Tallahassee Thunder
A NICA Composite - Youth Mountain Biking Team
SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Safety is our primary goal and risk management is the foundation that all of our activities are based on.
Our Risk Management plan will focus on two primary concerns, mitigating the risks from COVID-19 and ensuring that we provide the physical and emotional safety that you would expect and that is necessary to build a thriving and successful team.
That said, mountain biking is an inherently risky sport and removing that risk would also remove the fun and reduce the benefits to be gained from this experience. While we can't remove all the risk, we can manage the risk. The following sections describe the various ways the team will manage risk.
COVID-19 Risk Management
Our COVID-19 Risk Management plan follows the NICA guidelines listed below. Additionally, we plan to use a "team pod" approach to minimize contact. Let the Head Coach know if your child has any group preferences, such as a friend or another family member on the team and we will do our best to keep them together.
Please share any concerns with the Team Director or Head Coach.
Practice attendance is not required. If you feel uncomfortable, stay away.
Bringing your student athlete to practice implies that they are symptom free and have had zero contact with anyone testing positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days!
It is the responsibility of the parent, guardian or adult that brings the student athlete to practice to understand the child's exposure outside of practice and check for symptoms, not the coaches!
NICA COVID-19 Guidelines
Be a good teammate
Your following this guidance makes you a good teammate, reduces the chance of your teammates getting COVID-19 and will reduce the chance your team practice will need to pause.
Stay home
If you have been exposed to anybody with symptoms or in contact with anyone who has had a positive COVID test in the past 14 days, stay at home.
Stay in contact
Let your coach know about any potential exposure you may have had with anyone who has COVID symptoms or has tested positive for COVID before, during, or after practice.
Stay healthy
If you develop or are having any of the following symptoms prior to, while at practice, or after practice, let your coach know. If you have any symptoms, stay at home.
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Fever
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Sore Throat
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Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
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Muscle Pain
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Nausea
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New loss of taste or smell
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Cough
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Vomiting
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Unexplainable Rash
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Chills
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Diarrhea
Stay away
Practice physical distancing- stay 6 feet away from coaches and teammates. Give plenty of room when passing or allowing others to pass. Plan ahead for stopping areas to maintain distance.
Stay covered
Always have your mask ready to put-on. Foot down, mask up.
Stay chill
On the trail, stay within your limits. Have fun but save the gnar for another time. Get rad later.
Stay solo
Be prepared, you will not be able to share equipment-- make sure your bike is working properly, bring all the water, tools, pumps, tubes, snacks, and anything else you need to be self-sufficient on the trail.
Stay small
Before and during rides, gather in small groups with consideration for group size limits. As possible, keep the same groups for the season.
Stay clean
Wash your hands, use hand sanitizer often, avoid touching your face, keep your bike and other equipment sanitized. If you need to use a public restroom or any public facilities, be quick and avoid touching any surfaces or fixtures as much as possible. Use hand sanitizer immediately afterward.
Physical and Emotional Safety Plan
Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of the student athletes and coaches is our primary goal. Everything else is secondary to providing a safe environment that allows the experience to result in personal growth.
All coaches must be licensed by NICA. A NICA Coaches License requires a background check and training designed to help protect student athletes from emotional and physical harm.
Achieving this goal starts with education and awareness. Anyone who is regularly working directly with student athletes during NICA, FICL and/or Tallahassee Composite events (practices, races, etc) must be a NICA licensed coach.
An adult may participate in a team activity and work directly with student athletes without a NICA coach license exactly once. The adult must sign a waiver and a participation agreement that clearly specifies the expectations of their involvement.
There are so many aspects of the NICA Risk Management plan that they can't reasonably be reproduce here. See the following documents for details and know that we will follow all NICA guidance in this area.
Safety is everyone's responsibility. Athletes are encouraged to always ride within their limits and coaches are encouraged to avoid taking the risky line. Coaches must always model appropriate behavior, on and off the bike. Helmets must be worn on the bike, in fact, as soon as an athlete or coach puts a leg over the bike, they must be wearing a helmet.
We will do everything we can to keep your child safe and to instill in every athlete an understanding of Risk Management so that they can make informed decisions.
Mountain biking is an inherently risky sport and we can not remove the risk without also removing the fun and opportunity for the sort of experiential education that this team is intended to provide. If you are not comfortable accepting this aspect of the sport, perhaps this team is not for your young person.