A family that Unicycles together stays together?

General
1

Have any of you riders with families, mainly younger children noticed any link between Unicycling, and being close with your kids?
My Theory: Since not too many people Unicycle, if a child learns to ride when they are young (before the age where they are embarassed of their parents), as they get older, and if they continue to love unicycling, they would spend more time with their parent(s) who unicycle. I feel that this could be a good way to stay close to your kids as they grow.

Has anyone noticed this to be the case, or Just the opposite? Is anyone willing to test out this theory in a study of their relationship with their growing adolescents?
-David Kaplan

2

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

My children haven’t yet learned to ride but I don’t think there is a unique
(pardon the pun) link between unicycling and parent child relationships. I
believe that any wholesome activity where parents spend time with their
children creates a good parent/child relationship.

Despite (or perhaps because of) this opinion I’m still hoping that my kids
will take an interest in unicycling so we can share that activity.

-mg

“UniDak” <UniDak.5p7yy@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
news:UniDak.5p7yy@timelimit.unicyclist.com…
>
> Have any of you riders with families, mainly younger children noticed
> any link between Unicycling, and being close with your kids?
> My Theory: Since not too many people Unicycle, if a child learns to ride
> when they are young (before the age where they are embarassed of their
> parents), as they get older, and if they continue to love unicycling,
> they would spend more time with their parent(s) who unicycle. I feel
> that this could be a good way to stay close to your kids as they grow.
>
>
> Has anyone noticed this to be the case, or Just the opposite? Is anyone
> willing to test out this theory in a study of their relationship with
> their growing adolescents?
> -David Kaplan
>
>
> –
> UniDak - David Kaplan
>
> From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot
> heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but
> if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> UniDak’s Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/311
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/18504
>

3

Re: Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

I absolutely agree, Michael. There is just not enough time in the day to spend with my family. I’d retire in an instant if I could and simply pursue family affairs. Mary and I seem to have two exceptional boys (12 & 9) that don’t shun us in public. Can’t say that’s the way it’ll always be but so far it’s been wonderful. The boys play soccer and we attend all the games and many of the practices. They participate in school band and we go to all the concerts. We attend and serve at church together as a family. The neat thing about unicycling is that Mary and I are not simply spectators, we ride and practice unicycling together, run the club together and promote the sport in our community together. The boys and I are always competing against each other through the skills and at the same encouraging and teaching each other and all the others in the community.

So, in answer to your question, David, yes I believe that there is a link between unicycling and being close with my kids or being a close-knit family unit. It’s not the only link but it sure is a good one!

Bruce

http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/theunicycleuniversity

4

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

UniDak <UniDak.5p7yy@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message news:<UniDak.5p7yy@timelimit.unicyclist.com>…
> Have any of you riders with families, mainly younger children noticed
> any link between Unicycling, and being close with your kids?

I don’t know. I am on a good footing with my daughters (now 11 and 13)
and we ride all three (since 1.5 - 2 years). But then I see unicycling
as just one way of being together. I think it depends (on the parents’
side) mainly on attitude towards your kids. Have a genuine interest in
who they are and what they do, and not assume the patronising,
know-it-all role by default. Children are wonderful!

Klaas Bil

In the best of Dutch traditions, the Echelon-thingy has been
euthanasia’ed.

5

RE: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

> My Theory: Since not too many people Unicycle, if a child
> learns to ride when they are young (before the age where
> they are embarassed of their parents), as they get
> older, and if they continue to love unicycling,
> they would spend more time with their parent(s)
> who unicycle. I feel that this could be a good way to
> stay close to your kids as they grow.

> Has anyone noticed this to be the case, or Just
> the opposite?

I’m not aware of any cases of a family being torn apart by unicycling. I
imagine it may have happened to a marriage or two, but not a family with
kids.

The above theory has to include the family members staying with the sport
over the years, while many things work to pull people away. Especially kids
that learned at a young age. When they reach the teen years there are many
factors to attract them away from unicycling, such as peer pressure, the
need to socialize, and the interest in the opposite sex, cars, careers, etc.
For parents, work and responsibility can get in the way of riding, and the
adults must look out for their own health and well-being, and remember to
stay in the saddle at least enough to stay happy.

As has already been pointed out, the key factor is the activity the adults
and kids can share. It doesn’t have to be unicycling. But when you think
about it, there aren’t that many activities that can involve all family
members as equally. Other traditional sports are usually played by one age
group only, while the others watch. Other age groups might play as well, but
not at the same time.

I think part of this is owed to the fact that unicycling is still small.
Everybody plays, and we don’t take it too seriously. Competition may grow in
time to a point where there are specific activities for specific age groups,
but I hope there will always be elements where everybody plays together,
even in the competition arena.

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com

Howard Stern: “How many wheels does a unicycle have?”
The beautiful but vacant, recently-crowned Miss Howard Stern:
“…Four?”

6

Re: RE: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

When we traveled to TCUC last April, Andy Cotter and I were conversing about the growth of clubs. Andy shared with me that one of the hardest tasks the TCUC leadership faces is retaining club membership of the high school age kids. To counteract the problem, they put together a great Jr. Club Officer program that seems to be helping quite a bit.

Ben has just finished sixth grade and is heading quickly for the time in his life described by JF in the quote above. Brad has a few years to go having just finished third grade. Currently I see a strong enough passion for unicycling in the boys that I think will see us through the high school years especially if we as a club can continue promoting the sport in the schools through newspaper articles, school assemblies, performances and other activities. No guarantees though, I know. We’ve experienced the riff from some of the kid’s peers that unicycling is not cool but I feel we’ve managed to put quite a positive spin on the sport and have been visible enough that we’re making great headway into unicycling as “acceptable” in our community.

Personally, some years from now, Mary and I will become empty nesters as the boys venture off into a world of their own. But with tools like national conventions, I can see us reuniting as a unicycle family as we move through the years. I wonder about my own endurance in the sport though after the boys leave the house. Right now, we love to ride in the driveway together and around the neighborhood with other kids, we excitedly look forward to our weekly club meetings and club activities. Last night, Ben started an evening soccer camp. We had a difficult time convincing him to attend camp the first night because he would miss our club meeting. I really love the kids in our club and feel a personal friendship with each one of them. Admittedly though, my first passion in all these activites is participating with my family, secondly to provide the sport to the kids in our club and to the community. Will I have the same passion when my boys are not nearby anymore? To answer my own question, there are many ways to keep my passion buring by staying involved, I know. By that time, I hope to see our club so grown that we move to leadership by board of directors or officers. Then there is always participation in the national and/or international scene. And of course life changes so much at such a rapid pace that there are means approaching that I can’t even dream of. So, overall I’d have to say…No worries, Mate!

Bruce

http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/theunicycleuniversity

7

As much as I apreciate your responses, my aim was more towards the fact that since unicycling is so rare, if your kids want to have someone to ride with, they have to choose you. Is that the case?
-David Kaplan

8

Boy, not much anymore! That was perhaps the case at first. But since our club has grown so much and since we live in a fairly small town (9500), many of the boy’s friends are a short distance away. I think Ben and Brad were the greatest drivers in influencing their friend’s interest in one-wheeling. They chose to ignore the “not cool” comments and rode anyway. Now they are always riding with friends. I think we’re starting to see unicycling as the cool, in thing to do in town. It’s more the opposite for us, now I choose to ride with the kids.

Bruce

9

haha. thats rich.
-Daivd Kaplan

10

RE: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

> Will I have the same passion when my boys are not
> nearby anymore? To answer my own question, there
> are many ways to keep my passion buring by staying
> involved, I know.

If I may, I will offer USA Treasurer Carol Brichford as an example:

The Brichford kids started unicycling in the early 1970s. They were members
of the Pontiac Unicyclists, but that club was about 30 miles away. Because
of that and other reasons, they started their own club in their town of
Redford, Michigan. This club started off with a very small group of local
neighborhood kids, but over the years grew bigger.

I came into the club in 1980 as a beginner. Not a total beginner; I could
ride forward and backward, and freemount my 6’. But I would not have believe
riding one-footed possible until I read it on the skill levels and then one
of the “kids” showed me how it was done. Around 1980, middle son David
Brichford was the nominal Director of the club, in charge of the riders. But
I think Carol made most of the larger decisions, such as financial,
scheduling, etc.

But Dave was already older than almost all the other riders, and he later
finished college, got married, and started a family of his own, along with
the other three Brichford children.

Meanwhile, Carol was not just involved in club activities. She became editor
of the Unicycling Society of America newsletter (now called On One Wheel) in
1978, and continued doing that through 1980. After that, she was involved as
a USA volunteer in other posts, and again took over the newsletter in the
late 1980s to the mid-90s. Now she is the Treasurer.

She has stayed involved with the club, but I’m not sure to what extent, as I
moved away in 1984. Her oldest grandchildren are now teenagers, and they are
some of the main riders in the Redford club today. But her involvement has
never waned.

I think Carol and Tom Brichford have been to every USA meet/convention since
1974. Sadly they are going to miss it this year due to some health issues.

I think Carol’s is a track record unmatched in the history of the USA, and
is an example for us all to aspire to.

> By that time, I hope to see our club so
> grown that we
> move to leadership by board of directors or officers.

For the Redford club, I think this happened when they got a liability
insurance policy. This was required for doing shows (and maybe parades?) in
many venues. The club had to be a corporation to protect the individual
members, and the officers came from that.

Stay on top,
John Foss
President, Unicycling Society of America
President, International Unicycling Federation
jfoss@unicycling.com

11

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

I am not a parent, and my mom has never picked up a unicycle, and my
dad can get about 3 ft with most of his weight on my shoulder.
However, I learned to ride first with my brother (about a year ago)
when my dad brought a little shit20 home from a yardsale. and my
cousen joined in not long after. me and my cousen bought our first
unicycles together. I have to say that, in direct answer to the
origional message, yes it is the fact that there are so few riders
around (none) that brings us closer. and that yes, it most defenetly
does bring us closer. with my brother, him being 12 and my being 19,
theres not much else we can do together, yet during the semester while
i was not staying at home, i would have him come stay the weekend with
me as often as i could so we could go out and ride. and since i have
been back in the house, we have gone out looking for small trails
within riding distance of the house and the such, almost everynight.
whereas, without the sport, while he is a very cool kid, i cant say
that we would have much, if any contact at this point in our lifes. I
can tell you i dont have any idea what is gonig on in my 13 yrold
sisters life.

I defenetly do plan on teaching my kids to ride long before i ever
show them a bike!

12

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

I am not a parent, and my mom has never picked up a unicycle, and my
dad can get about 3 ft with most of his weight on my shoulder.
However, I learned to ride first with my brother (about a year ago)
when my dad brought a little shit20 home from a yardsale. and my
cousen joined in not long after. me and my cousen bought our first
unicycles together. I have to say that, in direct answer to the
origional message, yes it is the fact that there are so few riders
around (none) that brings us closer. and that yes, it most defenetly
does bring us closer. with my brother, him being 12 and my being 19,
theres not much else we can do together, yet during the semester while
i was not staying at home, i would have him come stay the weekend with
me as often as i could so we could go out and ride. and since i have
been back in the house, we have gone out looking for small trails
within riding distance of the house and the such, almost everynight.
whereas, without the sport, while he is a very cool kid, i cant say
that we would have much, if any contact at this point in our lifes. I
can tell you i dont have any idea what is gonig on in my 13 yrold
sisters life.

I defenetly do plan on teaching my kids to ride long before i ever
show them a bike!

13

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

I am not a parent, and my mom has never picked up a unicycle, and my
dad can get about 3 ft with most of his weight on my shoulder.
However, I learned to ride first with my brother (about a year ago)
when my dad brought a little shit20 home from a yardsale. and my
cousen joined in not long after. me and my cousen bought our first
unicycles together. I have to say that, in direct answer to the
origional message, yes it is the fact that there are so few riders
around (none) that brings us closer. and that yes, it most defenetly
does bring us closer. with my brother, him being 12 and my being 19,
theres not much else we can do together, yet during the semester while
i was not staying at home, i would have him come stay the weekend with
me as often as i could so we could go out and ride. and since i have
been back in the house, we have gone out looking for small trails
within riding distance of the house and the such, almost everynight.
whereas, without the sport, while he is a very cool kid, i cant say
that we would have much, if any contact at this point in our lifes. I
can tell you i dont have any idea what is gonig on in my 13 yrold
sisters life.

I defenetly do plan on teaching my kids to ride long before i ever
show them a bike!

14

Re: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

Don’t have anything to say on the subject, but as a saying it sure doesn’t
rhyme as well as the original.

–
Trevor Coultart

15

I will have to ditto what Michael said. My kids are all too small or young, depending on how you look at it. Give me another year
and I can only hope, like Michael, that it will be an interest shared by myself and my 3 boys.

16

RE: A family that Unicycles together stays together?

> Don’t have anything to say on the subject, but as a saying it
> sure doesn’t rhyme as well as the original.

Isn’t that true? Unicycle is a crap word to rhyme with. I think we would get
more and better songs and poetry about unicycling if it were a better
rhyming word…

JF