- February 5, 2025
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Kevin Caccavale began riding BMX bikes in 1984 at the age of four when his father encouraged him to get involved in the sport.
However, the Port Orange resident's journey in BMX riding would be filled with bumps and turns, much like the tracks he would race on. Only a few months after getting into BMX bike riding, Caccavale's father died leaving his role of parent to be filled by Caccavale's grandfather. Eventually, Caccavale's mother remarried a man who was not only passionate about BMX but who also pushed the young bike rider to keep pursuing racing.
But in high school, Caccavale became interested in other sports and the bike was forgotten for a time. Then, a few years later one of his friends encouraged him to try BMX again. Caccavale continued to ride on and off but always with the feeling that what he was doing with BMX riding wasn't enough.
"There was something missing," Caccavale said. "It was just me by myself."
Then, four years ago, Caccavale's son Waylynn was born setting a precedent for how the new father would use his BMX experience. When Waylynn was one year old, Caccavale bought the little boy a Strider bike, a model designed without pedals for young BMX bike riders. By the time Waylynn was two he was riding and soon competing on his own.
For Caccavale, BMX riding had always been about racing and competing. When Waylynn started becoming involved, the sport turned into a family activity.
Even Caccavale was competing again. His journey took another turn when he was injured during a BMX race about a year ago. The injury left him unable to work for roughly a month and wondering what he would do next.
Between his time with Waylynn and talking with family, the idea of coaching began to take shape. Caccavale started inquiring about a local BMX program geared toward children like his own son. Caccavale had seen how his son had benefitted from riding, whether it was learning sportsmanship or learning how to be persistent and keep trying, and he knew he wanted to teach that to other young athletes.
"I wanted to share it and I didn't know how to share it," Caccavale said. "So when I got hurt that kind of opened my mind."
With an idea formed and a goal in mind, Caccavale, with Waylynn by his side, created a Strider program for youth at the First Coast BMX Daytona, where he is head coach, in October of 2017 in the same area where he had first started learning to ride as a boy.
The first day, only one child showed up. But Caccavale was determined and before long there was a group of children racing on the dirt track. Just last week there were 30 children who showed up for the program. Then there was Waylynn, whose nickname is now "The Thunder" and "Roar," out on the course helping the other children ride their bikes and getting over the jumps.
Caccavale also has two young boys who volunteer their time to help with the program. Caccavale sees the program as a way for the children involved to see the sport as a fun learning tool.
"Being around the other kids teaches them how to cooperate, how to share, how to be responsible," Caccavale said. "It's so much more than BMX. It all started with family and it all starts with family on the Strider bike night."
Caccavale said the program is also a way for children to have an activity to look forward to after school. Plus he has seen another benefit of the bikes — getting children away from their digital devices for a period of time and instead focusing on being active outdoors.
But for Caccavale, none of this would have been possible if it hadn't been for a little BMX rider named Waylynn.
"I was never going to come back to BMX. I wasn't going to do anything. I dislocated my shoulder four times and I was just done with BMX," Caccavale said. "Without Waylynn I would never have done the Strider program."
