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A space for NICA coaches to gather and gain knowledge, share stories, and hear the latest NICA coach news.

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COVER PHOTO BY KATIE SOX: OREGON INTERSCHOLASTIC CYCLING LEAGUE

CONTENT FOR COACHES

Changes to NICA’s Leaders’ Summit Requirements

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 […]

The Impossible Climb

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 […]

Middle school cross country mountain bike racer moving through race course with blurred background.

Nutrition basics for coaches

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.

Coeus: Connecting Training Zones & Injury Prevention

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 […]

Introducing: the Trailhead

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!

Building impact with the Teen Trail Corps Coach

Building Impact with a Teen Trail Corps Coach

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 a whopping 42,750 hours of service to their local trails in 2022! Most of these hours are direct “digging in the dirt” trail work, but […]

What's your NICA coach philosophy?

Crafting your Athlete-Centered Coach Philosophy

Do you remember your favorite coach? It’s amazing to think of how impactful coaches can be in our lives. Even years later (or decades, for some of us) – it’s hard to forget the impact of a truly effective coach.  The start of a new year is a natural time […]

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