I guess it depends on if you want to follow the rules or not, or how you want to teach your daughter how to handle such situations..

If you feel there should be some exception made I would contact the RD and let them make the call, not to see if you ca n get away with something you know is not allowed.

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I *heart* weak, dumb ass people...

My wife had sent them an email asking... I guess we will find out tomorrow.

Clarify something for me, why are they using 2013 as age restriction for a 2014 race?

Her racing age according to USAT should be 6, regardless of when she actually turns 6, unless this is an special exempt race or non-usat sanctioned event.

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@brooksdoughtie
USAT-L2,Y&J; USAC-L2
http://www.aomultisport.com

Ya, the website wasn't up to date for the age thing. They did email my wife back and said her age was fine like you said. However they added that she could not use training wheels. I could swear when I saw this event last year that some kids used training wheels. Even if my daughter could learn to ride without them in the next 5 days, I think that would pose a bigger risk for other riders than if she used them.

Don't sell your daughter short. Help her learn to ride by starting her down a grassy hill with a gentle incline and a field at the bottom, something you can likely find at a school near you. 3-4 days in a row where she rides 30 minutes or so may be all she needs to learn to ride safely. Lots of starts and stops. Lay out an obstacle course and let her pick up some handling skills.

Bingo but also take off the pedals. Helps them gain confidence with balance on the bike without having to worry about moving their legs. Once they have that down add the pedals back and you're done. It's amazingly simple. Worked great for all three of my kids.

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"Unless you have a ... GF who might put out that night and that night only ... skip it and race." - AndyPants 3-15-2007

Taught my kid how to ride a bike using a balance bike. Two weeks later he was riding a regular bike like he'd been doing it for years.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Good ideas... I'll give it a shot. thx

However they added that she could not use training wheels. I could swear when I saw this event last year that some kids used training wheels.


My kids have been racing triathlons for three years and I have found that almost all of the rules are ignored.

Last year, I asked a race director if they would be enforcing the rule about having to cover your torso with a shirt or some other clothing. He said that they would.

At least four boys did the entire race in jammers only.

I showed my video to the race director after the finish and he refused to comment or do anything about it.

Tattletale

Kids of Steel (at least in Alberta) seems to do a good job of communicating the rules and ensuring they are enforced. I had to borrow a shirt at a youth race because it was the first race I had done after the bare torso rule was enacted.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/...eoesophageal_fistula
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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Tattletale


I specifically asked the director if my kids would be disqualified if they didn't wear a shirt. He said they would.

So, my kids took the time to put on a shirt.

If I had known the rules would not be enforced, I would have had them go topless.

So they had a rule not enforced. Happens all the time. Go stand by a road with a radar gun and watch how fast people drive vs the speed limit.

Just because your kids HAD to wear a shirt (boo hoo, such a burden), no reason to try and ruin the fun of other kids race. Trying to get some kids who didn't know better DQed? What a dick.

Lead by example. Your kids followed the rules. Good. Don't be a dick and get an 8 year old's plastic medal taken away.

If they are going to have rules, they need to be enforced so everyone is on a level playing field.

And the kids that didn't wear shirts knew exactly what they were doing.

What life lesson did you teach your kids?

All we can do is play by the rules, and do the best we can
or
Look at those bad people that cheat, the world is out to screw you. Lets screw them back

I'm guessing you've never seen the list of disqualifications at an age-group swim meet. In swimming at least, the officials enforce the rules relentlessly, and there are a lot more of them than in tri. In the younger age groups, kids get upset and cry all the time, but then they learn not to do whatever it was that got them DQ'd.

None of this namby-pamby time penalty stuff either. break a rule, it's an automatic DQ.

If the goal of triathlon is fair competition, then tri officials need to be tougher about enforcing the rules. If the goal is simply participation and everyone is a winner, then yeah, whatever.

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Relentlessly? Hardly. I've always been told to give the swimmer every benefit of the doubt. Yes, I've DQ'ed my fair share of kids but only because they clearly, without doubt, violated a stroke/turn rule. We're all volunteers, we have zero incentive to be hard on the kids and every reason to be lenient. Our kids are out there swimming too.

You seem a bit involved. What would your kids have done if you just told them the rule?

I'm not talking about marginal calls, but if it is a clear rule violation, then they would DQ'd. e.g. touching with one hand in breast or fly, scissor kicks in breaststroke, false starts, that kind of thing.

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I tend to agree with Tuna Boo here. I wouldn't go so far as to call you a dick but you seem like one of those way too involved parents that forget that youth sports should be all about the fun.

All you can teach your kids is to follow the rules and try to do the right thing and not be so concerned about what everyone else is doing. You can't control what everyone else is doing. Why get crazy about it?

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

The key is that it's up to the officials to enforce, not parents. Let the officials be strict or tought. But if the miss something, if they make a judgment call, or if they exercise discretion, then so be it. It's a dick move for a parent to run up to an official after the event with a video of some kid violating some rule.

I showed my video to the race director after the finish and he refused to comment or do anything about it.

So you're that guy.

I agree with that sentiment 100%.

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You seem a bit involved. What would your kids have done if you just told them the rule?


My kids were taught all of the rules that would get them disqualified before they did their first races.