Pre-Season Need-to-know!
It’s that time of year again! Seems like every spring, we wait and wait for the trails to dry…but once the weather turns nice and kids are finally out of school, its suddenly HYPERDRIVE mode for our teams and activities!
For those who are returning to our teams this season, you’ll recognize this “news update” format. For those who are new, we are excited to welcome you to the team! We ask that ALL families please take the time to read these updates carefully! We try to keep our info consolidated to this part of our website, so that you don’t have to go searching through endless emails to find something. In fact, please bookmark our news page for easy access later this season. Also, take some time to read more about our team communications, use of Google Groups, and text-message alerts here.
The purpose of this first 2022 season update is three-fold: to provide event dates & updated calendar info, answer last-minute registration questions, and invite you to join us for an info session THIS WEEK to learn about volunteering/riding along with our team as a coach!
As always, thanks for reading and please reach out to your respective team director if you have any questions. Our emails are at the bottom of this update.
A few Driftless coaches out for a ride together in Cross Plains, including Team Director Scott getting people stoked in the background. See below for details about how to join us as a coach!
Pre-season RIDE & 2022 Practice Calendar
We will once again keep our schedule posted and updated via Google Calendar. Click here to add this to your existing calendar, or bookmark it on our website, here. Please note that the calendar is in the process of being updated to reflect our 2022 events and practices; some practice locations are still TBD! Our first week of practice is Tuesday, July 12 & Thursday July 14!
PRE-SEASON RIDE: Join us for a relaxed kick-off to our season. We’ll guide riders from Blue Mound State Park to Mount Horeb, with stops along the way to complete some small-group challenges. See calendar event for details. This event starts and ends in different locations, so please be sure to pick up your rider in the right spot!
2022 PRACTICE CALENDAR: Our teams will be practicing on TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS from 6-8 p.m. (until fall, when we will shift to 5:30 for start times, and adjust our end-time based on daylight). It is very important to note that we do not always practice at the same locations; be sure to check the calendar for YOUR school’s practice site.
PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS: The first month of practice will focus on skill-building, and it is important that ALL riders (regardless of experience level) attend at least 4 practices before August trail riding begins (as per our Rider/Family Agreement).
START-OF-SEASON FAMILY MEETING: We will have a brief, mandatory start-of-season meeting for families to go over expectations, routines, and communication info for the season. An adult family member MUST attend one of these meetings. Please check the calendar for dates/times. We will have one virtual meeting option available, and the other meetings will be held after practice during the first two weeks of the season.
As a reminder: if you have any questions about events, always refer to the Google Calendar event description first!
Registration requirements & being “Practice Ready”
Our team registration officially closes this year on June 30. If a rider is interested in registering for our team, they MUST be signed up in Pitzone and be marked as “practice ready” by July 12! Please help our volunteer team directors and coaches by having ALL registration requirements completed before your rider arrives to their first practice. If riders do not have their requirements completed, they may not be able to practice with us. Reference our three-step registration process and let us know if you have questions about your registration status! Many riders have paid their team fee using our site, but have yet to register in NICA’s Pitzone. Reference your email invitation to Pitzone and register there as soon as possible so we have an accurate count of practice-ready riders. If you need us to re-send your Pitzone invite, let your respective team director know ASAP!
And, as a reminder, we also ask that ALL families carefully read and sign our new 2022 Rider and Family agreement.
When a rider is registered and “practice ready” in Pitzone, a green checkmark will appear next to their name. You can also use Pitzone to register a rider for League Adventure rides and our upcoming fall races.
Volunteers needed!
And…last but perhaps most importantly: we welcome you to volunteer with us! THIS THURSDAY, June 16 at 7 p.m., we will be hosting a virtual info session for any adults who are interested in finding out more about volunteering with our team.
Volunteering with us has many forms, and one of the most important roles we need filled is that of a COACH!
You do not have to have any mountain biking experience to be a “coach”! You can be brand-new to riding and we will provide all of the training you need (added perk: you get free MTB training when you ride with us!) We welcome all folks who want to ride along, support our kids, and be a positive presence on the bike!
Check out our coaching FAQs, and we will see you at the meeting!
Coach Christa jumped in as a coach last year when her daughter joined the team. Since then, she’s become a Level 2 coach with us and is a serious hype-beast for our riders! THANK YOU Coach Christa!
Thanks for reading our pre-season update and thanks to those riders who came out to get their bikes checked over this past weekend at Blackhawk! It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks as we ramp up to the first practice in July - we appreciate your continued patience with communications as our teams continue to grow and as we set up our Driftless MTB 510c3! We look forward to an awesome season of riding bikes together!
One last note - Driftless MTB riders are now able to sign up for the league adventure ride at Camrock on July 23! Take a look at this link for details. You can sign up in Pitzone to join the fun! Thanks to our coaches who are volunteering for this great event. We couldn’t do it without you!
And…as promised, if you have any questions on the info presented here, please email your respective team director using the links below!
