Contributed by Bonnie Larsen, Fundamentals Lead for the MHSCL Demo Team Spring is on its way, which means that most of us are itching to get out on the bike and experience the thrill of riding a sweet ribbon of dirt. As you climb on your bike and hit the trails, how do you shake out…
Contributed by Calvin Jones, Stillwater Team Director In this Minnesota Mechanic corner of the Coaches News, I will discuss various aspects of equipment, related to school cycling programs. There are plenty of “how-to fix a bike” sources on the internet, and in books or magazines, so here I look at other aspects of equipment. Also,…
Contributed by Joel Woodward, Coaching Director Benefits The most common benefits of good strength programs from my reading and training are: helping athletes be more resistant to overuse injuries, Improved body composition, better bone density, and improved performance Young athletes many find strength training rewarding and enjoyable. It is important to keep in mind that,…
Contributed by Rich Van Sickle, Performance Coaching Program Lead MHSCL Demo Team Skills before hills. With only eight weeks between the July 1 season start and Race 1, August 26th, in Austin, you may be tempted to dive right into high intensity training. Don’t. Early season practices need to focus on three things: …
Contributed by Bonnie Larsen, Fundamentals Lead for the MHSCL Demo Team In the past, NICA offered MTB 101 as a way to train coaches how to teach their student athletes. MTB 101 exposed coaches to the skills their riders would need to safely complete a race. While many skills were demonstrated, there was neither the focus…
The NICA PITZONE is a web tool used for League Registration and Race Registration (Race Fee Payment). The PITZONE guides the person registering through completion of the required information. Online Registration closes Tuesdays at Midnight for that week’s race, in order to prepare rider lists for the upcoming race. A link to the NICA PITZONE…
Race Facilities and General Info New to Racing? Scroll down for more information! Look at our Race Photos! Parking Parking areas are marked, with people directing you to available parking. No Parking is permitted in the infield. Consult the Race Flyer for more information. Typical Race Schedule To see the actual schedule for a given race -…
The NICA PitZone is the online system used by the MN league to manage coaches, the team, riders, and race registration. Without registering you will not be allowed to practice or race. Each family gets their own online account to manage their race registration information. When you complete the process please be sure…
TEAM REGISTRATION All teams must register with the League. Doing so provides insurance coverage for all coaches and volunteers, as well as supporting League programs. A coach registers a team using the NICA Pitzone. The price for registering a team varies depending on the division of the team and whether the team has a…
Middle School Racing The middle school races are on Sunday and have separate boys and girls waves by grade. The race duration is between 30-45 minutes (typically one lap) and runs on the same course as the high-school student-athletes. Middle School Individual and Team Awards will be given for each race and season end awards.…