Mountain Biking in Your Community
If you are interested in riding your bike with a group of people that will provide encourage and support, then NICA is perfect for you. NICA is the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. Founded in 2009, it continues to create programs and teams for bike riding across the United States. The program allows you to develop your leadership skills, a strong body and mind, and character.
The specific vision and goals of NICA are to help students develop their athletic skills, teamwork, sophistication, and respect for the environment; advertise the sport and the benefits, such as staying healthy and being able to enjoy time outdoors; and to provide leadership through easy-to-understand rules and guidelines to allow a fair and fun time for everyone.
In 2015, over 7,500 student-athletes participated in NICA, which is a 51% increase from the 2014 season. The program reached Idaho and Alabama, while adding 5 new leagues to the roster, which puts NICA with programs in 19 regions. They increased the number of licensed coaches across the country by 59% from 2014 for a total of 3,145 coaches. Over $150,000 was provided for grants to develop the leagues, in addition to national staff support. They received a REI grant for the Teen Trail Corps program, which allows the teens that participate to go out and maintain trails while helping the environment. They earned the Next Generation and Outdoor Inspiration Interbike Award for mobilizing communities to be active outdoors. The program helped teens spend over two million hours active with teams, and this number will surely be even larger in 2016.
Fairly recently, NICA approved five new league bids and began work on an alumni program in North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Arkansas. The alumni program will launch sometime in 2016 or 2017. They also received support from some of the top brands in the industry such as Trek, Sram, Specialized, Maxxis, Fox, Cannondale, and Clif Bar.
NICA provides many opportunities for people to get involved. Kids can get involved in their local league, join clubs that associate with the organization, or start their own league. One day, the organization might be coast to coast. Not interested in riding a bike but like the idea of the program? You can simply volunteer by helping them take care of the trails, handing riders the water during races, and encouraging them in your area.