Originally published at http://www.BMXOregon.com.

Parents: Brian & Heidi Bowers

Number of kid (s) – 1
Age(s) – 13
Class(es) – 13x
Years Racing – 3

BMXOR – Did you have any anxiety the first time your kid(s) raced a national.

Parent – Yes, it was a coaster ride for three days, up and down, up and down! As a matter of fact, that hasn’t changed!

BMXOR – Even though staging, registration, etc. is the same. Does the magnitude of the event change how this process feels/works.

Parent – For sign ups, that’s pretty much the same but for staging, it’s a big difference because of the amount of kids and the intensity they bring to the Nationals, it is way different than a single point race.

BMXOR – Once your kid(s) are registered. What is the next step? Such as practice, etc.

Parent – We stratigize about the weekend, he warms up, has a good practice, carbs up, and gets lots of sleep!

BMXOR – What is a good way to approach the previous question?

Parent – We make a plan for the weekend on the trip there.

BMXOR – I know it is different for each kid(s), but what do you find keeps it a lower stress weekend?

Parent – For us, we know that Gavin rides better when he’s happy and having fun, sometimes that means reminding Dad of that!

BMXOR – What kind of things make it a high stress weekend?

Parent – There are many things that can contribute to the stress level, rider count, who’s there, do you have your six wins, am I going to like this track, etc…….For Gavin, being on a team going for Factory #1 put a little extra stress on him this year.

BMXOR – How important is it to prep your kids bike/gear before the race? Why?

Parent – It’s very important, your bike and gear should always be at 100% so that way, when the rider hits the track, they only have to worry about performance.

BMXOR – How much different does a national compared to the feel of a local race?

Parent – There’s no comparison, the intensity level is so much different.

BMXOR– There are three days to a national weekend. One local race & two national races. How does this change the intensity of a weekend? Is it about the same or harder than a big SCR weekend in your home state?

Parent – The intensity is much greater when comparing. For us, after coming home from Nationals with hundreds of motos, to an SCR that might have a third of that makes for less stress.

BMXOR – If you were to give a parent some advice & it could be only one sentence long. What would it be?

Parent – Remember to have fun and enjoy these moments with your kid(s)!

Ps…….Keep lots of cash in your pocket! 😉

One way to make registering easier is to pre-register on the USA BMX National Schedule page.

When you pre-register you only have to go to the registration booth if you need a correction after motos are posted.

2015 USA BMX National Schedule

Jan. 9-11
Silver Dollar Nationals
Las Vegas, NV @ South Point Hotel and Casino

Jan. 23-25
Sooner Nationals
Tulsa, OK @ Ford Truck Arena

Feb. 6-8
Bluegrass Nationals
Louisville, KY @ Freedom Hall

Feb. 13-15
Sunshine State Nationals
Punta Gorda, FL @ Charlotte BMX

Feb. 20-22 >> PRO
Winter Nationals
Phoenix, AZ @ Black Mountain BMX

March 6-8
Cajun Nationals
West Monroe, LA @ Ike Hamilton Expo Center

March 20-22 >> PRO
Carolina Nationals
Rock Hil, SC @ Novant Health BMX Supercross Track

Mar. 27-29 >> PRO
Super Nationals
Desoto, TX @ Metroplex BMX

April 10-12
Great Northwest Nationals
Redmond, OR @ Bank of Cascades Center – Deschutes Co. Fairgrounds

April 24-26
Dixieland Nationals
Atlanta, GA @ Cobb County BMX

May 1-3 >> PRO
Seaside Nationals
Ventura, CA @ Ventura BMX

May 22-24 >> PRO
Music City Nationals
Nashville, TN @ Music City BMX

Spring Nationals
Albuquerque, NM @ Duke City BMX

June 5-7
MidAmerica Nationals
Raytown, MO @ Raytown BMX

June 12-14 >> PRO
Great Salt Lake Natoinals
South Jordon, UT @ Rad Canyon BMX

East Coast Nationals
Severn, MD @ Chesapeake BMX

June 19-21 >> PRO
Midwest Nationals
Rockford, IL @ Rockford BMX

July 3-5 >> PRO
Stars & Stripes Nationals
Pittsburgh, PA @ South Park BMX

July 10-12 >> Vet
Las Vegas Nationals
Las Vegas, NV @ South Point Hotel and Casino

July 17-19
Quad City Nationals
East Moline, IL @ East Moline BMX

July 24-26
Empire State Nationals
Kingston, NY @ Kingston BMX

Golden State Nationals
Chico, CA @ Silver Dollar BMX

Aug. 7-9
Land O Lakes Nationals
St. Cloud, MN @ Pineview Park BMX

Aug. 14-16
Buckeye Nationals
Akron, OH @ Akron BMX

Aug. 21-23 >> PRO
Mile High Nationals
Grand Junction, CO @ Grand Valley BMX

Sept. 4-6
Black Jack Nationals/Western Divisional Finals
Reno, NV @ Reno Livestock Events Center

Sept. 4-6
Derby City Nationals/Eastern Divisional Finals >> PRO
Louisville, KY @ Derby City BMX

Sept. 18-20
Lumberjack Nationals
Richland, WA @ Columbia Basin BMX

Tar Heel Nationals
Raleigh, NC @ Capitol City BMX

Sept. 25-27
Gold Cup Finals Central
TBA

Oct. 2-4
Gold Cup Finals East
TBA

Oct. 9-11 >> PRO
Gold Cup Finals West
Chula Vista, CA @ Chula Vista BMX

Oct. 16-18 >> PRO
Gator Nationals
Oldsmar, FL @ Oldsmar BMX

Oct. 23-25
Fall Nationals
Kissimmee, FL @ Silver Spur Arena

Nov. 27-29 >> PRO
Grand National
Tulsa, OK @ River Spirit Expo

Categories: BMX Racing

Tags: ABA BMX, bicycle, bike, BMX, NBL BMX, USA, USA BMX