Week 1 - Welcome!
Leighton absolutely smashing the track stand challenge at last night’s bike rodeo!
Welcome to the true NICA Driftless season, families, riders, and coaches!
We’re STOKED to kick things off with you. We enjoyed seeing you at our recent bike rodeos and appreciate all that you’ve done to be ready for the 2023 season. Your team directors will be sending a weekly email/Team Snap message with a link to our news updates on Sunday/Monday each week which will include big-picture items, reminders, and such. Other time-sensitive updates will be sent via TeamSnap (i.e. practice cancellations due to weather, etc.)
Some weeks we will have a lot of info (like this week - first of the season!) and other weeks will be a little lighter on content. As always, we appreciate your attention to these details! As the team’s volunteer coaches and team directors manage logistics for ~100 families, your attention to our updates is incredibly helpful!
WEEK 1 SUMMARY
Mark your availability in TeamSnap - this is an essential step!
Practice reminders - what to bring and where to be
Team kit orders are due by July 16 - no exceptions
Casual team apparel is now available for order!
Last minute gear/bike checks
Volunteering details
Practices - all the details
As practices kick off, we want to remind you of some routines, norms, and gear for students to bring.
First, please ALWAYS MARK YOUR AVAILABILITY in Team Snap in advance - as far in advance as possible. As the season progresses, our coaching team will be creating small groups that have to fit within a certain ratio of riders-to-coaches. Unknown availability means that this process is difficult if not impossible. Please help your volunteer coaches by marking athlete availability.
Don’t forget to have all the things you need for practice. This sheet was included in your handouts provided at the bike rodeo. Remember that we may not be able to allow riders to practice with us if they are not properly equipped to ride/participate safely.
Always double check the location of practice in Team Snap before heading out. We try not to change things last minute, but it sometimes cannot be avoided. Make sure you’re going to the right place!
When a rider arrives at practice, the FIRST thing they should do is CHECK IN at our attendance station. Each rider should find the Trailhead Coach for the day, and mark their presence on the practice sheet. This coach will also help direct them to the best area for warming up, etc.!
Lastly, a note about bikes: make sure your rider is on a bike that fits them properly and that the seat is adjusted to the correct height (see this guide for tips). And, last but not least, this is a reminder that all kickstands/racks need to be removed from bikes before practice! Thanks for ensuring your rider is on an appropriately-sized/outfitted bike - this helps us ensure that their experience is as safe as possible when riding. If you need assistance finding a different bike/size, we have lots of resources/tips on where to go! Please don't forget that student-athletes can receive a discount from a number of great mountain bike brands/stores. If you're looking for a used bike, then also consider posting in Team Snap as a number of coaches and parents may be replacing bikes their student athletes have grown out of…
Kit & Clothes
Two brief items: one, if you have not yet placed a team kit order for this year, your deadline is approaching FAST! The store closes on SUNDAY at midnight - after that, there will not be any other opportunities to buy a team kit for 2023. Please visit our team kit page to read about sizing, kit types, etc. and to place an order.
Second, we have an awesome casual apparel store that’s open! Check it out for all your extra Driftless, Middleton, Mount Horeb, and Waunakee MTB clothing needs! There are short and long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, flannel PJ pants, warm up pants, baseball hats, beanie hats, etc. Check out all the items using this link!
BIKE RODEO FOLLOW-UP
Parents and families - thanks for helping us run two successful kick-off BIKE RODEOS! We enjoyed seeing familiar and new faces, and are grateful for your help in attending these events so everyone is up-to-speed on all of the need-to-know stuff for MTB season! Two follow up items:
We would love your feedback. Please complete this super-short, 3-question form to give us feedback on the Bike Rodeo so we can revise as needed next year.
Many of you asked for a list of volunteer roles as discussed at the Volunteer Station w. Christa. Here are all the awesome things we need help with!
Raffle ticket coordinator (for your team only) - contact your team’s team director
Trail Hero (help coordinate with trail stewards/CORP to plan trail work opportunities)
GRiT Coordinator (help coordinate GRiT rides)
Adventure Coordinator (help coordinate adventure rides)
End of year party planner (we likely have a person to help with this, but it’s always fun to have a friend or two to help out!)
*Please reach out to your team director if you are able to assist in these roles!
That’s it for now, folks! Please feel free to let us know what questions you have, and stay tuned to TeamSnap for any last-minute beginning of season details! Now…let’s go ride bikes!
