Junior Development Program

The NorCal Interscholastic Cycling League’s Junior Development Program is structured to introduce young people to the fun and inclusive sport of interscholastic mountain biking. NorCal League coaches offer 6th-8th graders opportunities to be active outdoors as they develop their cycling skills in a supportive environment, which empowers them to be successful lifelong mountain bikers! NorCal produces junior development camps and races to give youth the chance to build strong body, mind, character, and community with a whole lot of stoke along the way.

Email terry@norcalmtb.org

Team Compositions

NorCal Junior Development teams can either be integrated into an existing (or new) high school team or can be stand-alone, independent teams.

Composite Team

This type of team is composed of student-athletes from multiple schools in one county. Composite teams must get annual approval for their geographic scope.

Independent Team

This type of team has its own Team Director and Head Coach and is single-school-based.

Example: Petaluma Junior High MTB Team

High School Junior Devo Team

This type of team is integrated into a high school team but has dedicated coaches who work with middle schoolers only.

 

Want to sign up for our Junior Development races, but not yet on a team?

Middle school student-athletes can race as independent riders. Before signing up for our races, you will need to register in the NICA Pit Zone. Please email terry@norcalmtb.org and he can invite you to register. Please note that independent riders generally are covered under NICA insurance while racing or riding with a NICA team, following all NICA rules and guidelines at all times. Independent riders are not covered by NICA insurance when they are not racing or riding with a NICA team.

Race Categories

Grade-based: student-athletes race in a grade-based category (6th grade girls, 6th grade boys, 7th grade girls, 7th grade boys, 8th grade girls, 8th grade boys).

Open Category: student-athletes can race in one of two open categories. Open Boys (6th grade boys – 8th grade boys) or Open Girls (6th grade girls – 8th grade girls).

Staging

Student-athletes may arrive at staging less than 15 minutes before the start of their race. There will be a staging board with priority staging information. Some student-athletes will be assigned to “Group D” based on their performance, placing them behind groups a-c, and ahead of groups e-general. If a student-athlete’s name is not listed in a priority group, they are supposed to stage with the “General” group.

Priority staging: student-athletes with a priority are assigned to group a, group b, etc.

General staging: student-athletes that do not have a priority and are not listed under any priority group. 

Resources, specific to junior development