Missouri's new interscholastic mountain bike league for middle & high school students: How to start a club at your school or city, how to start coaching, how to stay informed as the first season gets started this year

Missouri's exciting new mountain bike league for middle and high school students is launching this year. 

The Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League is starting up this year, with orientation and training through winter and spring, teams forming in April, team/club practice starting in the summer, and the first season in fall

We have been talking with Chris Mileski, director of the new Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League, to find out more about the League and how interested students, parents, coaches, mountain bikers, schools, and school staff can get involved.

Chris covered these topics, of interest to anyone interested in joining or participating in the League:

• Working with your schools and school districts to create a team--and what to do if the school or district is not interested
   
• Mountain biking opportunities with the League for everyone, at all ability and interest levels--beyond competition and racing
   
• How to get started coaching and start your team
   
• How to stay abreast of League news and updates

Below is a summary of these conversations with Chris:

Creating Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League Clubs and Teams in Missouri schools and school districts--or outside of the school and district

TEAM TYPES

There are four different types of teams in NICA Leagues:  

1. Independent Team
2. Composite Team - teams representing a geographical area taking in more than one school
3. Official School Club
4. Official School Team 

So there is an opportunity to create a team, whether it represents a single school or a larger area, and whether or not your local school or school district wants to be involved. Students from an area that doesn't have an established team can also participate as independent racers.

When the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League launches this fall, we will have all four different team types represented in our League.

TEAMS IN THE SCHOOLS--HELPFUL, BUT OTHER OPTIONS ARE POSSIBLE

Official School Teams are possible in both public and private schools.  For example, Warsaw and surrounding communities will have a mountain bike club in just about every school. The same is true for Joplin, Neosho, and others in that area. And many private schools have teams.

In other parts of the state, composite teams will predominate the landscape--for now.

The ultimate goal does remain to get mountain bike teams in all schools, over time. In a given community or school district, first composite teams covering an entire city, district, or region can be created.  As participation builds, teams for each individual school can be created.  When the school and school district are ready, the school teams can be officially associated with the school, allowing the use of the school mascot, colors, logos, etc.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE LEAGUE--COMMUNITY, OUTDOORS, SERVICE, FUN, EQUITY, AND INCLUSIVITY. AND NOT JUST FOR RACERS!

NICA, the national umbrella organization the League belongs to, is a participatory league, not just a racing league.

NICA's values include fun, inclusivity, equity, respect, and community.

The League has programs for ALL types of kids to be able to participate in. Kids can be on a team and never have to line up for a race.

We will have podiums and leaders jerseys for kids with the most volunteer hours doing trail building. Another good example is the NICA Adventure program: it's centered around experential learning: bike scavenger hunts, orienteering, game playing on the bike, backpacking, etc.

Bottom line is these kids are still getting outside, in nature, and using the bicycle as the development tool of choice. The racing teams are just one part of the whole picture. 

Leaders Summit April 25-26 - for those interested in coaching in the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League

Any interested individuals within the district who wants to coach should attend our Leaders' Summit (April 25-26 @ Mizzou, Columbia). They will leave that weekend armed with the knowledge and skills to coach in our NICA League. 

How to stay abreast of Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League communication and information:

• Please like the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League and NICA GRiT Missouri (Girls Riding Together) on Facebook and follow the League on Instagram @missourimtb
   
• Be sure to visit our website: www.missourimtb.org. The site contains a wealth of information about coaching, volunteering, schedule of upcoming events, etc.
   
• Finally, make sure to sign up for the newsletter(s) under the website Join Newsletters tab. The first Missouri newsletters will drop in the next 1-2 weeks! This will keep you up-to-date on the latest news, events, announcements, and happenings around the League.     

  More information about the League and starting a team in your area or at a local school:

• Working with your local school to create a school-based team (NICA)
• Team Starter Kit (NICA)
• Start a Team/Club (Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League)

Helping promote more bicycling opportunities, more trails, and more participation in bicycling among Missouri's youth and schools is one of the ways we encourage more bicycling and walking and help create a world-class bicycle, pedestrian, and trails system in Missouri.  Those are two of four primary goals in MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.

One way we we accomplish those goals is by supporting excellent organizations like the Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League in their work.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality!