By Jamie Morningstar — As my eldest daughter entered high school, she expressed vague interest in a flyer for a mountain bike team she saw at school. Always one to capitalize on any interest my kids have that gets them outside, we dialed into the info meeting and learned about the big, giant world of NICA.
National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is an international organization to connect middle and high school students with a love of mountain biking. NICA isn’t a traditional sports team by most definitions. NICA doesn’t exist to build the world’s fastest mountain bikers. Instead, their mission is to “build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling.” Riding bikes is the how, not the what.
At the end of my first team info meeting, there was an invitation for parents to coach. The nature of mountain biking means that each team needs a ton of adults to help (each practice requires at least a 1:6 ratio of coaches to students). I turned to my daughter and said, “I’ll ride if you will.” And I immediately regretted the whole thing.
Although I was an avid road rider and commuter, in the previous decade, I had been mountain biking exactly once. It ended with me in a walking brace for many weeks. I decided then and there that mountain biking was not my sport.
However, enough time had apparently passed since the not-being-able-to-walk-because-of-mountain-biking experience that I was ready to try again, especially if it meant riding with my kid. I’ve now been coaching for five years, and here’s what I’ve learned:
Can they actually use me?
Yes! Most teams need coaches at every level, and usually, teams will work with you and your schedule to identify the practices you can make.
But seriously, I don’t know if I can do it.
That’s awesome. Do it anyway. Here’s the deal – yes, NICA needs more hard-charging super-fit folks who can pace the fastest groups. But there are a lot more kids on the team who don’t need the fastest rider; they just need adults willing to invest in them and cheer them on. We’re all learning together. If mountain biking scares you a little (or a lot), that doesn’t mean you can’t coach, it just means you’re sane. Representation matters – bring your true self and show those kids that everybody can enjoy the outdoors.
Is it hard?
Well, that depends on your definition of hard. NICA makes the path to coaching very achievable. All that’s required is a background check, a bike, and a few online safety courses to begin coaching (higher levels of coaching are also available and require additional training). To be a “Level 1” coach and ride along with the team requires two or three hours of self-paced online training provided by NICA that you complete before the season begins.
If the question is, “Is coaching demanding?” then the answer is definitely yes. Mountain biking is an endurance sport. It will kick your butt in all the best ways. You’ll probably have moments when you would be sitting on the ground crying because you’re really not sure you can make it up that hill, and the only thing stopping you is that there’s a kid sitting on the ground crying, and you want to be an encouraging example. It’s a tough sport, no matter your level of skill or fitness.
Can I ride an e-bike?
NICA welcomes coaches on e-bikes, although you would need to check with your team and local trail rules just to be sure. E-bikes are a wonderful way to get more coaches out there feeling confident in leading the pack. I often ride my e-bike if I know I’m going to be leading my ride group or I’m feeling a little tired that day.
How much will you have to learn?
If you’re relatively new to mountain biking, the learning curve is steep. But remember, the kids are experiencing the same challenges you are! My first season coaching was also my first season on a mountain bike. I fell a lot. I wouldn’t wear skirts to work that first summer because my legs were so banged up. My brain and body were constantly getting challenged and stretched right alongside the students I rode with. I didn’t know the trails, I didn’t know how to ride properly, and I didn’t know the lingo. And it was great.
Do you have to be a parent to coach?
Nope! NICA welcomes any adult as a coach. You just need to want to get on a bike and help kids grow. Most coaches are parents of students on the team, but sometimes grandparents, older siblings, neighbors, etc., join to help. Everybody is welcome.
But what does a coach do?
All of the clichés apply here- it takes a village to raise a mountain bike team, and many hands make for light work. Some coaches agree to be ride leaders, which can require the coach to plan the practice’s route and the skills the students will focus on (it’s good to coach for a year to two or be very familiar with your local routes before offering to ride lead, and a higher coaching certification is required). Most coaches ride along with the group or “sweep” (ride at the end of the line). This requires basic coaching certification, and a knowledge of bike repairs is helpful for helping kids with mechanicals. Other than that, you’re just riding along and helping the students feel encouraged and on the right trail.
There are many other volunteer roles that can be filled by coaches or other volunteers, such as providing food, carpooling to practices and races, posting to social media, doing back-end bookkeeping, hauling trailers, and putting up pop up shelters. As a coach, you don’t have to run the show or be in charge, you just are one more set of hands making the team function.
What kind of commitment are we talking about here?
Every team is a little different, but most practice two or three times per week. Some practice in the early morning, especially in the summer heat, and some in the evenings. Teams are usually broken up by ability into ride groups, and each ride group needs several ride leaders and coaches. Most teams understand that coaches cannot commit to making every practice, and there’s sufficient coach overlap to fill in for each other for vacations and other missed practices. The commitment could be as little as two hours per week if you commit to one practice, or as much as six to eight hours per week during peak practice season plus races if you choose to volunteer for races.
The western states run on a fall season, while in the southeast mountain biking is generally a spring sport. The beginning of the season is usually pretty light, with just one practice per week as the students learn the base skills. The latter part of the season leading up to races tends to heat up, with more practices and more intensity to prep for the races. Typically, there are 4–5 races over the course of the two- to three-month-long season.
On my team, practices start ramping up in June, peak during race season in August and September and then pull back as kids complete their final races, ending with state championships in October for the students who qualify and then the end-of-season parties.
What would my race responsibilities be as a coach?
Races are mostly staffed by volunteers, and it’s totally up to you if and how you want to participate. Race volunteering is never required, although it’s always helpful. There are lots of volunteer roles on race day that can be staffed by anybody – helping students line up at the start, giving kids water bottles as they race, and helping with traffic and pedestrian control. There are also on-the-bike volunteer roles helping students with mechanical and medical (and sometimes emotional) needs on-course. These are reserved for higher-level coaches with basic mechanical and first aid skills. Some races can be several hours away from a team’s home base, so it’s always fun to camp out with the team (or get a hotel if that’s more your speed) and make an adventure of it.
Is it worth it?
As a result of coaching, my leadership skills have grown, my cycling skills have exploded, I’ve encouraged and invested in kids who are developing lifelong healthy habits and outlooks, and I’ve formed friendships with fellow coaches that last well beyond bike season. Coaching with NICA is a great investment. Plus, you’ll probably get a team hoodie out of the deal.
Ok, I’m interested – what are my next steps?
Awesome! You can find your local team in one of a few ways. You’ll probably have good luck just searching for “-name of my local high school- mountain bike team.” Or check out to learn more about NICA and find a league in your area. Reach out and give it a try!
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