It’s no easy task to find a NICA league and successfully complete an inaugural race season. We are thrilled to have seen three new leagues successfully launch this fall. We caught up with our no longer rookie league directors of West Virginia, Maryland, and Oregon to find out their take on their inaugural seasons!
We all love mountain biking, and for some of our student-athletes, one of the best parts of mountain biking is the thrill of competition at the highest level combined with the camaraderie of being part of a successful team. NICA is changing the shape of youth cycling across the United States, and elite development programs like the Bear Development Team are working with NICA student-athletes to help them compete at the elite level both nationally and internationally.
Several of our leagues are piloting “adventure” programs this fall. Our emerging adventure programs seek to allow youth to experience the benefits of mountain biking, camaraderie, community, and the outdoors. NICA adventure programs reinforce our core values; they enable youth to build health and strength, learn new skills, and be part of a team through outdoor experiences.
Ever wonder how a NICA race comes together? How do tranquil trails and empty fields become transformed into an exciting race course and energy-filled pit-zone? Well in addition to student-athletes, coaches and parents, NICA races are supported by over 10,000 volunteers nationwide! Volunteers serve as everything from race announcers to course setters, to sweeps to photographers and NICA races would not happen without the efforts of these talented individuals.
With the official launch of NICA’s Girls Riding Together (GRiT) program – we wanted to catch up with one of our student-athletes who has been involved with GRiT program activities in her local league! Meet Louisa – a 6th grader with the Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League.
NICA GRiT is a national program that aims to increase female participation in the sport of mountain biking by 10% over the next five years with a focus on recruitment and retention of girls and female coaches in NICA leagues. By providing skills development, promoting positive physical health, confidence and self-esteem and providing coach training, NICA’s goal is to provide a fun, safe and competitive environment for young women to excel.
Last month NICA hosted its annual conference in Bentonville, Arkansas. This year’s event brought over 150 leaders together from 22 states and regions to strategize, connect and continue to expand NICA’s efforts to promote youth development through mountain biking across the United States.
As we celebrate ALL our parents this spring – we wanted to give a special shout out to the parents of NICA student-athletes who also volunteer as coaches! Meet Paula, aka “Team Mom” or “Momma Bear.” Paula’s 13-year old son found a passion for mountain biking last year when he joined the Phoenix Trailblazers with the North Carolina League. We caught up with Paula to find out how her son’s passion helped her find her own passion for mountain biking and how she went from sitting in the parking lot during practice to being a NICA Coach!
Last month we announced a Literature Contest with Dirt Rag magazine where we asked student-athletes to tell us how they have been able to develop a strong character through interscholastic cycling with the support of their coach.
We received MANY wonderful entries and after much deliberation selected three winners. Congratulations to Heidi Martin, Griffin Clubb and Sage Flory for their outstanding essays! Meet our winners and read their winning essays below!
NICA would like to say a big thank-you to all the following brands who joined NICA through our Booster Club program for 2018.