The local non-profit organization Clipped In for Life is set to launch Grip Academy, an innovative after-school youth cycling program for children in 8th grade and under. This program aims to teach kids how to ride and enhance their biking skills in a community-focused environment.

Grip Academy is unique in its approach, using a martial arts-inspired system where participants progress through skill levels marked by colored grips. This method encourages deliberate skill development and makes learning to ride a bike an engaging, lifelong activity. The program promotes physical and mental health, teaches valuable life skills, and fosters a sense of community.

The Fall 2024 pilot session of Grip Academy will cover the White and Yellow grip levels, with plans to advance to Orange and Green grips by the end of the session. The program will further expand to include Green, Blue, and Purple grips in the Spring of 2025.

“This program follows a highly successful summer learn-to-ride program we offered at Lake Side Church and at a charter school in Sacramento,” said Doreen Wagner, Programs Director for Clipped In for Life. “We taught over 100 kids how to ride bikes for the first time. Watching children achieve this milestone was incredibly rewarding.”

Grip Academy’s curriculum is designed to break down complex biking movements into manageable steps, enhancing bike handling skills for all proficiency levels. The program also covers traffic safety, bike maintenance, first aid, stewardship, and fitness, making it inclusive for children of various ages, genders, and economic backgrounds.

Grip Levels Overview:

  • White: For beginners who have never ridden a bike or are just learning to pedal.
  • Yellow: For children comfortable pedaling on pavement.
  • Orange: For kids confident on both pavement and dirt, starting to master gear shifting and braking.
  • Green: For those with advanced bike handling skills, navigating various terrains with ease.

Grip Academy aims to impact children aged 14 and under by promoting cycling as a healthy, lifelong activity, enhancing mental health, teaching personal responsibility, and fostering a supportive community.The program launches on August 5, and registration is now open. For more information and to register, visit the Clipped In for Life website.

Clipped In for Life’s mission is to create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to find achievement, adventure, and connection through cycling and other athletic activities – thus, helping improve lives and bring communities together.

From our perspective, cycling is a lifestyle. Its impact reaches beyond the race course and into every day life with physical and mental health benefits, quality time with loved ones, transportation, and more. So our purpose at Clipped In for Life is simple: to spread the bike love to anyone and everyone with hopes of improving lives.

Races are our primary channel for connecting people, but we’re here to help you find community off the race course too. To help you get plugged in, we’ve mapped out the Lifecycle of a Cyclist – whether you’re just getting rolling, ready to let ‘er rip, looking for a release that’s cheaper than therapy, or in your groove and ready to give back – there’s a place here for you.