Over the past few years we trialled a new system for booking observer slots, a spreadsheet that you can all access and fill in yourself to book your observer slot.

We on the committee feel that, on the whole, this was a success (the scientific unit of measure was whether Darren had to shout out for observers at the pre-trial briefing, and the result was null!!)

We will therefore be implementing the same system this year.

This sport doesn’t exist without observers.  And we would like to think everybody would want to observe as a way of all helping to make our trials, and the club, a success.  The dates have been published well in advance. We currently have in the region of 80 youth members. We are planning on running 14 club trials with 10 sections each – some sections may require 2 observers. 

It is expected upon you, as the parent, to undertake (or supply a proxy) two observing duties in the course of the year per child – no matter which championship(s) your child is entered for or how many trials your child will be entering this year – in order to gain any championship points at all.  (i.e. petrol riders will still have to supply two observers as well as OSET riders, and if your child is only riding 3 times this year – you are still expected to observe twice).  This is to facilitate with the smooth running of the club, a chance for every parent to accompany their child an equal and fair amount of times instead of observing 6,7 or 8 times in a year, and an opportunity for the knowledge of correct scoring to be shared throughout the club.

Below is a link to a spreadsheet (hopefully it works) that you can fill in yourself in advance of the trials. If you have trouble filling it in then please message us letting us know what dates you can do and we will pop your name in – but please do try and fill it in yourself first – we would like to know if it works successfully! If there is a date that you can do/supply someone that is already full, then try speaking to the parents who are already booked in that day to see if you can do a swap for a date later/earlier on in the year.  You will also need to enter the name of the child that you are observing on behalf of.

We hope you will all want to observe in order to facilitate the smooth running of the club.  It’s not as difficult or as scary as you think – my wife mainly learned by watching TrialGP on YouTube (you can see the observers in the background with their hand in the air). 

We’ve all been through the same situation, and it is hard to not “be there” for your child as they make their way round the trial, but with the grouping/starting section system in place hopefully you will have developed a rapport with other parents so that you feel comfortable asking each other to take each others children round.  If you have another parent that you feel comfortable taking your child round and you wish to observe, just drop us a message and ask to be grouped with that particular person

Members of the committee and the some of the more experienced parents will be on hand at Detling on the 3rd March to answer any questions you may have regarding observing.