Beginning on Wednesday June 19, league directors, coach developers, and guild members from leagues across the country converged on Fayetteville, AR for the bi-annual NICA national conference. Attendees were treated to world class keynote speakers, interactive workshops, early morning group rides (to beat the heat!), and many opportunities to collaborate and network with folks across leagues and roles within NICA.
Beth Ross is the head coach of the Madison West High School team as well as a coach supporter in Wisconsin. She began coaching the team when her two daughters were old enough to be student-athletes, and she has continued to coach because she enjoys it so much! Beth is a huge fan of the community surrounding NICA and mountain biking.
David Haines is a head coach, coach developer for NICA’s Kentucky league, and a board member for the KICL – in other words, a NICA rockstar living in the bluegrass state! Learn more about David’s journey as a lifelong learner who stays curious, continues to find joy on the bike, and pushes himself to be the best coach he can be.
NICA Alumni Gwen Sepp is an Alumni Network founder’s circle member, a NICA coach, president of her University’s cycling club, and an avid volunteer for cycling-related organizations. Her journey as a NICA athlete helped her realize the importance of a growth mindset, and allowed her to plug into the cycling community post-graduation, where life on two wheels opens doors and provides fulfillment both personally and professionally.
Jill Bradley, a powerhouse coach, staff, and leader from the Idaho Interscholastic Cycling League, is this month’s MEET THE COACH feature! Learn about Jill and her best relationship-centered advice for NICA athletes and coaches.
As 2023 comes to an end, the Coach Education team would like to thank over 14,000 registered NICA coaches across the country for their dedication to creating life-changing experiences through youth mountain bike programming.
During our first year of hosting content at The Trailhead, we’ve created a growing library of updates, resources, featured articles, and coach community highlights! We’re excited to keep adding relevant, timely content for our coaches in 2024.
Here are some highlights of what we published for coaches in 2023. In addition, we encourage coaches to access several new permanent resources/references linked through our coach resource library. Coaches can find these resources within the NICA Education Center.
We hope our coaches can continue to refer back to these articles and resources again and again for use on their teams and within their own personal coaching practice!
We’re stoked for 2024 and can’t wait to see all the amazing things our coaches accomplish.
How can we help you reach your goals? Connect with us and share what you’d like to see at The Trailhead in the upcoming year!
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and NICA are a natural fit. NICA’s vision is that every youth is empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community and Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day seeks to introduce the joy of mountain biking to the next generation.
As the days get shorter, and the weather turns colder (in many of our leagues, at least!) we’re looking forward to cozying up on the couch next to our trail dogs with a cup of tea and a good book. For coaches who are just finishing their time with their teams, the off-season is an excellent time to reflect through reading! For our spring coaches who are starting to plan and ramp up their season, it’s the perfect moment to be inspired by a good book!
Sometimes, mountain bike lingo feels like another language. For a beginner rider, coach, or parent, the vocabulary that comes with this sport can be overwhelming. As we know, language is a powerful tool, so we’ve worked with some of our trusted partners to kick-off this lingo list and clarify some of cycling’s techy terms!
Julie is a super-coach! Read about her role as a NICA leader and as a co-founder of Trails for Youth, an organization that provides opportunities for children to explore biking trails in and around Washington, D.C. Julie empowers riders with life lessons on and off the bike, and shares her best coaching advice at The Trailhead.