A partnership between South Side Elementary School’s gym teacher Jamie Scott and resource officer Willie Wilson proved to be a big hit.
South Side held its first Bike Rodeo in the school’s parking lot last Thursday, providing students with the opportunity to hone their skills and receive valuable safety tips from members of the Johnson City Police Department. Students from kindergarten through fourth grade had an opportunity to receive a safety presentation from police officers and go through an obstacle course to get some practice.
Scott said he was surprised with how few kids knew how to ride bicycles, so he saw the Bike Rodeo as an opportunity to introduce them to a healthy hobby that can last a lifetime.
“I have been surprised by how many students cannot ride a bike,” Scott said. “We have quite a few who have been on a bike, but can’t ride without training wheels and some who just haven’t even sat on a bike whatsoever.”
In addition to last Thursday’s Bike Rodeo, which Scott hopes becomes an annual event, he also offers an afterschool program for third- and fourth-grade boys called Boys on the Bike focused on bike safety.
