

Music City BMX is a non-profit organization run strictly by volunteers.  Our track is located on land that belongs to the Army Corp of Engineers and is managed by Metro Nashville Park and Recreation Association. 

 

Board of Directors

The governing body of Music City BMX Association is the MCBMX board of directors.  Members of the MCBMX Board of Directors are volunteers, and receive no pay or compensation for serving.  The Board of Directors meet on a regular basis, as determined necessary by the Track Director and/or President. Date and time are to be set by the governing body of MCBMX. Official attendance is recorded by the Secretary. The Board of Directors has authority for creation, revision and implementation of all MCBMX policies, including By-Laws, within the requirements of USA BMX.  Members of the MCBMX Board of Directors are to consist of three (3) categories: a) Parents or legal guardians of the currently registered riders who claim Music City BMX as their home track. b) Currently registered Music City BMX riders who have reached their 18th birthday. Or c) Adult volunteers who are active at Music City BMX track.

Board positions become available every year in October for the upcoming season and are nominated/voted in by MCBMX members or parents of members. The following are our current board positions: 

  • Track Operator
  • President
  • Clerk/Secretary
  • Communications Director
  • Treasurer

 

How You Can Help

We can always use help with concessions, mowing, grounds clean-up, track work days, fundraising, etc. - the list is endless.  We value any help you are willing to provide and will be more than happy to “train” you if you are interested.  Just send a message to our FB page or ask us at registration and we can get you started!

What Does a Parent Do in BMX?

So your child/children have started racing BMX. As a parent what is your role other than being a cheerleader for your rider?  

Volunteers

The sport is run by volunteers. From the person standing on the corner of the track with a flag in hand to the board members of Music City BMX, we are all volunteers with jobs outside of BMX, kids in the sport (or used to have kids in the sport), a love of the sport and kids in general and most importantly, the desire to become involved. 

Obviously, the welfare and safety of your child is your number one responsibility and that should never be neglected because the parent is working in any particular role. There is often a major misconception in this sport that by working you are disadvantaging your children. We believe the opposite is true. All roles, from Track Operator to concessions (and everything in between) help you as a parent learn more about the sport your children love. 

You will also get quite a bit of enjoyment from whatever it is that you do. So, just what it is you can do? There are three main areas of involvement in BMX administration/organization.

Administration

All tracks need Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Secretaries, Treasurers, Clerks, Marketing and Communications Directors, etc. Like all volunteer work, you should look to be involved in something you enjoy and already have some skills in.  You don’t need to be a skilled Secretary, or have done it before to be involved in administrative duties. You really just need to be organized and willing to put some hours in during the week on your own time and at the track.

Setup and Track Work Days

At all BMX events you attend, there is a fair bit of physical labor involved in getting the show up and running. A lot of gear needs to be carried out of sheds, turned on, unlocked, etc. Concessions needs workers to set up and sell, clean the building, etc. The track will need sweeping and possibly some extra heavy-handed work, and there is always something to be carried from one place to another by someone.  At the end of the day/evening, it all has to be put away, locked up, etc. again.

This sort of work does not require a great deal of effort if many people chip in, but it’s hard work for one or two people. You don’t even need to know exactly what to do – we guarantee you won’t be turned away if you offer to help. Sometimes it’s not even necessary to ask, if you see someone on the track sweeping and there is another broom available, just grab it and jump in.  You will most certainly be welcomed with a very big thank you.

From time to time we will announce a track work day.  The purpose of these are kind of like spring cleaning – we want to clean up the grounds, wash and re-hang banners, remove tape and zip ties from the fence and paint any rusted areas, make any small repairs, organize the shed or registration/concession buildings, paint, etc.…. there are always things that need to be done since we are responsible for the upkeep of our track.  Sometimes we will ask for help with special projects that may include construction of a platform or fence.  Bodies are always appreciated for track work days and the kids can even get involved by cleaning the grounds or fences. 

Becoming an Official

This is the one that parents find the most daunting thinking that maybe they don’t know enough to be out there in that capacity.  Trust us, none of us knew what to do when we started but we raised our hand to volunteer and someone showed us what to do.  You will never be asked to walk straight into a position without being shown what to do, and without being assisted, thanked, guided and generally regarded as a great person for “putting your hand up”.

Working on the day can be very rewarding. You will generally not be asked asked to help, we’d rather you volunteer so we don’t put you in an uncomfortable position.  We won’t ask you for long hours, just a quick job here or there is generally all that’s needed.  You also don’t have to do something that is not within your comfort zone.

The areas where you can put your hand up to work without being the world’s most experienced official are helping in staging, flagging and concessions. Staging is a case of calling the riders out of their chutes when the stager is ready to place them in their lanes. The stager also needs help wrangling everyone into the correct chute and keeping them from congregating by the gate.  It’s a great place to get to know the riders and learn about how things work.

Flag marshals are simply orange flags with a person attached. The person running the gate may not be able to see the entire track and therefore watches for a orange flag to be raised. This tells him that there is a rider down on the track somewhere and he should not let the next race go.  Flagging is not hard work, and you get to watch all the racing all the time. 

We can always use help in concessions.  Even if you just want to help retrieve items or stock the coolers, we can always use the help.

 

Using Your Contacts

As you may have figured out by now, running a track and keeping it in good condition takes funding.  Because we are a volunteer-run non-profit, we rely heavily on donations and sponsorship.  If you know of someone who may be willing to become a sponsor or donate to our cause, please reach out and let us know.  This is the main area we are always lacking in and desperately need your help with!  Just reach out to one of the board members (ask at registration or concessions if you aren’t sure who to go to) and we can help guide you on how to proceed.  Any and all help in this area is very much appreciated!!

 

In Conclusion

There is a major upside to becoming a volunteer and learning about the sport your children have chosen to do. You will find a common language to communicate with your kids about the thing they love doing and you will have the opportunity to spend time with your child and other families who value what BMX has to offer.  You will gain knowledge of the sport and be able to help guide your child and you will also meet a great bunch of people and have a fantastic time while at the same time benefiting both your own child and all participants within the sport.

So think about getting involved - it’s rewarding in more ways than you think!