'Track cycling has a long history of developing some of the country’s top athletes' – USA Cycling goes talent hunting across the athletic spectrum with new funding scheme

Zachary Carlson in action for the USA during round one of the Men's Omnium on day three of the 2013 UCI Juniors Track World Championships — (Image credit: Getty Images)

A youth development plan has been launched by USA Cycling today, which will use grants to try and attract promising junior athletes into track cycling from other forms of cycling, and even completely different sports.

The Youth Track Cycling Development Grant was inspired by the success of the Search for Speed talent transfer program, which seeks to introduce track sprint cycling to a broader and more diverse audience throughout Los Angeles and the Southern California basin.

The new funded membership-supported talent development initiative is designed to help velodromes, clubs and coaches identify talent and encourage junior athletes, primarily aged between 14 and 18, to try track cycling.

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The objective of the Youth Track Cycling Development Grant is to use financial support to break down a significant barrier to entry, and create structured development opportunities for athletes who are competing in other cycling disciplines, or pursuing completely different athletic pursuits, so they can experience the excitement of competitive track cycling.

Initially the program hopes to boost the numbers of young people taking part in the sport at local velodrome level, but the longer-term goal is to create pathways for participation in Junior Track National Championships, High School Track National Championships, and to identify athletic potential for future national teams.

USA (Daniel Summerhill, Eric Young, Ashton Lambie and Gavin Hoover) compete in the Men's Team Pursuit qualifying during the 2018 UCI Track World Cup

“Track cycling has a long history of developing some of the country’s top athletes,” said USA Cycling Director of Membership, Eric Bennett. “The Youth Track Cycling Development Grant is designed to help local programs create welcoming entry points for young athletes while strengthening connections between velodromes, coaches, and the next generation of riders.”

Two grant awards of $2,500 per program are up for grabs, with USA Cycling stipulating that proposals must focus on the development of junior riders (14-18 year olds) and provide a structured curriculum designed to transition athletes into track racing and training. Velodromes, cycling clubs and USA Cycling-certified coaches can all apply for funding, with applications being reviewed by a three-person USA Cycling panel, which will assess the potential impact of the proposed program.

Interested and eligible parties should apply via the website, and if successful can use the funding to facilitate velodrome access, coaching fees, track bike rentals and educational materials related to track cycling safety and athlete development. Applications for the Youth Track Cycling Development Grant open on 27 May and close on 10 June. Award notifications will be distributed by 17 June, and funds are expected to be dispersed by 1 July.

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Having recently clipped in as News & Features Writer for Cycling Weekly, Pat has spent decades in the saddle of road, gravel and mountain bikes pursuing interesting stories. En route he has ridden across Australia's Great Dividing Range, pedalled the Pirinexus route around the Catalan Pyrenees, raced through the Norwegian mountains with 17,000 other competitors during the Birkebeinerrittet, fatbiked along the coast of Wales, explored the trails of the Canadian Yukon under the midnight sun and spent umpteen happy hours bikepacking and cycle-touring the lost lanes and hidden bridleways of the Peak District, Exmoor, Dartmoor, North Yorkshire and Scotland. He worked for Lonely Planet for 15 years as a writer and editor, contributed to Epic Rides of the World and has authored several books.