ENERGIZED NBL COMPETITION CONGRESS USHERS IN A NEW SEASON

$60,000 AWARDED BACK TO NBL TRACKS AND ATHLETES

The 2009 NBL Competition Congress was a success in many ways and this year's event drew record attendance. More than 225 NBL track directors, clerks, state commissioners and volunteers, along with the NBL Staff and Board of Directors, came together for a weekend of learning, sharing and networking.

To empower tracks with more knowledge on how to run and promote their own successful local programs, NBL hosted a wide variety of seminars throughout the three-day gathering. Topics covered included Local Promotions, Track Building and Maintenance, Refereeing, Clerking, and Medical Training. Each volunteer who attended Congress walked away with valuable information to take back to their own local programs. In addition to a learning experience, Congress has a long-standing tradition of recognizing the outstanding efforts of past and present members and volunteers who helped build and lead the organization.

During Saturday’s congress, long-time NBL board member and past-president Gary Smith of Florida was proudly inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame. In a term that spanned more than 20 years, Gary was first elected to the NBL Board of Directors in 1987 and then served as President from 1990-2004 before retiring due to a bad back. Though he was unable to attend congress in person, his efforts were recognized during a heart-felt induction.

At the core of every successful program, there are people who go that extra mile to get the job done and this year’s ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award was presented to Kittie Weston-Knauer of Iowa. In addition to serving as both the State Commissioner and Track Director of Des Moines Metro BMX, Kittie continues to compete at local and nationals levels and has been an advocate of expanding the Women’s racing programs.

Building on the success of a rise in membership, NBL presented more than $60,000 in grants back to the tracks and athletes this year to further support the grass roots of the sport. They included track awards for highest local attendance, most new riders, and the Bob Warnicke Awards for athletes and their educational pursuits. Weston Pope of Indiana received the $5,000 scholarship to top the list of Warnicke recipients.

On Saturday evening, delegates gathered in the main ballroom to take part in the retirement festivities for Bob and Polly Tedesco. Hosted by past Volunteer of the Year, Roger Plaskett, the night featured a number of keynote speakers including Louis Vridjag from the Netherlands, who gave speeches to recognize their own personal accounts about the Tedescos and their rich history in BMX. Polly then got the chance to play a game of Deal or No Deal which was followed by an evening of socializing, reminiscing and dancing. BMX has come a long ways since those early days when Bob showed up at North Park, PA and it was a fitting transition to usher in a new energy.

Congress doubles as the platform in the voting process for the NBL Board of Directors and this year’s ballot was the most active in more than a decade. As the association makes its final transition to the new leadership, changes at the board level promise to bring a new direction and spirit to the organization. Joining the board this year are Steve Doan of Florida who was appointed as the new Vice-Chair and both James Bagwell of South Carolina and John Pingol of Florida were elected from the floor. “NBL Congress has a long-standing tradition of acting as both a learning experience and a place where new agenda’s are established to invigorate the organization. We welcome the newest members and look forward to a successful and prosperous road ahead” said Ken Masters, NBL President. “In many ways, it is the true essence of what the NBL is all about” he adds.

NBL would like to thank all of the delegates and volunteers who helped make the 2009 Congress a huge success. Visit the NBL website (www.nbl.org) to learn more about the organization and check out the full report in the April issue of BMX Today Magazine.