Dust off those old bicycles for a thrilling, action-packed youth mountain biking event coming soon to a trail near you.
The National Interscholastic Cycling Association will host a “Try It” mountain biking event on May 10 from 1-3 p.m. at the Upshur County Trails, located inside the Upshur County Recreational Park.
This event is designed for students in grades 6–12 who are interested in exploring mountain biking, regardless of their experience level. It’s an excellent opportunity to learn about NICA programs and the local youth mountain biking scene in West Virginia, organizers said.
“We are starting a new team for the area, and the ‘Try It’ event is a great opportunity for kids sixth through 12th grade to be able to come out – even if they’ve never ridden a bike – and give them the opportunity to try out mountain biking and see how they like it,” said Jessica Harmening, director of Coaches and Team Development at NICA.
Youth riders are encouraged to bring their bicycles and helmets this Saturday, if they have them; however, it is not a requirement for participation.
“Most student athletes, when they join teams, will have their own bike,” Harmening said. “However, kids who don’t have bikes, that is definitely not a barrier to participation at the event this weekend. We will have a fleet of bikes with us, and kids can come out and try bikes and helmets if they don’t have their own. If a student-athlete wants to join a team, and they don’t have a bike, the coaches on their team, and sometimes the league as well, will do whatever they can to try and get them on a bike.”
Bill Reger, NICA Head Coach and Team Director, told My Buckhannon that the mission statement of NICA is powerful, as it builds strong minds, bodies, character and communities through cycling. Riders meet new people, travel to new places, and make memories via their experiences behind the handlebars.
Harmening said bicycles serve as a means to the end of healthy socialization and character development.
“We’re a youth development program that uses the bike as a tool,” she said. “We have kids who show up with all different types of intentions. Some kids show up because they want to train and they want to race and they want to see themselves do really well. Other kids show up because they want to ride with their friends, and they might never race, or maybe they’ll only come to one race. We get all kinds, and we want all kinds. We’re not requiring anybody to race.”
“It is a valuable piece to the experiential education, part of what NICA is all about,” Harmening added. “But it’s not necessary for our student athletes to develop their character, their strong minds, strong bodies, strong character. They don’t need to race to do that.”
Five NICA race events happen each year and are commonly called ‘event weekends’ by NICA staff and riders. It includes a campout experience with adventure, fun and games on a Saturday to prepare for the race on a Sunday. Harmening explained that the magic really happens within the relationships of the student-athletes with their coaches. This environment of learning and community, fostered between a rider and their coach, welcomes riders of all experience levels and backgrounds.
“My advice is to give it a try because it’ll change your life,” Harmening said. “I have always been a cyclist, but I wasn’t a mountain biker. When I got asked to start a team by our league director, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t know how to mountain bike. How am I going to coach a team?’ As it turns out, I learned alongside my student-athletes, and that’s one of the most special things that I’ve ever done in my life.”
Riders must be accompanied by an adult before hitting the trail at each event. While the young riders hit the trail, parents and guardians are encouraged to learn how to get involved in their local NICA chapter by speaking with event volunteers.
“We want our parents to join in and be involved. And we get a lot of them that are like, well, ‘I don’t really know what I’m doing. I can’t coach a mountain biking team.’ The truth is that you don’t have to know how to mountain bike if you want to be a NICA coach. You just need to be willing to connect with kids, because that’s the most important part of coaching,” Harmening said.
The energy at these events is electric, with eager racers smiling as supportive families cheer them on, and win or lose, every rider is important to the NICA family, Reger, the head coach and team director, said.
“I’m almost at a loss for words,” he said. “I’m so impressed with the energy at these meets and the positivity and creativity; it blows you away when you see all the positive people around you and put student-athletes in an environment like this that maybe they don’t get every day.”
Experiencing the often-overlooked natural beauty from behind the handlebars of a mountain bike is a thrilling experience like no other.
“You could be like me and learn how to bike alongside the team, which is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life,” Harmening said. “I don’t know where I’d be right now if I hadn’t taken that step to try something new.”
Event registration is required. Questions? Contact Bill Reger at regerbill@gmail.com.
