Cultivate a Climate of Mastery, Not Comparison, on Your Team
Is your bike team chasing podiums, or is it chasing progress? This month’s feature Trailhead article explores the benefits of “mastery climates” and the pitfalls of the alternative.
Game of the Month: Red Light, Green Light
Learn how to play Red Light, Green Light on bikes, a fun NICA team activity that helps student-athletes practice braking, bike-body separation, and track stands while building confidence and supporting teammates.
Game of the month: Between the Lines
Whether it’s through a tight section of singletrack or along a narrow log skinny, riding a consistent line is an important ability out on the trails. The Between the Lines game builds that skill, while allowing you to control the challenge and ramp up the fun!
National Youth Athlete Survey findings you can use as a coach
In the fall of 2025, NICA student-athletes had the opportunity to participate with young people around the country in a study of youth sports. The National Youth Athlete Survey, conducted by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative, polled almost 4,000 kids and teens age 10-17 about their experiences and attitudes on the subject.
Coach game night: A winning way to build culture from the top
Preseason is the perfect time to get coaches together and begin building camaraderie, team culture, instruction skills, and a focus on fun. Are coach group rides the best way to do so, though, or do we take a page from athlete practice plans and apply it to ourselves?
Flag Racing
Inspired by a fast-paced rodeo event, the flag racing game tests student-athletes’ timing and coordination as they race to place flags in a series of cones or buckets. Don’t be surprised to hear a YEE-HAW or two from riders cheering their teammates to the finish line.
A small team taking on big efforts: Talking TTC with Spooner Composite
Despite having just seven student-athletes and five coaches, the Spooner Composite team posted the most Teen Trail Corps hours in their league last season. What effect did their efforts have on local trails, and how did they inspire their community to pick up shovels and lend a hand? Find out in this Q&A with the team’s head coach and team directors.
Crafting Practice Plans, Part 2: How to build an effective plan
This is the second article of a two-part series on creating and using practice plans with NICA teams. Following up on a piece about plan benefits and roles, this installment delves into what to include when creating your own.
Crafting Practice Plans, Part 1
Did you know your specific role from beginning of practice to end? Or did you and your team just show up and “ride bikes?” While there’s nothing wrong with unstructured time on the bike, that’s something student-athletes can and should be doing on their own.
Minefield on Bike
Minefield helps improve bike skills such as balance, spatial awareness, and slow-speed maneuvering. Riders practice looking where they want to go rather than where they don’t, which is crucial for safe and confident riding.