One of the most unique things about our mountain bike team is the ratio of coaches to student athletes on trail rides at team practices; 6 or fewer students to each Level 2 or higher coach. That coaching ratio doesn’t apply to team practices that don’t involve trail riding, like on-the-bike skills practices or playing games in a field, but NICA’s “Safe Kids Policy” does require anyone who rides with and coaches students be a Level 1 coach or higher.

All NICA coaches start with NICA License Level 1 and take it one step at a time throughout the year as opportunities arise to complete additional requirements. And most of our coaches ride frequently outside of practice and attend our coaches’ trainings, like summer coaches skills practice, in which we run through all the skills we’ll be teaching and refreshing with our student athletes when skills practice begins in July! Sometimes, we have visitors drop in (see below).

Interested in joining the fun and becoming a coach? Learn more about NICA Coach Licensing.