Welcome to the Spartanburg County Composite MTB Fall 2023 Season!
Thank you for your interest in SCCM for our third season as a team! With so much interest and participation in the surrounding cities of Greenville, Rock Hill, etc. we know that Spartanburg has a huge potential!
Why join the SCCM Mountain Bike Team?
When you ride with a team, riding and training is more fun! As a team member, you will greatly improve your mountain biking skills in a supportive, enjoyable team environment. We set both individual and team goals and work collaboratively to attain these goals. The coaching staff’s main goal is to provide student-athletes with the support and camaraderie to help them achieve competitive success and personal development in a safe and enjoyable manner. We are most proud that our team focuses on creating life-long cyclists.
For the upcoming 2023 season, SCCM welcomes rising grade 6-12 boys and girls from anywhere in Spartanburg County to ride with us. Our goal is to create a fun and welcoming environment for student athletes to develop a strong body, mind, and character through mountain biking. There are no tryouts. Everyone rides regardless of his/her ability and skill level. Racing is optional and not required to join the team. The team will participate in cross-country style riding and racing during the fall season in the South Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League (SCICL) and is a non-profit organization.
The basic layout is NICA which is the national level, SCICL which is the state level under NICA, and the Spartanburg County Composite MTB team under it. It's not as complicated as it sounds.
For the upcoming 2023 season, SCCM welcomes rising grade 6-12 boys and girls from anywhere in Spartanburg County to ride with us. Our goal is to create a fun and welcoming environment for student athletes to develop a strong body, mind, and character through mountain biking. There are no tryouts. Everyone rides regardless of his/her ability and skill level. Racing is optional and not required to join the team. The team will participate in cross-country style riding and racing during the fall season in the South Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League (SCICL) and is a non-profit organization.
The basic layout is NICA which is the national level, SCICL which is the state level under NICA, and the Spartanburg County Composite MTB team under it. It's not as complicated as it sounds.
What is Cross-Country Mountain Biking?
Cross-country is a specific form of cycling different from road riding, downhill racing, BMX, cyclo-cross, or track racing. Cross-country requires a broad range of skills to ride up and down mountain bike trails. Team members will develop both technical skills and improve their fitness through cross-country riding. Our team’s activities are focused upon preparing for and racing at NICA-produced cross-country mountain biking events only. We do not participate in “gravity” or downhill/enduro style events.
Registration
All students must register in two places: in the South Carolina League's "Pit Zone," and in the team’s Spond platform.
The Pit Zone is where all introductory material begins, and where all records of athletes and coaches are held. If you know a student athlete wanting to join, a parent or guardian will need to contact the Team Director for an invitation to the Pit Zone. Riders MUST be registered and “race ready” in “Pit Zone” by their 1st practice. As a NICA rule, unregistered riders will not be allowed to practice. No exceptions. We will send unregistered riders home.
In the event a rider wants to test out and try one practice before registering and paying fees, please contact Team Director.
SCCM will use Spond for all team management and communications instead of email. Our Spond page shows practice, race and events schedules and allows team members, coaches and parents to communicate with each other. Once you join the team, you can download Spond search for “SCCM”, and fill out a request to join. We encourage parents/guardians and athletes who are permitted to have phones to be active on Spond as this is where all things are mentioned.
The Pit Zone is where all introductory material begins, and where all records of athletes and coaches are held. If you know a student athlete wanting to join, a parent or guardian will need to contact the Team Director for an invitation to the Pit Zone. Riders MUST be registered and “race ready” in “Pit Zone” by their 1st practice. As a NICA rule, unregistered riders will not be allowed to practice. No exceptions. We will send unregistered riders home.
In the event a rider wants to test out and try one practice before registering and paying fees, please contact Team Director.
SCCM will use Spond for all team management and communications instead of email. Our Spond page shows practice, race and events schedules and allows team members, coaches and parents to communicate with each other. Once you join the team, you can download Spond search for “SCCM”, and fill out a request to join. We encourage parents/guardians and athletes who are permitted to have phones to be active on Spond as this is where all things are mentioned.
Practices
Season practices begin after the 1st of July. We practice every Saturday in July 9-11am (locations TBD). Starting July 1 (in-season) we practice 3x per week: Tuesday and Thursday afternoons 6:00 - 7:30 pm and Saturday mornings 9-11am. Practice days and times may change based on parents/students availability and locations. Practices will be split based on the number of riders to coaches, and the plan for the day.
Weekday practices feature drills, games, and trail riding that develop the skills and fitness needed to progress as a rider, and will not necessarily be held on trails. Saturday practices are called adventure rides and will focus on XC trail-riding at some of our favorite Upstate SC and Western NC trails. All teams practice at the same venue with groups divided into levels based on skill and fitness. We will inform parents if there is a change of venue for a particular group.
Practices are limited to athletes and coaches registered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Pitzone. All coaches receive background checks and are trained in risk management, concussion awareness, and First Aid.
Weekday practices feature drills, games, and trail riding that develop the skills and fitness needed to progress as a rider, and will not necessarily be held on trails. Saturday practices are called adventure rides and will focus on XC trail-riding at some of our favorite Upstate SC and Western NC trails. All teams practice at the same venue with groups divided into levels based on skill and fitness. We will inform parents if there is a change of venue for a particular group.
Practices are limited to athletes and coaches registered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Pitzone. All coaches receive background checks and are trained in risk management, concussion awareness, and First Aid.
Racing
The student athletes compete in cross-country style events based on NICA standards (www.nationalmtb.org). Racing is optional but encouraged! Parents and students are responsible for providing transportation to/from all races. Many families and coaches camp on-site at the races and there is an incredibly fun, festival-like atmosphere. Most of the athletes say this is the best part of racing!
Equipment
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Student athletes need to have his/her own mountain bike and are required to wear helmets and closed-toe shoes when riding. Gloves and sunglasses are strongly recommended. Riders must carry their own spare tube, mini-pump, water, and a jacket (if needed) at all practices. Each rider is responsible for having and maintaining his/her own mountain bike. We encourage every rider to establish a relationship with a local bike shop for bike tunes, equipment maintenance and questions. Many local shops offer discounts to team members for equipment and repairs.
Please let the head coaches know if you need help finding and or purchasing a bike. We can help riders find bikes. |
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Fees
The South Carolina NICA Pitzone registration and race pass fee is $290. This goes to NICA at the National and State levels, and covers everything they contribute, including insurance. This fee includes a race pass for all 5 races. Team Dues are $75. Team dues are used to help pay for safety equipment for rides, equipment for practices, coach training and certifications (Wilderness First Aid, First Aid/CPR), and many other expenses.
There are need based scholarships available at the national, state, and local levels.
PLEASE contact a Team Director or Head Coach if you need help here. We don’t want cost to be prohibitive!
There are need based scholarships available at the national, state, and local levels.
PLEASE contact a Team Director or Head Coach if you need help here. We don’t want cost to be prohibitive!
Volunteers
Parents and guardians play a huge role in NICA. The Spartanburg County Composite MTB NICA programming is provided entirely by volunteers. There are many ways that parents can get involved. Even if you have no interest in filling a traditional coaching role, we encourage parents to plan to be part of our community! Completing NICA coach training allows parents and volunteers to ride with the team at practice or pre-ride race courses with their athlete!
We want you to be secure in knowing that the purpose of NICA Coach License Program is to provide comprehensive training to NICA coaches so that they are equipped to provide quality programming to NICA student-athletes that meet national standards and best practices and develops strong mind, body and character. NICA license certification also aids in protecting volunteers and riders with insurance, as well as protect our youth with background checks. Obtaining a NICA license includes benefits beyond the knowledge that comes with the training and the insurance program. Obviously, the biggest perk is to be able to participate in the same sport as your child, but thanks to our very generous NICA sponsors, registered coaches enjoy several discounts and other benefits. It is common that adults, not just kids, begin to ride mountain bikes for the first time because of NICA. The bottom line is that NICA prepares their coaches well, everyone benefits, and it’s incredibly personally rewarding!
We want you to be secure in knowing that the purpose of NICA Coach License Program is to provide comprehensive training to NICA coaches so that they are equipped to provide quality programming to NICA student-athletes that meet national standards and best practices and develops strong mind, body and character. NICA license certification also aids in protecting volunteers and riders with insurance, as well as protect our youth with background checks. Obtaining a NICA license includes benefits beyond the knowledge that comes with the training and the insurance program. Obviously, the biggest perk is to be able to participate in the same sport as your child, but thanks to our very generous NICA sponsors, registered coaches enjoy several discounts and other benefits. It is common that adults, not just kids, begin to ride mountain bikes for the first time because of NICA. The bottom line is that NICA prepares their coaches well, everyone benefits, and it’s incredibly personally rewarding!
Questions?
We are here to help! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need help finding a bike, have questions about the team, or if costs associated with the program or equipment are a barrier to participation. We want everyone who wants to ride with us to be able to!
