Effective as of 1st January 2013, the Motorcycling Australia Board has approved changes to the Junior Coaching Program. You can view the full version of the new rule (3.8) online here.
The rule change applies to all junior riders (7 to 16 years old) who hold a competition licence (Junior National, Junior Club or a Junior Restricted National licence) as well as junior riders who plan to use One Event Competition Licences.
The main change centres around juniors and the requirements to enable them to renew their licence. There is no longer a compulsory requirement for juniors to have annual coaching logged in their Log Book to enable them to renew their licence.
In place of this previous system, junior riders must now complete a competency assessment conducted by an accredited coach at a permitted coaching day prior to progressing to a larger capacity motorcycle (e.g. 50cc 2 stroke to 65cc 2 stroke) or if they wish to compete in a different discipline (refer to disciplines below), and have this competency noted in their Log Book and ultimately on their licence. All coaching and endorsements must be conducted under a coaching permit.
Conscious of the similarities between some disciplines, four (4) categories have been established to cater for riders who compete in multiple disciplines. The four categories are:
*Road Race (including Supermoto)
*Slider (including Speedway and Dirt Track/Track Slider machines)
*Off Road (including MX, MK, DT, Trials, Enduro and Quad)
*Sidecar passenger or rider
Once proof of a rider’s competency has been submitted to Motorcycling Victoria, the rider’s licence will be updated to show the relevant ‘endorsement’. A rider endorsed on any capacity is permitted to ride any capacity below the level of their endorsement and within the class/age allowance within the rules.
Motorcycling Victoria will enforce the new rule (3.8), with following exceptions as outlined below:
3.8.0.3 The rider must be endorsed upon the competition licence with the appropriate level of endorsement.
MV variance: Junior riders will have until 1st July 2013 to ensure that their Log Book or licence endorsement matches the machine(s) they are currently riding. If you wish to compete on a machine of lower capacity than that for which you have been endorsed you may do so.
The exception to this rule is riders participating in either the 125cc / 150cc 2 stroke and/or 250cc 4 stroke classes must have these endorsements noted in their Log Book or licence prior to participating in these classes.
3.8.0.10 An accredited coach who conducts the assessment required for a rider to be endorsed must provide to the SCB written endorsement of the rider’s assessment, the capacity of the machine the rider was assessed upon, the permit number the assessment was conducted under and the date of assessment.
MV variance: The responsibility to provide proof of endorsement to MV will be the rider’s (via their Log Book), not the coach. The coach conducting the endorsement must ensure that they enter the full details of the endorsement accurately into the rider’s Log Book.
Important notes for...
Riders (and parents): *New Log Books are being mailed out to all Junior licence holders in April.*
Read and understand the rule, particularly how it relates to you.
Ensure that the bike you are currently riding is ‘endorsed’ accordingly either in your Log Book or on your Licence by 1st July 2013.
Riders participating in events interstate should note that other SCB’s may enforce the requirement for riders to have their endorsement noted on their licence – in this instance make sure your endorsement is noted on your licence.
Clubs:
Ensure that the key people at your club understand the rule.
Promote the new rule in your regular communications with members via Newsletters, websites, Facebook pages, etc.
Run regular coaching days to allow your junior club members to get coaching and when / as required obtain their endorsement.
Coaches:
Read and understand the rule.
Ensure that when noting endorsements in junior Log Books you do so accurately, being particularly careful to note the correct discipline, capacity and engine type.
Apply for coaching permits prior to conducting your coaching activities.
Race Secretaries:
Read and understand the rule.
Ensure that post 1st July 2013 riders are only entered into class/es for which they have been appropriately endorsed.
If you have any further questions please feel free to contact MV on the contact details below.
Kind regards,
The Team at Motorcycling Victoria
125/9 Hall St, Port Melbourne
03-96730600