The lure of professional sports is particularly perilous for athletes who are almost good enough. Even in a somewhat obscure sport such as cycling.
That’s why Craig Dodson, 30, started Richmond Pro Cycling in 2008. As head of the nonprofit, he coaches a handful of talented cyclists, and as part of their training, they must be in school or continuing education and must do 150 hours of community service per summer. In BizSense’s continuing coverage of the business of sports, we talked with Dodson about the challenges of starting up what is basically a training academy and why Richmonders seem so much more excited to participate in sports than to watch.
Richmond BizSense: Is there a need for such a specific sort of program and one that emphasizes character development and not just strength and conditioning?
Craig Dodson: There is a black hole of guys in their early 20s, maybe out of college, maybe good at the sport at a certain level. But the next thing you know, they’re 23, 26 then 28. You wake up and you’re out of college four years and don’t have traditional job skills. It’s a narcissistic sport. And it almost happened to me.
RBS: How so?
CD: I finished undergrad in 2001, then tried to do this full time and see how far I could go. After three years, I was thinking, “This is kind of cool, living like a surfer and floating around,” but I was sort of spinning my wheels. That’s when I decided I needed to go back to school.
RBS: Can you explain the essence of your training program?
CD: There are three parts: One, education. Each member has to be working on a four-year degree. Two, each has to give around 150 hours of community service. And three, each must race at a professional level.
RBS: When did you get interested in bikes?
CD: From about the time I was 4, I was on with no training wheels. I took to it right away. Coming up through middle school and high school, I was good at team sports, but this put me head and shoulders above my peers.
RBS: How do you keep the organization afloat?
CD: In our first year, we had some good corporate backing, the organic food company Nature’s Path. Then we lost them.
RBS: How much money do you need to run the program?
CD: We’d like to get to $500,000.
RBS: How did you know there was demand for such a niche program? I mean, cyclists can train all over.
CD: I didn’t know. I just felt I wasn’t alone, and I don’t think I’m crazy. There had to be other people out there thinking, “Man, I feel a little hollow. There has to be more substance to what I’m doing.”
RBS: Do you rely on donations? What sort of people donate?
CD: Some affluent executives who have some connection to cycling. Maybe they raced at the amateur level. And one thing we’d like to do is get more guys in support rides.
We’re also looking for corporate support. That’s heavy on our priority list.
RBS: Do you think Richmond at a market has enough support for sports?
CD: One thing I’ve noticed in my time in Richmond [since 2005]: Richmonders don’t like to watch. They like to participate. They like to do it, not to be spectators. Think of the Monument 10K. Sports like the Braves don’t work. There is something in the water here.
Aaron Kremer is the BizSense Editor and covers the business of sports. Please send news tips to Editor@richmondbizsense.com.
