|
|
NorCal MTB League Coaches e-News
Coaches eNews 5/8/09
NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League Coaches eNews 5/8/09 1. TEAM CAMPING COORDINATORS 2. RIDING THE COURSE DURING THE RACE 3. PODIUM PRESENTATIONS 4. CALL UPS FOR STATE CHAMPS 5. VENUE TAKE DOWN AT BOGGS 6. ADDITIONAL WAIVER REQUIRED FOR ALL BOGGS RACERS 1. TEAM CAMPING COORDINATORS While the Boggs Mountain venue is one of the League's favorites, it also presents more challenges than most of the other race venues used by the League. One such challenge is the small amount of camping space available; a challenge that is made more difficult this year with the growth of the NorCal League and the addition of the SoCal League. In an effort to provide all those camping at the venue with a fair space and to try to get teams camping together, the League will establish this policy: Every team with intentions to camp at Boggs should assign a Team Camping Coordinator. The Camping Coordinator is to submit the following by Wednesday May 12th: the number of people from the team that will be camping and the number of vehicles associated with that team. Send the information, via email, to Mike Cruz at intern@norcalmtb.org. In order to ensure that everyone gets an appropriately sized camping area and that teams can camp together, we need to know how much room is needed. While the job of the Camping Coordinator may seem difficult, it will go a long way to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable camping experience at the State Championships. No camper will be turned away, but please note that it will be very difficult to groups teams if we do not have the requested information. If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact Tyler Dibble at tyler@norcalmtb.org. 2. RIDING THE COURSE DURING THE RACE During several races this season it was reported that some coaches were riding the course in close proximity to riders on their team. The rule book clearly states that this is not allowed in rules 13.4 and 14.3 (referring to parents). The League will investigate all reports of coaches riding with racers and will issue penalties that suit the severity of the infractions. Please help us maintain a safe, positive and fair sporting environment. 3. PODIUM PRESENTATIONS At past races, some riders have been wearing street clothes while on the podium. We would like to try to ensure that riders on the podium at Boggs are at least wearing a team jersey. Please help us ensure that schools are represented on the podium by having riders wear at least their jersey - jersey and shorts ideally. Thanks for your help. 4. CALL UPS FOR STATE CHAMPS The League will be doing call ups at the State Champs for all riders in all fields. We will be including all SoCal participants in the call ups, which presents some challenges. We have attempted to determined the order of call ups in the most fair and transparent way possible. The order of call ups will be determined by a riders overall season placing and the size of the field in which they competed. For example, the leader of the SoCal Varsity Boys category (7 riders) would be called up 8th (larger fields are weighed more heavily) at Boggs because there are 49 riders in the NorCal Varsity Boys category. 5. VENUE TAKE DOWN AT BOGGS The League is looking for a team(s) to help out with venue take down on Sunday afternoon. At the Granite Bay Invitational II, the many riders, parents and coaches from Folsom High stayed to help out, making the job much faster and easier on everyone. Ideally we would begin taking down the venue shortly after the Varsity Boy's finish, but we realize that most people want to see the awards ceremony and we will accommodate that. If you can volunteer, or you would like to volunteer your team, please email Tyler Dibble (tyler@norcalmtb.org). 6. ADDITIONAL WAIVER REQUIRED FOR ALL BOGGS RIDERS All riders participating in the State Championships at Boggs Mountain are required to sign a USA Cycling release due to the race's status as a National Qualifying Event. Please help us make registration easier by getting your riders to print and sign the release before the event. Also, please note that the release requires a parent/guardian signature for any rider under 18. The waiver can be found here: http://www.norcalmtb.org/race/USAC_MTBeventrelease.pdf 
Coaches eNews 4/16/09
NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League Coaches eNews 4/16/09 1. COACHES LICENSING UPDATE - HELMETS ARE HERE 2. WFA-MTB OPPORTUNITY 3. REMINDER - INJURY REPORTS 4. STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WEEKEND 1.COACHES LICENSING UPDATE - HELMETS ARE HERE Congratulations to all those coaches who have completed the required steps to become the NorCal League's first officially licensed coaches. The League's Coaches Licensing program, while adding additional work to already busy schedules for coaches, is an important step towards bringing the League up to the standards of youth organizations around the country. We would like to thank all of our coaches for their patience in this ongoing effort.  Below is the list of coaches who, according to our records as of Wednesday April 15, 2009, have completed all requirements for the NorCal League Coaches License. If you think you should be on this list but are not, we may just be missing a piece of documentation. Please contact justin@norcalmtb.org. Chourre, Paul Dickson, Dane Hauswald, Vanessa Herrick, Brooks Kintz, Mark Mayfield, William K. McCartney, Celeste McInerny, Austin McMillen, Jason Mejia, Michael Mozek, Ken Nehls, Joseph Nuyens, Adam Prolo, Jared Reese, Gordon Rivoire, Anne Smith, Alex White, Ken Winne, Jim The helmets will be available at the next League race. If you would like to get your helmet before then, please contact tyler@norcalmtb.org to arrange pick-up. 2. WFA-MTB OPPORTUNITY The Specialized Advocacy Fund will be hosting a Wilderness First Aid Training open to League Coaches. This is a great opportunity to get that last certification for your Coaches License. The course will take place on May 30-31. The cost is $149 and includes breakfast and lunch both days. The 16-hour training is designed to prepare you to confidently and effectively respond to injuries and illness that can occur out on the trails. The training will focus on staying calm, making good decisions, and relevant hands-on practice. Upon successful completion, each participant will receive a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Certification valid for 3 years. For more information or to register, go to http://sites.google.com/site/specializedwfacourse/ The next NorCal WFA-MTB course will be Aug 22-23 at Camp Tamarancho, Fairfax, Marin. 3. REMINDER - INJURY REPORTS This is just a reminder that coaches are required to submit injury reports to the League for all injuries requiring professional medical care. The form for submission can be found HERE. Of course, it would be best if we could finish out the season in jury free! Let's continue to set a tone for safety with frequent safety talks before and during practice rides. 4. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND We hope all NorCal coaches can make a weekend of the State Championships. We are planning a toast with a very special cake on Saturday night which provides an opportunity to mix with your peers, including the SoCal coaches. 
Coaches eNews 2/20/09
NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League Coaches eNews 2/20/09 1. COACHES LICENSING UPDATE 2. TEAM RADIO CHANNELS 3. RIDER REGISTRATION 1. COACHES LICENSING UPDATE We would like to congratulate the NorCal League's first eight fully licensed coaches! These eight coaches (you know who you are) are the only ones to complete the required steps and will be the first to receive their custom Specialized S-Works Helmets! If you have already completed the background check through TC Logiq you should have received an email from Justin. The email described the remaining steps you must take in order to become a fully licensed coach. If you didn't receive this e-mail please contact justin@norcalmtb.org. Are you a Head Coach or Director of a team? If you are and there is nobody on your team in the process of completing a background check, you should have received an email from Justin. For 2009, all teams are required to have a Head Coach with a Coaching License from the League. Coaches who complete their background check before March 1st will receive a $22 credit to the League Store! To begin the background check process, go to TC Logiq. 2. TEAM RADIO CHANNELS We have the radio channels set for the 2009 Race Series. We strongly encourage all teams to use radios at events. Please print out the list and bring it to every race. Not only does the League Staff use these channels to communicate with teams, but teams often communicate with one another using the radios. If every team has at least one radio being monitored on race day, communications at the races will run much smoother. To view the assigned radio channels, go here. 3. RIDER REGISTRATION Please strongly encourage your riders to complete the registration process before the first race. By getting their forms in early riders will avoid late fees, the long lines of race day and the additional stress that comes with showing up to a race without being registered. Decrease stress by having your riders registered and ready to race. We will be doing another registration update (similar to the one that went out on Wednesday) late next week. Riders can avoid the late fees by mailing their forms by tomorrow (February 21st). --- Visit us at www.norcalmtb.org 
Coaches eNews 2/11/09
NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League Coaches eNews 2/11/09 1. STUDENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR MOVIE SCREENINGS 2. RIDER SAFETY 3. SEND US YOUR TEAM ROSTERS 4. LEAGUE REGISTRATION UPDATE AND NUMBER PLATES 1. STUDENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR MOVIE SCREENINGS The League is in need of student volunteers for the Road to Roubaix screenings beginning this week. Students will only be required for about 90 minutes before the show to sell raffle tickets. They will not be required to get on stage or do any public speaking. Shows will be taking place Thursday in Larkspur, Friday in Berkeley and Sunday in Atherton (near Palo Alto). All student volunteers will get free admission to the show and a free Specialized Military Cap. If you have interested riders, please contact tyler@norcalmtb.org. 2. RIDER SAFETY Recently there have been several injuries occurring towards the end of hard workouts. With the 2009 Race Series right around the corner (17 days!), training rides are getting faster and harder. Increased speed and fatigue are things that cannot be avoided this time of year (after all, riders are training to get faster) but what can we do to avoid these accidents is taking care to make sure riders are paying closer attention when fatigue sets in. Now is a great time to speak with riders about safety. Review basic riding etiquette with your team so that everyone is on the same page. Remind riders about: not overlapping wheels, being aware of other riders and their surroundings at all times, always keeping a finger on both brake levers, and communicating with other riders. These simple things can go a long way to ensuring that everyone stays safe and healthy for the race season. Being a coach or ride leader, you have responsibility for rider safety out on the road or trail. The NorCal League Coaches Manual provides some great tips on how to safely and effectively lead rides (Chapter 3: "Risk Management and Safety Concerns"). A few excerpts from the Coaches Manual: -Make sure to maintain ideal leader/rider ratios. The minimum recommended ratio is six riders to one coach, or less. -Ideally, there should be one coach or ride leader at the front (the lead) of each group and one at the back (the sweep). No ride should be allowed to pass the lead or fall behind the sweep. -Model lines through technical sections. If you don't think riders have the skills needed to ride a section safely, don't let them try. The Coaches Manual is available at the Coaches Store at http://www.norcalmtb.org/store/coaches_store.htm. 3. SEND US YOUR TEAM ROSTERS With the race series coming up there are going to be many important announcements going out via email. In order to ensure that all riders are receiving these, we would like coaches to send team rosters with names and email addresses Please use Microsoft Excel to send us your full team roster with each riders e-mail address. Please email rosters to tyler@norcalmtb.org 4. LEAGUE REGISTRATION UPDATE AND NUMBER PLATES The NorCal League is gearing up for the season opener on March 1st. Thus far we have about 50 riders who have fully completed League registration. There are many more riders who have completed the online steps but have not yet send in their waivers and other forms. Please remind your riders that they are not registered for the League until we have received their signed forms (which must be mailed to the office). We will be mailing number plate to all riders who register before February 20th. Numbers will ship out on February 20th or 23rd. Registration will remain open after that date, but riders must wait in line at the first race to receive their number. 
Single Track Times 01/22/2009
If you have trouble viewing this email, please click here. 
Thursday, January 22, 2009 |  LEAGUE REGISTRATION OPENS FOR STUDENTS  We are excited to announce that 2009 League Registataion for students is now open. There are a few things we need to make clear so that the process is as easy as possible for you.
First, all users will need to have a unique email address to complete the online system. If two or more students from the same family (or a student and a coach) are registering then they will need to each use diferent email addresses. Read more. CATEGORY PLACEMENT CHANGES  Each year incremental changes are made to our category placement rules in order to account for factors such as growing field sizes, fields being split, as well as coach and rider feedback. The 2009 rules for category placement are below. A petition process is in place for riders who are looking for an exception from these rules. We encourage everyone to read these rules carefully and discuss your category placement with a coach. Riders wishing to submit a petition should do so before mid-February as last minute petitions may not be considered before the opening race. Read more.
POSTER SHOW TO BENEFIT NORCAL 
The NorCal League has teamed up with a local antique dealer Vintage European Posters to bring you a bicycle theme poster show and sale. Join us at the show for drinks and appetizers on Friday January 23rd (tomorrow!) from 5-8pm at the Wooden Duck Furniture Store in San Rafael-- 1848 Fourth Street. Read more. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED THIS SUNDAY The NorCal League will be setting up a booth at the Early Bird Criterium this weekend in order to collect donations for our Lycra/Gear Drive. We are looking for volunteers from 10 am to 2 pm to help man the booth and collect donations. Information about the race can be found here. If you are able to help out, please contact Tyler Dibble. ROAD TO ROUBAIX SCREENINGS 
The NorCal League will be hosting five screenings of Road to Roubaix. These events bring to NorCal theaters a celebration of one of cycling’s most historically significant and charged one-day races, Paris – Roubaix, which has long gone by the deserved nickname “Hell of the North". Proceeds from the screenings to benefit the NorCal League. Tickets and more information are available here. Purchase your ticket before January 25 and get two for the price of one! Read more. WFA-MTB COURSE FULL The WFA-MTB course scheduled for this weekend has filled. We were forced to limit the number of participants due to potential rain. This course, designed in conjunction with Foster Calm, is designed specifically for mountain bikers. It covers a myriad of topics that a rider may encounter while on the trails. Our next course will likely take place in August 2009. Keep an eye toward our website for an announcement. LEVEL II CAMP FEBRUARY 7-8 
The NorCal League will be hosting its famous advanced camp for riders who have at least one year experience in the League. Past editions have been great fun with awesome swag, guest professional riders, epic rides and great people. Kick off the season with friends, new on and off the bike skills and some great riding. The camp will be held at Camp Tamarancho and it is an overnight camp. Registration is still open, but you only have two days to register without a late fee. The cost of registration includes all swag and 3 meals. Click here for more information and for registration materials. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR LEVEL II CAMP Want to help the NorCal League but don't know how? Come out to Camp Tamarancho on February 7-8 to volunteer at the Level II Camp! We are looking for individuals to help with everything from meal set up and clean up to ride leading, and to work as skills instructors and overnight chaperones. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Justin Morgan. | 
League Registration is now open for students. League registration is $50 for the 2009 season, and you can get a discount on race entries by registering for the entire race series at the same time. Only students from registered teams and students who race as independent can register. There are currently 32 registered teams in NorCal. Is your team registered yet? 2009 NorCal Teams (currently registered)
1. Albany Cougars
2. Berkeley High School
3. Branson Bulls Mtn. Bike Club
4. Casa Grande High School
5. Contra Costa Composite
6. Drake Pirates
7. El Cerrito Racing
8. Folsom High Cycling
9. Harbor High Santa Cruz
10. Junipero Serra HS
11. Los Gatos High School Mountain Bike Team
12. Marin Academy
13. Marin Catholic Mountain Bike Club
14. Miramonte
15. Monterey Bay Kingfishers
16. Nevada Union Miners
17. Novato Hornets
18. Oakland Composite
19. Oakmont Cycling Team
20. Orinda Academy Eagles
21. Redwood High School
22. Sacred Heart Prep Cycling
23. Salinas High School Mountian Bike Team
24. San Marin High School Cycling Club
25. San Rafael Bulldogs
26. San Ramon Valley Club Team
27. Santa Cruz Home School
28. Stuart Hall High School Cycling Club
39. Tamalpais High School
30. Terra Linda HS Mtb Club
31. Woodcreek High School Mountain Bike Club
32. Woodside High School LEAGUE STORE SPECIAL All orders received in the League Store until the end of January will receive a free key chain! 
UPCOMING EVENTS January 24-25: WFA-MTB at Tamarancho February 7-8: Level II Camp Road to Roubaix Screenings:
February 12, Larkspur
Feruary 13, Berkeley
February 15, Palo Alto
February 20, Folsom March 1: Race Season Opens! VOLUNTEER AT NORCAL We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help out at events. We need ride leaders and chaperones for our camps, as well as course marshals and registration staff for our races. And we can always use help around the office getting our mailings and other tasks completed. If you are interested, send an email to Justin Morgan. | 
PRESS RELEASE: Worlds Toughest One-Day Bicycle Race Heads to California Cinemas
World’s Toughest One-Day Bicycle Race Heads to California Cinemas
NorCal High School Mountain Bikers to Benefit OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League announces special screenings of the film The Road to Roubaix, February 12 – 21, timed and located to coincide with select stages of the Amgen Tour of California. These screenings are a fund-raiser for the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League. The Road to Roubaix brings to American screens a celebration of one of cycling’s most historically significant and charged one-day races, Paris – Roubaix, which has long gone by the deserved nickname “ Hell of the North.” In bicycle road racing there simply is no greater one-day challenge than this improbably fast dash over the narrow farm roads of northern France, on a course that includes several miles of shockingly rough, wheel-smashing cobblestones. Directors David Deal and David Cooper present a montage of panoramic views, gripping race footage, and behind-the-scenes views and interviews that engage the audience from beginning to end and offer a rare insight usually reserved for the sport’s insiders. Proceeds from these special screenings go to benefit the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League. February 12, Larkspur - Lark Theater - 8:00 p.m. Feruary 13, Berkeley - Florence Schwimley Theater - 7:30 p.m. February 15, Palo Alto – Campbell Center for the Performing Arts - 7:30 p.m. February 16, Santa Cruz* – Rio Theater - 7:30 p.m. February 20, Folsom - Jill Solberg Theate - 7:30 p.m. February 21, Pasadena - Vosloh Forum Hall - 7:00 p.m. *February 16 event presented by The Bicycle Trip, The Amgen Tour of California - Santa Cruz, and The Rio Theater Tickets are $12. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit: www.norcalmtb.org/events/roubaix/index.htm About the NorCal League The NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, founded in 2000, is a non-profit organization open to students from both public and private schools. The League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising activities as well as generous donors and sponsors including the founding sponsor of the SoCal league, Easton Sports Development Foundation II, the founding national sponsor, Specialized Bicycle Components, Clif Bar, Inc., Fox Racing Shox, Gary Fisher Bikes, Bikes Belong, Ritchey Bicycle Components, Crank Brothers, Creation Engine, Hincapie Sportswear, Mike's Bikes, The Pedaler, Paradigm Cycles, HappyGoFun, Mountain Hardwear, WTB, and Touchstone Climbing Gyms. The League provides coaching and camaraderie to help students achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner. Each season includes a Coaches Training Conference, winter riding camps, the six-race series, and a variety of summer camps. For more information visit www.norcalmtb.org or call (510) 653-2453. 
Single Track Times 01/09/2009
Friday, January 9, 2009 | NEW WFA-MTB PATCH The Wilderness First Aid for Mountain Bikers was created for League coaches -- and now we have a patch for everyone who completed the WFA-MTB course. All WFA-MTB trained coaches should receive their patch by the end of the month. WFA-MTB trained coaches are better prepared for emergencies that can occur out on the trail -- so wear these new patches with pride! The next WFA-MTB course is being offered January 24/25 at Camp Tamarancho in Fairfax. Past participants have found the experience surprisingly enjoyable and rewarding. Click here to register. | 
| | 
| OVERNIGHT CAMP FOR RETURNING RIDERS Level II camp at Tamarancho on February 7-8 is less than a month away. This advanced camp is open to all returning League riders and is the best way to kick of the season with endurance and single track rides as well as advanced skills instruction. Riders who attend these camps are sure to have a great time while gaining invaluable experience and information abour racing and training. Whether it's a chance to clean a section of Wagon Wheel you have never aced before, or maybe making the podium in the brocolli eating contest, this camp will be a highpoint of your time in the League. Thanks to our genorous sponsorship from Specialized, all of the riders that attend Level II camp will receive a pair of Radiator gloves and a Military Canvas Cap. The cost of the camp includes all of the swag and 3 meals. Registration is open and the price goes up in two weeks so sign up now! Click here to register. | WE NEED YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR THE RACE AWARDS We're looking for local handy work to design the awards for the 2009 race series. Awards can vary from trophies to plaques to welded bike frames. We want originality here. So, if you know anyone who is a master of metal or wood work (or is just crafty), please contact Katie DeClercq. We do have a small budget for this, so if interested please inquire further. CLIF BAR CONTEST We all love those yummy Clif Bars. Now you can eat one, do something good for the environment, and win your team some Clif Bar product all at the same time. Here's the deal: Clif Bar and Terracycle have partnered together to reduce the waste that is going into the landfills by recycling Clif wrappers. And, Clif Bar will donate 2 cents to the League for every wrapper we turn in. In addition, the team that turns in the most wrappers will get some sweet Clif product at the end of the season. Here's the rules: - Acceptable wrappers include Clif, Luna, and Builder's Bars;
- Turn wrappers into the registration tent at a race - include team name and total number of wrappers;
- Winning team will be announced after the final race.
WOODCREEK HIGH SCHOOL ENDS 2008 WITH A TRAINING CAMP! The Woodcreek High School Mountain Bike Club officially began preparation for the 2009 high school mountain bike racing season on December 27th with a four day training camp in Granite Bay, California. The camp consisted of four days of training rides, skills clinics, team meeting and evening social get-togethers. This is the second year that the team has held a pre-season training camp over the Christmas holiday. Last year’s event was very successful in spite of record cold temperatures in the area. Read more UNION HILL MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB RIDE WITH NED OVEREND Please join the Union Hill Mountain Bike Club (UHMBC) at 5pm on Saturday, January 17th, for a chat with Ned Overend and a large screen showing of "Seasons". Ned Overend, considered one of the best US mountain bike racers ever, will be discussing the right attitude towards training and racing in order to maximize your potential. There will be time to ask questions of him following his talk. Read more 2008 TAMARANCHO PASSES EXPIRED The 2008 Annual Tamarancho pass has now expired. (Please recycle as a luggage tag). The 2009 Tamarancho Annual Passes are now on sale. The 2009 Pass is valid for unlimited riding until December 31, 2009. The cost for the pass is $45 for an Individual Pass, and $60 for a Family Pass (2 adults living in the same household). Purchase your 2009 Annual Pass before January 15, 2009 and save $5! Special discounts are available for riders and coaches of registered League teams. Ask your head coach for details. To get a pass online, go to the Marin Council website. |
Team and Coach Registration is open. There are currently 27 registered teams in NorCal. Is your team registered yet? Rider registration will open January 20. League registration is $50 for the 2009 season, and you can get a big discount on race entries by registering for the entire race series at the same time. LEAGUE STORE SPECIAL All orders received in the League Store until the end of January will receive a free key chain!
UPCOMING EVENTS Road to Roubaix Screenings:
*February 12, Larkspur
*Feruary 13, Berkeley
*February 15, Palo Alto SPRING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM The League is recruiting an Intern to work in the office and at events throughout the Spring. For more information download the full description as a PDF here. VOLUNTEER AT NORCAL We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help out at events. We need ride leaders and chaperones for our camps, as well as course marshals and registration staff for our races. And we can always use help around the office getting our mailings and other tasks completed. If you are interested, send an email to Justin Morgan. | 
League eNews 1/9/08
Happy New Year Coach! We are very pleased and excited to announce that our "eNews" is now being replaced with the "Single Track Times." The Single Track Times will bring you the same League news in an all-new HTML format which will include more photos and more in-depth articles. To get a preview of the Single Track Times please click here. You will receive the first edition of the Single Track Times very shortly. Please let us know how it looks! (We might need to work out some technical issues for some browsers). Big thanks go to our web designer Albert Reinhardt of Happy Go Fun, Tyler Dibble our Communications Director, our technically able Assistant Director, Justin Morgan, as well as our fine sponsors, especially the founding National Sponsor, Specialized Bicycles, and the founding SoCal sponsor, Easton Sports Development Foundation for making it possible (all sponsors). We hope to see you in mid-February at our "Road to Roubaix" screenings in Berkeley, Larkspur, and Palo Alto. Happy Trails, Matt Fritzinger League Director 
|
