Join us on February 13, 20 or 27 to learn how to start a team in your community! These calls are open to the general public and we’ll go through all the steps involved, from outreach, coach training, the season calendar and more.

Start a Team

It only takes one adult and one student-athlete

Extensive cycling experience is not necessary

Student-athletes can compete in the Oregon League independently, but it's even more fun to train and race with a team. Whether you are a student or coach, the Oregon League wants to do everything we can to help you form a school-based or composite team. View How to Start a NICA Team to get a better idea of what’s involved in this fun and exciting journey.

In starting a team, the Oregon League:

• helps community leaders start teams

• connects families to their local team

• supports coaches and team directors

Who

Administrators, teachers, parents, students and/or community members can start a cycling club at their local middle or high school. While it is not necessary that the person who initiates the club be a school “insider” (teacher or administrator), this can be very useful. A teacher, administrator or school volunteer within the school possesses certain advantages, such as knowledge of the school community, bureaucratic systems and channels, and how to access potential teen cyclists. One should simply have the desire to introduce kids to the sport of mountain biking. Once you have decided to create a team, the League can help educate you and provide you with all the tools necessary to be an excellent coach.

What

An Oregon League mountain bike team can be any size, as long as correct coach-to-student-athlete ratios are abided by. Teams are broken into Division 1 and Division 2 categories based on their team size (and not their school size). Please see the Handbook (PDF) for more info on Division specifics.

Where

The Oregon League includes the entire state. Neighboring states may participate if a league does not currently exist in that region.

When

Oregon teams organize in the winter and early spring. The pre-season starts on April 1, with the official season kicking off July 1. Teams practice and ride together all season long, working towards adventure rides and a race series once the school season starts. The season usually wraps up by the first or second week in November.

More info: How to Start a NICA Team

Ready to start YOUR team?

Types of Teams

There are two types of teams:

• School-Based Teams: Comprised of full-time students grade 6-12 from the same middle or high-school, public or private.
  School-based teams can be “official” or “unofficial”.

• Composite Teams: Comprised of students from more than one high-school within the same district or other geographic proximity.
  Composite Team Limitations: Composite Teams are intended to be temporary solutions toward building school-based teams. In addition, if a composite team has 5 or more students from the same school, those students will be scored separately for their school.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start an interscholastic mountain bike team?
Administrators, teachers, students, community members, anyone can potentially begin a cycling club at their local high school or middle school. Every district works a little differently, but most schools athletic programs depend on the support of community members. Visit your school and ask questions about their current sports programs and clubs. Whether considered a club, or an athletic program, it is important to find support from the school. Discuss your plans and ideas with your school administration, and your ready to get started. Next, you'll need to meet a few NICA coaching requirements to get started.

How do I recruit students for a team?
Various teams have had success with many different recruiting techniques. Hosting a Bike Club table at Club Rush (or whatever your high school or middle school Club recruitment day is called) is a great way to garner initial interest. Meeting with the Athletic Director in order to educate he/she about your new club is another idea. Email the Oregon League and ask if there are current teams or clubs that you can connect with in your area. Put an article in the school newspaper, get parents to talk to other parents, send an email to your school's Boosters Club. There are lots of ways to get kids interested in cycling!

Do I have to have insurance for a club or team?
The Oregon League provides comprehensive liability insurance to all teams and coaches who officially register.

TEAM REGISTRATION QUESTIONS:

How do I register a team?
The League Director sends an email invite to the Head Coach (or Team Director). The Head Coach (or Team Director) must complete registration before the application for insurance can be processed (this process is automatic once registration and payment are received and usually takes about a week). When a certificate of insurance has been issued, the team is clear to begin team practice.