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Try It Out is now Give it a Go: Here’s how we’re using it with GRiT

Looking for a simple way to welcome new riders to your team this season? Try It Out events are now called Give It a Go events, and we’re introducing a new GRiT Give It a Go event designed to help more girls feel comfortable trying mountain biking for the first time. Visit the NICA Education Center for the new GRiT Give it a Go Guide, which includes ready-to-use resources like social media posts, email templates, and planning guides to help your team run an event with confidence.

Photo by Sabrina Koogler, AZ League

 

You may notice a small language change this season. What we previously called “Try-it-Out” events are now called “Give it a Go” events. The change is intentional. While “Try-it-Out” was meant to be welcoming, the phrase sometimes sounded a bit like tryouts, which can feel intimidating or exclusive to riders who are new to the sport. “Give it a Go” better reflects what these events are meant to be—fun, low-pressure opportunities for kids to try mountain biking and see what NICA is all about.

The new name reinforces a simple message for students and families: there is no expectation to already know how to ride well, and no pressure to perform. These events are about curiosity, connection, and giving something new a try.

GRiT Give it a Go

One of the most powerful ways to do this for girls is through a GRiT Give it a Go event. This team-hosted event is designed to introduce girls to mountain biking in a welcoming, supportive environment, where belonging comes before performance. Research consistently shows that girls are more likely to try a new sport when they feel emotionally safe and connected to others. When that sense of belonging comes first, confidence and skill naturally follow.

A GRiT Give it a Go event is intentionally simple. In about two hours, teams welcome new riders, help them meet coaches and other girls, introduce a few foundational riding skills through games and activities, and finish with a short adventure ride. The goal is not technical skill development or athletic performance. Success looks like participants leaving the event feeling comfortable, included, and excited to come back.

These events are organized by the team’s GRiT coach lead, with support from the league’s GRiT coordinator and other practice-ready NICA coaches. They are also a great opportunity to involve current female student-athletes as mentors and to invite prospective female coaches to experience what NICA is all about. Many teams find that these events strengthen their team culture just as much as they support recruitment.

To help teams get started, NICA has developed a full set of resources to make hosting a GRiT Give it a Go event easy. These include a complete two-hour event template, planning checklists, social media and email templates, flyer templates, and FAQs. The resources walk teams through the entire process, from promotion to follow-up, so coaches do not have to build an event from scratch.

Teams that plan to host a GRiT Give it a Go event may also want to consider applying for a She Sends Foundation x NICA GRiT grant. These grants support programs that grow participation and leadership opportunities for girls and women in mountain biking. Recruitment-focused events like GRiT Give it a Go align strongly with the goals of the program and are highly likely to receive funding. The She Sends Foundation continues to be an incredible partner in helping expand access to the sport.

For teams new to GRiT programming, the starting point is simple: host a GRiT Give it a Go event during the preseason. These events are a powerful way to welcome new riders, strengthen team culture, and create a clear entry point into mountain biking for girls who may never have considered the sport before.

When girls feel that they belong on bikes, they are far more likely to return. And when more girls find their place in the sport, the entire NICA community grows stronger.

Sign in to Pit Zone, click the Education Center link, and select GRiT Resources from the side panel to find the GRiT Give it a Go Guide and other GRiT-related resources.

This content was authored by NICA’s coach education team. NICA’s comprehensive coach education program provides new and existing coaches with the high-quality training and resources they need to be confident, competent, and empowered leaders on their youth mountain bike teams. NICA coaches not only create amazing experiences for student-athletes, they create a foundation for building healthy mountain bike communities. NICA coaches change lives! 

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Special thanks to SPECIALIZED, a NICA platinum level partner.

NICA partners help kids gain access to a thriving and engaged cycling community.

Special thanks to SPECIALIZED, a NICA platinum level partner.

NICA partners help kids gain access to a thriving and engaged cycling community.

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