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In an open field, a cyclist rides past the camera, while another cyclist behind them rides underneath a limbo stick while balancing on their bike.

Adapting Games at Practice

Games increase fun, joy, and skill development. Allowing our athletes to play supports connection to their teammates and the sport of mountain biking. Coaches work in a dynamic environment, and your games will often need to be revised or adapted. Making a change doesn’t mean that you did something wrong, or that it was a bad game. It is essential to adapt activities to ensure that athletes are having fun and experiencing the right level of challenge.

Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League participants stand in front of a mountaintop vista, looking over lake with fall colors all around. The athletes have their hands raised in a dramatic fashion.

The Essential nature of Free Play & Bikes

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.