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Race & Event Weekends: Bringing the Fun

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Get ready for the races! This month we’re covering everything you need to know to create a great event experience for your NICA team.
As our spring leagues start planning for their upcoming season, and our fall leagues begin racing, we’re sharing ways to create amazing race-weekend experiences for your entire NICA community – from riders to families to coaches!

Creating a Fun & Inclusive Event Weekend for your entire team

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We all have that one thoughtful, crafty, or creative friend who knows how to level-up any occasion. Maybe that person is YOU! We want to share a few team-level ideas for how to elevate your next race weekend and turn up the FUN-o-meter to eleven. And beyond!

Process goals to set athletes up for success

We’ve all probably set a big goal without really thinking it through. Here’s how it plays out… “I’m gonna ride 8,000 miles this year. Let’s go!” Then, life gets busy. It’s June and you’ve only ridden 1,000 miles. “Geez… maybe I’m not very good at this goal thing. I just need to dig deep… Only 7,000 miles to go. I can do this!! Right? I will just stop hanging out with my friends, stop showering and spend every day on my bike. I said I would do it so….” Ever backed yourself into a corner with a goal like this? I know I have…

How Ted Lasso Changed my life

Hello, My name is Billy Calkins. I’m a NICA coach…and I love Ted Lasso. I would say I am a hardcore fan of the show, but the reality is that the show became so much more than a show for me: Ted Lasso has, hands down, changed my life…

Meet the Coach: Heather Weirich

“NICA is a community that cheers each other on. No matter where you come from, no matter what team jersey you wear, people will cheer for you! It’s a community that believes in one another. Whether a student-athlete sets their heart at racing or their soul prefers discovering new trails and adventuring, there’s a place for all.”

How e-bikes are changing the coaching landscape

“Without my e-bike, there is no way I could coach at every practice. Having an e-bike allows me to lead rides when other coaches aren’t familiar with trail systems, or sweep when I want to spend time coaching the newer kids. And, outside of NICA, I ride with my husband and a women’s group weekly. It makes it much more enjoyable to ride multiple times each week.”

Celebrate Women’s Mountain Biking Day

This grassroots day of recognition is a time for women to gather and share their stoke for riding. It can involve anything from an informal group shred to an organized, stoke-filled event. IMBA, the International Mountain Biking Association, wants NICA teams to join in the fun across the country…