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PUSH Magazine Volume 4, Issue 6

RIGHTS HOLDER SPOTLIGHT

Justin Travis

What’s your current position?

I am currently the Director of Business Development. I’ve been with USA BMX for 12 years and earned my current title in February 2023. Recently, I took on all of the national event partnership work that John David was doing before he went to Sports ETA in May of that year.

Since this is a publication within the sports tourism industry, it’s much easier to give an overview of my work than when I’m trying to explain what I do to my in-laws.

I have three primary responsibilities; the first is creating and nurturing DMO relationships for our national events and, in some states, our growing state series.

The second is working within (or creating new) partnerships between DMOs and park and recreation departments to create new facilities and programs nationwide. To accomplish this, I spend equal time at national/state park and recreation conferences as I spend at tourism conferences. I hold the CPRP (Certified Park and Recreation Professional) from the NRPA, the park and rec industry equivalent of the STS certification.

The last responsibility is the “business development umbrella,” which realistically covers any idea or concept that could drive new business.

An example is a meeting I recently had with a new technology company/app that closes the event attendee data tracking gap better than any other service provider I have reviewed. They approached us with the idea of creating a partnership to showcase the service to cities and DMOs for the ability to track data at all sporting events. I also sit on the advisory board for a group called the YCC (Youth Cycling Coalition), which is a group of 10 non-profit national cycling organizations that collaborate to get more kids on bikes around the country.

What would you say most motivates you to do what you do?

The interesting part about motivation is that there are two types: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is derived directly from passion. Community participation in the sport of BMX racing is my passion and my intrinsic motivation. I grew up racing BMX and playing baseball, didn’t make the high school team, and tried out for basketball but didn’t make the team.

I kept racing, not because I was better at racing, but because nobody told me I couldn’t. Now, my father, who is 66 years old, my son, who is four years old, and my wife all race at the local track. My motivation and my goal are for every kid and every family who doesn’t fit into the team sports mold to have the option to experience BMX racing and to be able to share that time with friends and family the same way that I did.

What led you to this job?

Whether through racing, coaching, volunteering, or working in bike shops, I’ve always been involved with the BMX racing industry. Before USA BMX, I was a Track Operator, worked for a previous sanctioning body, and spent ten years as the director of a residential summer training camp for action sports. Working at USA BMX was a natural evolution in my career.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in western New York state, in the rural/early suburbs east of Rochester. Growing up there was a typical experience. Racing BMX became difficult when our local track closed, and we had to travel to Buffalo every Friday night in the summer so we could continue racing.

I took AP and college courses in high school and graduated with the equivalent of an associate’s degree. Then, in my infinite 19-year-old wisdom, I decided to take some time off to pursue racing professionally with the intent of going back. I never made it. I believe in lifelong learning, have completed many certification programs, and always work for constant improvement professionally and in life.

Did you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in, and what you’re committed to in your work and life?

When you sit back and reflect on the people in life who have profoundly influenced you to the point of shaping who you are, if you’re lucky, that list will be long. If you’re even luckier, you can call those people friends and family.

My list is so long that I’m afraid going through it would bore most people and border on the edge of being completely cliché. However, on the professional side, John David was a key mentor in the sports tourism industry, as we worked together at USA BMX for over a decade. Sherry Butcher is not only the owner of the skydiving center where I instruct, but she is also the national vice president of the USPA and a real estate mogul.

Chris Ashcraft, the owner of Ohio Dreams Action Sports Camp; Kirk Morrison, the owner of J&R Bicycles, the largest BMX mail-order shop in the country; Colin Stiles, the man who introduced me to coaching and gave me my first experience with autonomy in business.

Personally, the list is even longer. From other instructors who might not even know I look up to them (Ed, Scott, and Shannon at Mad River Mountain, Dave, Peter, Blink, and Jay at AerOhio) to my wife, father, and mother, the entire extended family, and the friends I choose to surround myself with who all make me want to be better, I honestly try to learn something and find something to appreciate in everyone I interact with.

What projects are you working on now?

My key project is more of a mission. My mission is to either introduce or change the perception of BMX racing in every recreation department that doesn’t currently have a BMX racing program.

Essentially, I have to compile the data, create the messaging, and tell the story of BMX racing in a way that educates local government leadership about the absolute benefits of providing a venue and organized program to every person who knows how to ride a bike.

Were there any key turning points in this project?

A major turning point is anytime I learn there is a better way to tell the story.

We used to rely on a local advocate who wanted to start a track, and I would guide them through that process but have them do most of the local leg work. That had various results, and I spent too much time chasing “tire kickers” down rabbit holes who were not interested in sticking with the process over the long haul.

One of the first key turning points was using sports tourism as a hook. I learned quickly that a contact at a DMO (who is always motivated to bring people to town) could help navigate the local political climate and connect us with the movers and shakers to move things along.

The next major turning point was diving into the parks and recreation world through the NRPA. Since most sports facilities end up on park property, having the support of the local park director is crucial, and the best way to do that is to speak their language. The parks world is generally less concerned with “out of area” tourism and economic impact and more concerned with community usage rate and quality of life. Being able to portray this to a park director accurately is crucial as although they are some of the most selfless people I’ve met in this world, they also tend to be the most cynical. That’s a good thing; they have to protect their often very limited space and budgets, but it means providing enough data and education for them to fully commit to supporting a facility.

The most recent turning point happened about two weeks ago when we launched an initiative (for now) called “advocate armies.” This initiative came about from a challenge that we were encountering with storytelling.

Some cities are very receptive to all sports, even those they don’t completely understand, because they still see the value. (It’s not like BMX racing is an entirely new sport; it’s been around in an organized fashion since the early 1970s.) However, some places ignore the data and local advocates while still investing millions of dollars in new facilities for other sports that are not growing, let alone the large number of community members who are not using those facilities.

In many meetings with “those types” of cities, when I asked what the catalyst was for other development, the answer was that large groups of community advocates made themselves known to the park board or city council at multiple meetings. Then, the city did what cities are supposed to do and listened to and supported their communities.

After this happened too often, we decided to add a second approach. When a park director, city, or DMO starts showing a cognitive bias not to support BMX racing (which I understand, to many of them, I am just a guy in an office somewhere trying to explain to them what BMX is), I start a local group to create an army to attend city council meetings to demonstrate to them that the community does indeed want this and that it is a positive idea to support.

One of the most memorable recent encounters was when I was warned by city staff, not the council, not to proceed with having local advocates approach the city council because a BMX track was outside the 5-year plans for the city or parks. Having something not in a 5-year plan is normal because those plans are typically created on 5, 10, and even 15year timelines and can become hilariously out of date before they ever come to fruition.

In this particular instance, however, a second reason was also given; not only is BMX not in the 5-year plan, but we have to build pickleball courts, which weren’t in the plan either. I love pickleball and any sport that gets people outside and active, but my next question was obvious: “How did a pickleball facility get added if it wasn’t in the 5-year plan?” The answer was “the local pickleball advocates created a large group that routinely attended city council meetings until their facility was included.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of what I was being asked not to do. In this situation, the city council were the good guys. Enough of the community asked for something positive, and the council responded by supporting them. Our local advocates only want the same thing; why should that be discouraged?

As someone who has fought the underdog fight my entire life, the one phrase that motivates me the most is, “you can’t do that because that’s not how we’ve always done it.”

We’ve now launched three of these advocate army initiatives; although one is still growing, two of them have already gathered enough support that cities have reached out to us to say, “Wow, this is really cool. We didn’t realize so many people wanted to do this. How can we help?”

Justin, USA BMX has undertaken an aggressive facility development pursuit. Yet, you are always looking for more to help expand the sport and the offerings at USA BMX. How do you and your team handle the workflow day to day?

Thankfully, USA BMX has the staff to dedicate to this, and I collaborate with others. Within our structure, we have a few different “teams.” Events, Membership, Accounting, Track Support, Development, Headquarters, and the USA BMX Foundation. Each team is focused on its purpose, but as a company, I have never worked with a group of people who are more dedicated to an overall mission than our staff is. If help is needed, support is always available on any project or event, as everyone is ready to jump in and assist.

What gets you out of bed every day to continue your drive? What motivates your work ethic?

I can’t state this enough: I love what I do, and I feel like I have a real purpose. I believe that work ethic is a term created for people who are doing something without a purpose. Once you find your purpose and you believe in it, there isn’t a need for a work ethic; work isn’t stressful. I get up and am excited to do what I need to do, which is what I want to do.

What would you say are your best skills?

In today’s world, the term “skills” is ever-changing. Technology has reduced the need for so many “hard skills” that what used to be “soft skills” are now more critical than ever.

My best skill is being me; specifically, “being me” can be broken down into passion, personability, reliability, and loyalty. BMX racing isn’t the only thing I do, but everything I do I am passionate about. Without passion, the ability to stick with something long enough to be successful dwindles quickly into “just another thing you did.” If I’m working with you on something, you can guarantee that I’m passionate about it and will stick with it, often to the point of stubbornness.

Personability: I love people, I love learning about people, and most of all, I love interacting with people. It’s incredibly surprising every day when a simple interaction causes somebody else happiness, even when you didn’t mean to. Broken down, being kind, and making people feel good is 90% of creating a relationship, and it’s just something I enjoy doing.

Lastly, when I speak of reliability and loyalty, it’s about taking pride in doing exactly what you say you will do. I’ve found the best way to do this is to underpromise and overdeliver. Loyalty doesn’t need a description; you’re either loyal to people or you are not, and everyone knows who is loyal and who isn’t.

I know it sounds cliché, but being passionate, personable, reliable, and loyal is how someone who never graduated from college has navigated the professional world and found success, all while being surrounded by people much smarter than myself.

What’s next?

My goal is to bring BMX racing programs to 100 new communities. Why 100? Because it’s a nice round number, it’s lofty but realistic. It takes 3 to 4 years to develop a facility from “Hey, that’s a good idea” to opening day. If we put ten new facilities a year into the hopper, it should take 15 years to see that come to fruition. There are 14 projects under contract at the time of writing this, so I’m on track (pun intended) to reach that goal by 2038.

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