The pre-season can be one of the busiest times of the year for head coaches, team directors, and other team leadership. We’ve collected a few strategies and resources for tackling the long to-do lists that accompany the kick-off of a new season with NICA.
“My favorite thing about coaching is seeing riders progress and gain confidence. We are all learning together. I keep coaching because I love getting more kids on bikes and helping kids find a hobby that they may not have ventured into on their own.”
Starting in 2023, the full NICA Leaders’ Summit (online and in person) will change from 5 required sessions to 4 required sessions. A completed NICA Leaders’ Summit is required for any Level 3 coach. Coaches who already have Level 3 licensure may take Leaders’ Summits (either single online sessions or any in-person session) for Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Use “The Impossible Climb” at practice after you have taught all of NICA’s 101 climbing skills, and have given your student-athletes an opportunity to attempt a challenging climb that you designed. You will want to be intentional about using the name “impossible climb.” This name gives your riders permission to make mistakes and acknowledges that failure is part of the fun.
Many of us grew up riding bikes in our neighborhoods with friends. Maybe we built jumps or rode all the way to the local gas station for a snack. No one was telling us how to play or what to play. We made up our own rules. Research has found that these types of free play experiences foster social skills, and inherently demand some form of inclusion. They promote lifelong, intrinsic motivation for sport participation.
Nutrition around training can seem like a daunting, complex issue. There are recommendations everywhere saying you need “this product” or “that product”. How do coaches support student-athletes with questions around nutrition? Keep it simple, and keep it healthy.
As coaches, we know crashes are inevitable. Part of our duty is to try and mitigate risk as much as possible. We can approach this by adequately teaching athletes proper skills, selecting appropriate trails for practice sessions, and educating riders on the inherent risk of the sport. While there are many factors that contribute to a crash, there’s one common theme across the research: fatigue. When athletes are fatigued they are much more likely to make mistakes that lead to injuries. Learn how to prevent injury with the use of training zones in your practice.
With the launch of NICA’s new Trailhead site, we are stoked to share more stories, best practices, pro-tips, and proud moments from our NICA coach community. Share an idea today!
Teen Trail Corps has proven that NICA student-athletes and coaches are out advocating for and working on their local trails. The NICA community put in… Read More »Building Impact with a Teen Trail Corps Coach
