About Us
Sprockids emphasizes practicing an active lifestyle, taking responsibility for your own actions and having empathy for others! We cultivate this through drills, adventures and games. We highlight that fun and play is key to long lasting learning. Instructors focus on the importance of etiquette, fair play and leadership while emphasizing the critical role of self-esteem and confidence. We foster a strong sense of community that extends past our brand and into the tenets of “mountain bike culture,” such as reinforcing the importance of taking care of ourselves and each other. Students learn what camaraderie is by interacting with their peers, all while learning new skills and concepts!
Our Goals
Strategies
Sprockids teaches strategies that enable our participants to effectively handle conflict resolution with an emphasis on solution-based problem solving. We teach the importance of anger management, defusing conflicts, and learning to choose your battles.
Life Skills
Sprockids teaches goal setting which is then reinforced through our tracking sheets where kids get stamps for each skill learned. Time management is another important aspect taught as it relates to cycling and an overall lifestyle. We speak about risk taking and how to safely take risks and confront anxiety.
Community
Sprockids San Diego provides a healthy outlet to youth through mountain biking, regardless of their ability, socioeconomic status, or other personal characteristics. We believe diversity is what makes our groups so special and our cohort style instruction fosters a thriving learning experience.
Stewardship
Our "Sprockids code of ethics" emphasizes the importance of trail advocacy, proper trail stewardship and the
importance of being a good custodian of our natural areas. Our instructors incorporate teaching points about historical facts and biodiversity within the areas of our trail rides.
Future Leaders
I like riding because I like doing it with other people because it's fun and I love Spockids.. I like jumping my bike, cheerleading and gymnastics. My favorite part of Sprockids is being with people and most important having fun!
Teagan
OUR TEAM
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Sean Bascom
Board President & PQ Community Leader
Sean founded Sprockids San Diego in early 2018. It catalyzed around his idea to provide a peer group for his daughters to ride with and has grown into an amazing opportunity for his family to give back to their community. Sean found the stoke of mountain biking at a very young age and has been an avid rider since. The fitness, peace of mind and community that mountain biking brings keeps him riding regularly. His qualifications include: Ride Guide, Level I Basic Skills, Level II Intermediate Skills and Level III Advanced Skills instructor from the Bike Instructor Certification Program (BICP); he is designated as a Sprockids Leader from Giant/Liv Bicycles. Sean spent several years teaching in the US Navy and enjoys applying those skills to the program. He is grateful for the many incredible people and organizations that support the Sprockids San Diego program and enjoys stewarding it with his wife Ashley and two daughters, Braelyn and Teagan.
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James Bradford
Del Sur Community Leader
Since before he could walk, Jim has been engaging in the outdoors. As a child of the 70’s, the freedom he enjoyed in rural Pennsylvania was amplified dramatically when he first put a foot on a pedal. In his 20s, Jim spent 10 years as a whitewater guide and certified whitewater kayak instructor. During that time, through hundreds of wilderness excursions, he honed his skills as a leader, caregiver, and teacher. He finds no greater joy than sharing the natural world with others and guiding youth toward self-discovery.
As a father and resident of San Diego County, he has found mountain biking the perfect activity to engage his passion for the outdoors, love of technical skills, and sense of community, while enhancing time with his family. His goal at Sprockids San Diego is to share his experience and foster the wonderful community of riders we are creating!
Carmen Luna
Chula Vista Community Leader
Carmen Luna has a passion for mountain biking with a devotion for inspiring women and kids to ride! Her love for the sport started six years ago when her son joined the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League mountain bike team. This exposure to mountain biking sparked Carmen’s curiosity leading her to take the lead role in the development of the team. What started as curiosity became a way of life for Carmen and her family as they ride regularly and enjoy exploring trail systems when they are camping at races or in their free time. Carmen also finds significant joy in working with children. She has worked for the Chula Vista school district for the past 14 years and loves mentoring and encouraging her students in their extracurricular activities. Carmen is excited to be leading the Sprockids program in Chula Vista and appreciates that she can combine her two passions: mountain biking and being a coach for young athletes!
Stephanie Bana
Mission Valley Community Leader
From sea to summit, Stephanie is a life-long adventurer. Growing up in eastern Connecticut, she has enjoyed outdoor activities including hiking, biking, and swimming since childhood. She moved to San Diego 6 years ago, serving in the Navy. She currently serves as a Helicopter Search and Rescue Swimmer honing valuable skills in leadership and safety in a dynamic environment. In her free time, Stephanie actively seeks out all that Southern California has to offer. She especially enjoys the sport of mountain biking and the community that comes along with it. Her passion for teaching is present in all aspects of her life. She looks forward to being able to share her love of the outdoors and mountain biking through Sprockids San Diego.
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Kerry Waldman
Trail Rides Leader
Kerry has loved riding and working on bikes since he was a kid, growing up in rural Pennsylvania. After a decade of service in the United States Navy Kerry separated and attended Cal State San Marcos where he earned a degree in Environmental Studies. Over the years he has enjoyed stints as a park ranger for the Cities of Escondido and San Marcos. Kerry enjoyed using his insights as a mountain biker to steer trail work and orientation policies to benefit city projects. After several seasons racing cross country and winning multiple California State Championship titles, Kerry turned his focus to riding with his young daughter. Since then, he has spent countless hours out on the local trails teaching her not only how to ride but, about the local environment, trail building, and how to approach challenges while on the trail. Kerry enjoys riding with his family, friends and getting kids out on bikes and having fun.
Board of Directors
Along side Sean and Mark, the rest of our board members are committed to building the stoke for youth mountain biking!
Nick Buck
North County Coastal Community Leader
Since getting his first mountain bike for Christmas in the early 90s, Nick found the bike to be the perfect companion to experience adventure and thrills, seek out new destinations, find friends and to build and maintain health and happiness. He has lived and worked in north county San Diego his entire adult life and has spent his career in public parks and recreation. He cares deeply about service to the community and through his job and volunteer efforts aims to improve the lives of others by promoting access to nature and the outdoors, active recreation and especially the love of cycling. Nick, his wife and their two children reside in the San Elijo Hills community of San Marcos, where trails and play are abundant. Nick holds BICP Certification and is excited to lead Sprockids programs for the North County Coastal area.
Jon Simek
Jumping Clinics Leader
Jonathan is a San Diego Native and has been in the cycling industry for most of his life. He grew up racing BMX and shortly after picked up Mountain Biking. He has competed in every discipline in the mountain bike world from freestyle to international downhill races. Jon currently races dual slalom and pump track on the internationally renowned Crankworx World Tour! Jonathan has been coaching for several years and appreciates the opportunity to share his knowledge and love of riding through Sprockids San Diego!
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Susie Murphy
Board Member
Susie Murphy has ridden mountain bikes for almost 30 years and likes nothing better than seeing kids out mountain biking on the trails and at bike parks! Susie and her husband raised their two kids traveling to bike races, events, and cool places to ride. Susie was an elementary school teacher for 10 years before becoming the Executive Director of the San Diego Mountain Biking Association. She is excited to be part of Sprockids San Diego and building the MTB stoke with kids in San Diego!
Jeff Monday
Treasurer
When Jeff isn’t at youth sports or working at Qualcomm you can find him on two wheels on dirt, usually with his son Kai and daughter Rya. He fell in love with mountain biking four years ago and never looked back.
Jeff saw the transformative power of Sprockids with his son Kai - it made him a confident and inspired rider, and more importantly a great trail partner. Jeff is excited to serve as the treasurer and to help bring the stoke of mountain biking to more kids around San Diego!
Ashley Bascom
Secretary
Ashley loves being a part of Sprockids and riding with her husband, Sean, and their daughters. Her passion for helping children aligns perfectly with the greater mission of Sprockids in providing physical and emotional wellness for kids. Ashley enjoys how Sprockids brings people together by offering a family experience for all levels of riders. Outside of Sprockids, Ashley works in education as a Dean of Counseling and Wellness. She graduated from SDSU with a BA in English and from California Lutheran University with a MS in Counseling and Guidance.
Scott Isgitt
Board Member
Scott grew up in Dallas, Texas where has been an avid rider since he was 3. He raced BMX until he was 18 and then picked up mountain biking shortly after college. Scott has also been an avid rock climber for 30 years and has climbed and guided all over the world where he learned the importance of safety, leadership and the art of teaching others. However, his primary love has always been his bike. Scott now lives in Leucadia with his wife Choo and daughter Railey "Ray Ray". Whether Scott and Ray Ray are traveling to various bike parks, enjoying the local pump tracks or digging at the local trails, Scott's primary focus is getting more people on their bikes to enjoy the amazing sport of mountain biking.
Allyson Fenton Christou
Board Member
Allyson grew up in beautiful, tree-covered western Pennsylvania and has fond childhood memories of exploring the outdoors with her father. She has experienced the positive impact that Sprockids has on kids through her 11-year-old son, who has participated in several Sprockids after school programs. Outside of Sprockids, Allyson helps nonprofit organizations secure grant funding, drawing on her past experiences as a federal employment law attorney and a regulatory attorney. Allyson holds a B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Juris Doctor degree from American University. Because of her family’s positive experience with Sprockids, Allyson’s whole family now bikes together - with her 11-year-old son leading the way!
Mark Howden
Board Member
Mark Howden grew up on two wheels; from racing motocross to racing downhill, he has done it all. Following over a decade of service in the United States Navy, he has continued his service but in the form of youth mountain bike coaching. He loves the outdoors and extending his passion for mountain biking to our new generations and Sprockids San Diego provides him the opportunity to serve our Valley Center, Escondido, San Marcos, and Vista communities. A BICP certified instructor, experienced trainer, and energetic bicycle enthusiast, Mark has the ability to unlock hidden talents and help children grow in their mountain bike goals. Outside of teaching and riding, Mark is a graduate student at the University of Southern California (USC), a father to his own little shredder, and a husband.