Well, you’re awesome! Thanks for being stoked about getting more kids on bikes. When you join us as a volunteer coach, we take your commitment seriously – and we seriously appreciate you. Our community of current coaches is here to support you and help you feel empowered in your journey to help kids build strength, confidence, and character on two wheels.

STEP 1: Get in touch!

The first step of joining us as a coach is to let us know you’re interested, so we can invite you to the team via the National Interscholastic Cycling Association registration program called “Pitzone” – contact our team directors and we’ll send you a link!

STEP 2: Get Licensed!

All of our school-based teams have MTB coaches that are licensed via NICA’s comprehensive coach training program. Once you’re invited to Pitzone, you’ll complete a series of licensing requirements (including a background check) to help you learn how to be the best coach you can be. Training includes risk management, the NICA philosophy, concussion training, and more. We know that you’re busy, so please reach out to a team director if you need help with your licensing requirements!

STEP 3: Get Riding!

Kick butt! Once you’re all done with your licensing requirements, a team director will follow up with you to make sure you’re on all of our coach contact lists, and to ensure you’ve got an invite for our communication tools.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A NICA COACH?

Being a NICA coach can look different for everyone. Many of our coaches are parents or family members who are new to biking, who simply want to ride along at practices with our team. Others are experienced riders who want to share their skills, knowledge, and passion for mountain biking. No matter your skill level, if you’re a positive, encouraging human who is stoked to be on a bike and wants to share the experience with kids, then you’re in the right place!

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT TO BE A NICA COACH?

We know that everyone has a busy life – but we’ve also found that slowing down and seeing the world from two wheels is a great way to spend your time – and its even more rewarding when you’re sharing the joys of riding with student athletes. Our teams practice multiple times per week, but we know that not all coaches can commit to every practice. We ask that our volunteer coaches commit to at least three practices a month. It is important that we build community within our teams, and also maintain high standards for risk management and smooth practice/team operations – this means being present and engaged in team activities throughout the season. If you can’t make it to three practices a month, we’d love to have you volunteer in another capacity.

DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO COACH/VOLUNTEER?

Yes. At minimum, the NICA coach licensing program requires a background check as well as a coach licensing fee each season; costs vary from year to year, but expect about $75 total. These funds go toward liability insurance through the league, and they ensure that our coaches are top-notch humans. Those who choose to “level up” and become licensed at a higher level will need to take additional training at additional cost (such as First Aid/CPR courses and On-The-Bike (OTB) Skills Training). If cost is a barrier, please apply for a Wisconsin League coaching scholarship. We want all to be able to join us!

WHAT ARE THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR COACHING?

At minimum, any volunteers who are interested in riding along with our teams more than once need to complete Level 1 NICA Coach Licensing. Beyond Level 1, you can decide to complete additional training to become a Level 2 or Level 3 coach. We need ALL levels of coaches on our team – if you’re not sure what you want to do, chat with a team director and we can explain the roles of each “level.”

At minimum, the self-paced Level 1 licensing proces requires the following:

• Participation agreement

• Membership fee (helps fund coach supports through the NICA and WI league)

• Background check

• Online learning modules for concussion training, athlete abuse awareness, and NICA philosophy, safety, & risk management 

It may seem like a lot of work to get involved, but NICA coach licensing is an excellent, comprehensive training program that helps ensure that we are providing our student athletes with an amazing, quality experience on our teams. It is empowering and confidence-building, and helps you gain the skills you need to help kids build strong minds, strong bodies, and strong characters while riding bikes together! To find out more about training/licensing, review the full list of requirements below and visit the NICA Coaching website.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A LICENSED COACH?

Depending on your style/pace, it is a couple of hours worth of self-guided online learning to become a Level 1 coach. Some folks commit to finishing all the requirements at once, and some spread out their training modules over the course of a few sessions. To become a Level 2 or 3 coach, additional time is required, including in-person classes such as First Aid/CPR courses and On-The-Bike (OTB) Skills Training with our Wisconsin League staff.

I’M NOT SURE I WANT TO COMMIT TO COACHING JUST YET. CAN I COME TRY IT OUT FIRST?

Yep! All individuals are allowed to ride along at ONE practice or team event to get a taste of what the magic of NICA is all about! You’ll be asked by our team directors/head coaches to sign a liability waiver before you can participate. Once you’re hooked, you’ll need to go through the coach licensing process to ride with us again.

WHY SHOULD I BE A NICA COACH?

Well, we’re biased – but being a volunteer NICA coach is wonderful experience. And it’s not just for one “type” of person. We need coaches of all abilities, all backgrounds, and all styles of riding. We know that if you’ve read this far, you’ve probably got something awesome to offer. And we think that you’ll find a lot of reward in return. At the end of each season, it’s not just the kids that are sad that the riding is over for the year – the coaches are, too!

Still need more convincing? There are some seriously sweet benefits provided by NICA, including significant discounts on bikes, gear, training brands, cycling clothing, and more.