About 10 kids and adults of the St. Helen Unicycle Drill Team zip around the gym of St. Helen Catholic School in Newbury Township.
The team — one of the few organized unicycle teams in the nation — meets Saturday mornings for practice. But today is mostly fun and games, including a boisterous round of unicycle tag. Some riders pedal around the gym with confidence while the wobblier ones wear helmets and ride with their arms outstretched. Sometimes riders fall, but they always get right back up.
Afterward, the cyclists spread out to work on turns and jumps. Xavier, 14, has been riding since 2022, despite countless falls and a broken wrist.
"Most of the time you land on your feet. When you don't, it's a disaster, but most of the time, you do," Xavier said.
Riders over 11 can join the team at the annual North American Unicycle Competition and Convention. Those competitions include a variety of events, from basketball, hockey, 10Ks, marathons and tricks — all done while riding unicycles.
Xavier has participated the last two years, while 11-year-old Leia plans to compete for the first time this year.
“Motivation-wise, [the team] is awesome," Leia said. "They always want to motivate you and want you to keep going. That's probably the one thing that keeps me going when I'm like down in the dirt.”
Tradition takes time
The team was founded in 1965 by Father James Moran, who thought adding a unicycle to the school’s physical education program would be a fun challenge. That unicycle sat in storage for two years before a student finally learned to ride it. Soon, the entire student body followed suit, and the drill team was formed. They rode in local and national parades, including the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
"When I saw them, I was amazed at the level of the quality of the kids, how they did all this stuff. I really wanted to be part of it," said Steven Kekedy, who joined the team in 1975.
The team fell apart in 1993 as other sports and videogames gained popularity. Kekedy decided to resurrect it in 2013.
“When I got to high school, we had a group of kids at St. Helen's that really enjoyed riding together and we all loved to be together," he recalled. "I got married eventually and I had kids and noticed they're all playing video games and they're not getting out there, and I wanted to bring that back. Kids need to get exercise, they need to experience bruises and bumps."
Kekedy also became a coach for the team. One of his students was Alison Martin, who is now team manager. She said she originally learned to unicycle because it's good cross-training for downhill skiers like her. But now, 11 years later, she's stuck with it. She said she reminds the kids on her team of the longevity of unicycling skills.
“When you graduate college, those varsity sports really aren't going be around in your life, especially if you're doing super high-technical or just physical sports," Martin explained. "You’re not going to be able to do that anymore. But unicycling’s for the rest of your life.”
Michael Kafcsak, the team's president and an assistant coach, said unicycling also provides a good cardio workout. He learned to ride during the COVID-19 pandemic after his gym closed.
"I had seen it online for years and considered doing it, and decided just to purchase a unicycle and go for it," he said, adding that he rode 20 or 30 minutes per day until he was able to ride straight. Since then, he's even completed marathons on his unicycle. But the comradery of the unicycle community compelled him to get more involved.
"It was never my intention to get this involved, but once you start to ride with them, it becomes sort of like a family," Kafcsak said.
The team now consists of about 35 riders, and they perform frequently at local events — including Downtown Cleveland’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Riders are often seen on unicycles of all sizes, including tall giraffe unicycles, while wearing their uniform yellow shirts as they link arms. They also have choregraphed routines set to music.
"Drill team, it starts when you can walk, and it ends when you no longer walk, or at least when you can't unicycle anymore," Martin said.
From circus stunts to commuter use
Unicycles gained popularity in the circus, where they were mainly used by juggling clowns and tight rope performers.
Today, they come in various sizes with different uses — some are meant for racing while others are best for tricks and stunts. Riders even use them on their daily commute, like Xavier, who said he rides his to school.
The list of organized unicycle teams in the United States is short — just over two dozen are registered with the Unicycling Society of America. The St. Helen Drill Team is one of them.
Back inside the gym, younger riders work on their balance — which, on a unicycle, requires keeping the wheel beneath their center of gravity through constant adjustments to avoid falls.
For Leia and Xavier, the two young riders competing nationally this year, the skills are ones they plan to continue using for a while. They said they hope to keep unicycling even after they graduate.
“Assuming I don't get paralyzed riding," Xavier added with a laugh.
