Representation, however, is only part of the picture. While a diverse coaching staff is incredibly valuable, belonging can’t depend on whether a student-athlete has a coach who shares their background. Every coach has the ability, and the responsibility, to create an environment where every rider feels seen, respected, and valued. Research on culturally responsive coaching suggests that it starts with curiosity: learning names correctly, avoiding assumptions, recognising that families bring different experiences and perspectives, and creating a team culture where every young person feels they can be themselves.

Sometimes that means asking more questions. Sometimes it means recognising that one student-athlete shouldn’t be expected to speak for an entire community or culture. Sometimes it means looking honestly at your team and asking, “Who isn’t here yet?” That’s not about guilt. It’s about curiosity. Every team has an opportunity to reach families who may never have considered mountain biking because nobody has invited them before.

The good news is that NICA coaches already know how to build belonging. We wait for each other on the trail. We celebrate first log rolls just as enthusiastically as race wins. We cheer the last rider across the finish line with the same excitement as the first. Those moments matter because they tell every student-athlete, “You belong here.”

The next step is making sure every young person has the opportunity to experience that feeling.

That might mean partnering with schools or community organizations you’ve never worked with before. It might mean hosting a Give it a Go event in a neighborhood your team hasn’t reached. It might mean intentionally recruiting more women and coaches from underrepresented backgrounds so more young people can see themselves reflected in leadership. It might simply mean noticing the rider standing quietly at the edge of the group and making sure they have someone to ride with before practice begins. Belonging doesn’t happen because we hope it will. It happens because coaches create it, one interaction at a time.

As coaches, we spend a lot of time teaching young people how to corner better, climb stronger, and descend with confidence. Those skills matter, but so does something less visible. Every practice is an opportunity to show a young person that this team is a place where they can be fully themselves, where they’re valued for who they are, and where they have a place. Because the goal isn’t simply to get more kids on bikes—it’s to build teams where every rider knows, from the moment they arrive, “I belong here.”