Mustang Mountain Bike Team : blazing new trails in Southwest Missouri
When the National Interscholastic Cycling Association ( NICA ), a nonprofit that promotes high school mountain biking programs , was forming a league in Missouri . Adam Lett , former principal and head coach at Pineville Elementary School , wanted to know all about it .
Lett and Greg Capps , the principal at Noel Primary School , decided to attend what was called a NICA “ dirt meeting ” about single track mountain biking . The men thought it was a great idea . They started the Mustang Mountain Bike Team for grades six through 12 .
“ This season we ’ re starting our sixth year ,” said Capps , now head coach for the team . “ The first year we maybe had five students . People didn ’ t really understand what we were promoting because it ’ s a little different kind of culture . Everybody is used to things like volleyball and basketball and football .
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When we said we have a bike program they didn ’ t know what to make of it and we got some strange looks .”
But as parents and students watched the first season unfold , the program grew quickly . This past season there were 25 kids from Mc- Donald County on the team .
“ Some kids may not be into contact sports like football or basketball ,” Capps said . “ But this is an individual sport that every student can start someplace and work up to a goal of their own . We may have kids that have never been on a bike and after about two months they are participating in their first race .”
Some kids have their own bikes , but not everyone can afford one . Capps found help to make it possible for all students to ride .
“ We have a pretty good fleet of bikes now that we loan out for the season for our kids to use and see if they
Bella Vista !! like the sport ,” Capps said . “ They usually end up buying their own , because once they ’ re committed to it they want to get their own bike to customize as they see fit . But we really haven ’ t ever had to turn away anyone that wants to join but can ’ t because of finances . And that ’ s thanks to some really good sponsors available that ’ ll jump in and make sure the kids get what they need . The Missouri NICA group helps out with that , too .”
“ In other sports , the parents sit on the sidelines and watch it all happen ,” Capps said . “ But with this one they can actually be a part of it , and when season is done that is just the start for a lot of the kids . They continue riding with their families and do their own thing in Northwest Arkansas .” Mountain biking can become a lifelong sport .
“ Safety is our number one concern , of course ,” Capps said . “ Everybody thinks it ’ s a super dangerous sport , but
statistically it ’ s no more hazardous – and probably less , actually – than most high school sports . Our mountain biking is a lot like cross-country skiing . We don ’ t have all the speed hazards , jumps and everything that you might picture .”
This year the team will go to a regional competition that has at least six different states competing in a big race to at Centennial Park in Fayetteville .
“ They ’ ll come from all over the region to race ,” Capps said . “ We ’ re pretty excited because it ’ s been a long time coming to get to compete against all the teams from the different states .”
The biking program is available for all students in sixth through twelfth grade . To learn more , see the Missouri NICA website ( missourimtb . org ). Here in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas there are some of the best mountain bike trails in the world .
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