The primary goals of this team are to provide a safe and fun opportunity for student athletes of a diverse range of backgrounds to experience the excitement of mountain biking in a safe and supportive environment.

 

Our young people will experience personal growth by overcoming challenges using deliberate practice techniques.

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This starts by building skills on the bike and learning how to ride safely in a group. We then move to the trail, where we learn trail riding skills such as cornering, log rolling, and trail reading.

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We will also encourage student athletes to engage with the cycling community by participating in non-NICA activities such as trail maintenance work days sponsored by TMBA and volunteering with Bicycle House.

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Our team will promote positive self-image and will help increase each student athlete’s self-confidence. Participating on this team will result in a deeper appreciation of our natural world, build an awareness of the value of natural land conservation and help foster a desire to participate in trail stewardship.

 

As student-athletes become more comfortable on their bike they will see cycling as more than a sport or a form of transportation. They will begin to see cycling as a path to transformation and positive personal growth.

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We realize that mountain biking can have high startup costs and that this can result in a major barrier to entry. We also understand that there are a whole host of challenges that can limit participation. For example, a student-athlete might not have a good way to transport their bike to practice. The practice might be located too far away from where they live. They may not have role models they can relate to, who mountain bike. They may not feel safe on trails or know the relevant traffic laws. They may not feel confident with their bike riding skills or comfortable participating in group activities.

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This team, with help from sponsors like TMBA, Trek, Epic Bikes and the Outride Fund will work together to find ways to break down these barriers, bringing more people of diverse backgrounds into the sport we love. This in turn will strengthen our cycling community. More riders generate more support, more support means better and safer access, better access encourages more riders.

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Affordability

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The team provides Rider Sponsorships that can offset most, if not all of the costs for student-athletes who would not otherwise be able to participate. Our budget is limited and our Sponsorships are granted on a needs basis.

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Accessibility and Inclusivity

 

All team practices will be located at Tom Brown Park, which we feel is a good location do to being relatively centrally located, open and generally safe for everyone.

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We welcome riders of all abilities, backgrounds, shapes, sizes and skill levels to join us! We value diversity and inclusion and will work with you to ensure that you and/or your student athlete have positive experiences.

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Community Partnership

 

We have partnered with the Tallahassee Bicycle House and the Omega Lamplighters. These partnerships will help connect the team to student athletes and will be a resource for support that a NICA team is unable to provide, such as transportation and lodging on race weekends.

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We are always seeking new community partners. If you would like to engage with us, please reach out!

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Leadership

 

One of our primary goals is to actively promote and encourage diversity in competitive cycling. In order to support a diverse team, our leadership must reflect these values and goals. We appreciate all support and welcome everyone to join us as a coach, but we are especially looking for more female and coaches of color to help us be the change we want to see happening around us.

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