Students at Yorktown Elementary School put their biking skills to the test during a highly anticipated Bike Rodeo event, designed for grades 3 through 5 on May 5.
Organized by Ruben Garcia, Chief of Police for Yorktown Independent School District, and school counselor Brandi Olsovsky, the event combined safety education with hands-on activities and proved to be both educational and exciting for students and staff alike.
According to Garcia, the primary goal of the Bike Rodeo is to promote bicycle safety as students head into the summer months. “The reason we do the Bike Rodeo is to remind kids about bicycle safety,” Garcia said. “We cover a lot of things, like bicycle equipment and the rules of the road.”
The day began with a presentation titled “Be Safe and Be Smart,” where students learned about bicycle awareness, proper equipment, and how to safely share the road with motorists. Students then watched a video, participated in a discussion, and completed a 20-question quiz to test their knowledge.
Garcia noted the importance of awareness beyond just the rider’s actions. “Making sure the kids are not only doing the right thing, but watching out for drivers who don’t pay attention,” he said.
Following the classroom portion, students headedoutdoors to tackle an obstacle course designed by Ruben San Miguel, a sergeant with the Texas Department of Public Safety Public Information Office. The course included four phases: practicing proper hand signals with turns and stops, navigating a serpentine path, maintaining balance on a straight line, and completing a figure- eight pattern.
“The obstacle course gave students a chance to apply what they learned in a real-world setting,” Garcia said, adding that his favorite part of the day was “just the reactions and the excitement that the kids displayed all day.”
Olsovsky, who has served as the school counselor for eight years, highlighted the event’s inclusive and engaging nature.
“The Bike Rodeo is for students in grades 3–5, where they can bring a bike or borrow a bike from a friend who is willing to share,” Olsovsky said. “It’s a lot of fun, and we hope to continue to do it and expand it in the future to the lower grades.”
Olsovsky also noted the event’s return after a pause due to COVID-19. “We did this in 2019 and then we stopped once COVID hit. We started it back up last year, so this is our second year in a row.”
School leadership echoed the enthusiasm. Principal Stephanie Zigmond praised the effort put into organizing the event. “It’s a super fun day for 3rd through 5th grade,” Zigmond said, adding that Garcia and Olsovsky “did an amazing job putting this together for our students and creating an experience where they can show off their skills while learning something important.” Assistant Principal Autumn Kiser added that the event gives students “a fun chance to test their skills that they learn in the classroom in another environment.”
At the end of the competition, scores from the written test and obstacle course were combined to determine the top performers. Fifth graders Luke Lassmann and Adelaine Gowens were named the overall winners, each receiving a new bicycle donated by Cuero Lube & Tire.
“I had no idea that I would win, but I was so happy and excited when I did,” Luke said. “It was not only fun to win, but also doing so many different things.”
Adelaine shared a similar reaction. “I was so excited when I won the new bike. In fact, I really didn’t believe them when they said I had won,” she said. “It was such a fun day.”
Both students also had favorite parts of the obstacle course, with Luke enjoying the figure-eight challenge and Adelaine preferring the straight-line test.
With strong participation, community support, and enthusiastic student involvement, this year’s Bike Rodeo was, as organizers described it, a “huge hit.” School officials hope to continue building on its success in the years to come, encouraging safe riding habits while creating lasting memories for students.
