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On Bikes for Life: Team Building

Facilitating intentional experiences creates a pathway for riders to carry the lessons learned on two wheels into all aspects of their life. This four part series will present resources for each of the four major components of the power of adventure to help you create these great experiences without reinventing the wheel!

The Feed Webinar 2024

This month NICA partnered with The Feed to deliver an informative webinar about nutrition and riding and racing performance. The Feed’s Carson Beckett, a NICA alumni and nutritionist, gave a presentation and answered questions about hydration, nutrition, and being well-fueled for physical activity.

Event Prep

Event season is right around the corner for fall leagues. Many student-athletes are about to participate in their first race for the season, or maybe their first race ever! When kids are nervous about races, we can support them with thoughtful practice planning and empathetic support.

Coach Education Department 2024

NICA’s Coach Education team exists to support a network of thousands of volunteer coaches across the country in their work to develop youth through the sport of mountain biking. NICA’s comprehensive coach education program and resources provide coaches with the skills, knowledge, and abilities to be confident and effective leaders and role models who build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling. In 2024, we’re welcoming several new faces to the team. Meet your Coach Education staff and learn about their experiences and the path that led them to NICA!

Team Expansion Playbook

It can be scary and intimidating to split a large and successful team. Splitting a growing team can be a really good thing! It means that you’ve created something so amazing that it needs to grow. NICA’s new Composite Team Expansion Playbook helps guide you through team growth and helps teams understand when and how to split their teams.

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.

Brain Injury Awareness

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March is brain injury awareness month, a great reminder for coaches to refresh their knowledge on concussion protocols and training. Check out these concussion-specific resources and tools to ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep athletes safe and healthy.

Coaching with Games: PART 1

Welcome to our 3-part Coaching with Games series! We’ll highlight skills, methods, and best practices for using games with your teams.
As NICA coaches, we know that fun is an essential part of learning and whole-athlete development. Here’s how you can become a pro at COACHING WITH GAMES!