Greetings NICA Community

Thank you for your continued support of our student-athletes, teams and leagues in this unprecedented year. We are inspired by and grateful for the way the entire NICA community has come together to find new and innovative ways to carry out our mission to build strong minds, bodies, character and community through cycling, even in a pandemic. 

Although NICA events were limited in 2020, our community continued to thrive and grow. We saw a 15% growth in registered NICA Coaches and an 11% growth in student-athletes.

Many leagues were unable to hold standard weekend events; in response, our creative and dedicated League Directors, coaches, volunteers and staff found ways to provide meaningful and engaging outdoor activity opportunities, along with much-needed social connections and stress relief, to our student-athletes.  NICA teams and leagues held Adventure and GRiT rides, weekend time trials, and Teen Trail Corps activities.  

This fall, “Foot down, mask up!” was the rallying call that enabled some of our leagues to hold races and provide a welcome sense of normalcy for our student-athletes, coaches, volunteers and families. All activities were held in accordance with local government and health department guidelines to ensure the safety of all participants.

This annual report highlights the many ways that NICA was able to pivot and provide valuable services and activities to our community, in continued fulfillment of our mission.

On April 29, 2020, NICA received proceeds to fund payroll, rent and utilities through the Paycheck Protection Program (the “PPP Loan”) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without these funds, along with the cancellation of most National and League events during the time period, we  would have been challenged to operate.  Additionally, many of the organization’s grantors released their normal grant restrictions during the year so that we could allocate those funds to areas most critical to continuing general operations. 

We are grateful to all of our generous sponsors and partners who supported us through the early, uncertain days of the pandemic.  In recognition of the circumstances, many provided crucial funding flexibility, enabling us to not only continue operations, but also to develop new and innovative ways to safely engage with our community.

Since NICA’s inception, we have been guided by our values of inclusivity, equity, respect and community. We stand with all who share in these values and do not tolerate hate, racism or discrimination in any of our activities. This past year also amplified the significant issues of discrimination and inequity facing our country.  In light of this, we are reinforcing our commitment to inclusivity, equity and diversity across NICA, and we are continuing our work with diversity and inclusion expert, Risha Grant, to create an environment where all members of our community feel welcomed, valued and included.

We now look to 2021 with an energized sense of hope and community. While 2020 proved challenging in many ways, it was the ability to ride and safely spend time in the outdoors that provided a welcome relief and sense of normalcy for our community. One of NICA’s core values is community, and that was extremely evident this past year. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our community as we work to get #morekidsonbikes and build strong minds, bodies, character and communities through cycling.

Warm Regards,

Susan Helm-Murtagh, NICA Board Chair

Steve Matous, NICA President