Thank you for your interest in the Marshfield Mountain Bike Club. We are a no-cut club open to students in the greater Marshfield area, regardless of ability or experience. Our goal is to help riders build bike-handling skills, endurance, confidence, and teamwork in a fun, safe, and encouraging environment. Whether students choose to race or simply improve their riding, we focus on setting goals, developing skills, working hard, and having fun.
The Marshfield Mountain Bike Club is a cross-country mountain biking team that prepares riders for Wisconsin Interscholastic Cycling races throughout the state. Our coaching staff is committed to helping students grow both as riders and as individuals through quality coaching, team camaraderie, and personal development.
Please review the requirements, important dates, team expectations, and participation costs included in this packet. If you have questions about commitments, requirements, equipment, or bikes, please contact Coach Candace. The team has a few bikes available to rent for the season, and the state league may also offer financial assistance and loaner bikes.
We look forward to riding together and welcoming new team members.
Overview: Like other Wisconsin League teams, our program seeks to strike a balance between being a competitive individual and team sport while retaining some gentler recreation club qualities. For athletes new to cycling, immediate immersion into training, racing, and the pressure to perform may be intimidating.
The five League festivals are all over Wisconsin and take place on weekends. The Marshfield Mountain Bike Club rides the race course the Saturday before the race. We encourage our riders to race, but it is not a requirement to participate with our club. Depending on the distance from Marshfield, some team members choose to make the drive on both Saturday and Sunday while others choose to spend the night camping at the race site or at a local hotel. Camping provides a great opportunity to get to hang-out with your fellow riders and their families, as well as student-athletes and families from other teams. Riders choosing not to race are also welcome to camp and cheer on their teammates. At a race, riders are scored individually and on a team basis. Girl’s scores and boy’s scores are added together to form the team score.
Why cycling? Cycling is a lifelong family-friendly fitness activity, with great social qualities. Groups of cyclists can talk, joke, and some even sing as they ride (except when climbing difficult hills). Enthusiasm for cycling as an alternative sport and healthy lifestyle is at an all-time high. We have so many good places to ride, including Powers Bluff, Levis Mound, Nine Mile, Ringle, Standing Rock and our trails at Marshfield School Forest. Parents are encouraged to sign up to be a Level 1 coach (see below for more details), which allows the parents to ride with the team at our practices and/or on pre-rides the day before the races. The support is greatly appreciated by the kids as they can form a new hobby with their parents to bond over. This level of parental participation is not available with other sports.
Training and racing with a team provides life lessons in self-discipline, teamwork and sportsmanship, along with fitness and camaraderie. Some sports tend to favor certain body types. Cycling is different. The bicycle is an equalizer, showing little favor to any particular body type. We adapt the bicycle to the rider by selecting the correct frame sizing, and adjusting saddle height and stem length. Since good “bike-fit” is important, be sure to consult with a coach before purchasing a new or used bike. It is not fun (and can be dangerous) to ride a bike that is too small or large for the rider.
Is Participating Dangerous? Forget what you have seen on TV with the X-Games or soft drink commercials. In cross-country bike races, the average speed is usually around ten to twelve miles per hour and is a mixture of grass cross country ski trails and singletrack. Singletrack is a relatively skinny, twisty dirt path through the woods with obstacles where the riders must ride single file. This is an endurance sport where the fittest, most skilled athletes win. It is almost guaranteed that all riders will fall off their bike during the season. Due to the relatively slow speeds, these falls typically only produce a skinned-up knee or elbow with slight bruising. Each year, the League collects data on injuries from every team. Statistically, we suffer fewer serious injuries than most other mainstream sports, especially contact sports.
Safety is our number one value. We work hard to minimize the risks to your athlete. Certain risky behaviors are discouraged or forbidden, the League helmet rule is strictly enforced, and we teach each athlete bike-control skills early and throughout the season. Even with our best efforts, crashes and injuries do occur.
Our coaches and volunteers are equipped with basic first aid kits, emergency contact information, and cell phones on every ride. Occasionally, circumstances arise where the group will split up based on experience level and an adult is not with every group. In this instance, we designate and equip a student-athlete who we believe is adequately mature, responsible and capable in the team captain role. Typically, our groups are only separated by a minute or two.
Part of the registration and club fee goes towards supplemental insurance through NICA. All team members and official coaches (parents included) who ride with the group will receive this insurance. Insurance only covers students/coaches/official volunteers during official practice and races. Our insurance only covers off-road riding and does not include riding to and from practice on the road. Because of this, we will never train on the road. We will always be on designated trails (paved, gravel, grass, and single track). Helmets are required to be always worn whenever on a bike. This rule applies to both athletes, coaches, parents, and other family members who participate in practice and attend races.
How We Build Our Team and Train: We don’t have tryouts and do not require the student-athletes to race. If you try, and keep trying, you're on our team. We create capable and confident riders. We demand that the students take responsibility for their bikes and their actions. Athletes who are already in good condition (like cross-country runners) adapt quickly and do very well, but mountain biking is truly for everyone.
While some of our riders are racing to get on the podium, we are not elitist. Each athlete will be given equivalent instruction regardless of how well they place at the races or if they choose not to race at all. Instead, we value and promote excellence, believing that everyone can attain big results through setting goals, mapping a strategy, and giving the task disciplined effort. Our team members work hard and are transformed by the process. New riders and parents are often surprised when we tell them that by season’s end they will be able to ride multiple hours in hilly terrain without stopping, but it’s true for those who regularly attend practice and put in the effort. Athletes who follow our training schedule will steadily gain fitness and those who skip practice will soon find themselves struggling to keep up.
Practice will not take place each weekday like some sports. For fitness sake, three 45-minute rides do not equal one two-hour ride. Longer rides are much more effective in creating the endurance and fitness we need. If your athlete ignores our schedule and trains intermittently on their own, he/she will likely fall short of potential.
Starting in July, the team will begin practices on Tuesday and Thursday. We typically practice at the School Forest or in Marshfield at a public park. We also take advantage of the Hewitt-Marsh bike trails and new trails at Powers Bluff. We may also plan to optional rides at Levis Mounds near Neillsville or Nine Mile near Wausau. Once school starts in the fall, we will continue to ride on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
What to Eat and Drink: Athletes are expected to be informed and responsible with their eating habits. The student will expend a lot of calories while training and will need increase the caloric intake. While this is not a weight-loss program, fat loss and increased lean muscle-mass are typical results of training. Your athlete will need more high-quality calories from complex carbohydrates and will also need more protein than is required for a non-exercising lifestyle. Nutrition will be discussed more as the season progresses. Students are also expected to be self-sufficient and must carry their own water for all practices and outings. We recommend water bottles stored in cages on the bike or investing in a Camelbak style backpack. Running water for refills is not always available.
Parents and Others Ride Along: Training for bike racing is hard work. Fortunately, it’s also a lot of fun and the team sometimes end rides with social time. You will discover that the other teams in the League are full of delightful kids, with encouraging coaches, and wonderfully supportive parents/fans. At the races, the whole gallery of spectators cheer, ring cowbells, blow vuvuzelas, and dress in fun costumes. The level of support for all riders is truly remarkable. Fellow riders and fans are truly excited to see new student-athletes having fun on their bikes.
Parents are encouraged to join their athletes in training. In order to ride with the team, parents need to register in PitZone, complete a background check, complete an online concussion training course, and complete Risk Management online course. For more details, please see www.nationalmtb.org/coaches-license-program/. The registration includes the NICA supplemental insurance that covers parents when riding with the team. The background check helps to ensure all families that they can be confident allowing their kids to ride with adults in the program. Registration for parents who wish to ride with the team is required. We encourage all parents to register, riding with your kids is special and is unique to mountain biking compared to other school sports. We ride on some of the most beautiful trails in Wisconsin.
How Communication Happens: We use email and an app called Band (switching to Sports You) as our primary means of communication. We will be transitioning to Sports You, which is always used by the school. New members can register for Sports You by downloading the app and adding the code. We also have a Facebook page where we will post pictures and other general announcements. These methods are used because word-of-mouth, flyers, and phone communication has proven time consuming and ineffective.
About Commitment: The Marshfield Mountain Bike Club is open to all students in the Marshfield area, regardless of what school they attend. Specifically, we have "club" status at Marshfield High School, yet it operates much like any sport at Marshfield Middle/High School. And as with any sport, joining the team is a commitment. We understand that families and students participate in multiple activities, and we want to allow for some flexibility in participating in practices and races. If your athlete regularly misses workouts though, he/she will not progress at the same rate as fellow athletes. This is likely to become a source of frustration for your student once they start having difficulty keeping up, and is why we recommend trying to make as many practices as possible.
Some athletes may want to try and do two sports at once. We recognize that our long training timeframe may create an unavoidable overlap for part of the season. We do not have issue with your athlete participating in multiple concurrent sports, but coaches for other sports may feel differently.
About Academics: The goal for the Marshfield Mountain Bike Club is to help develop our students academically, physically, and socially into mature young adults. To qualify to participate in Marshfield Mountain Bike Club, each athlete must be achieving academically in a manner satisfactory to wishes of his/her parents and the standards of the school. Athletes will sign the Activities Handbook and once school starts, they will need to maintain the outlined academic standing. Failure to maintain satisfactory academics during the cycling season is grounds for sitting out practices and races.
Code of Conduct: We are committed to safety. We think about risk management, teach safe riding techniques, and require each rider to always ride in a safe and controlled manner. Riders who repeatedly disregard our safety rules or engage in behaviors that present unnecessary risk (like not wearing a helmet) will be dismissed from the program. We do interact with the public while riding on public trails. We require our athletes to be good ambassadors for youth, for cycling, and for the Marshfield Community. As representatives of the Marshfield Community and ambassadors of cycling, athletes are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with that status and always follow the Marshfield Activities Handbook rules of conduct and behavior.
Community Service: As part of being on the team, we expect all members to help with maintaining trails at the Marshfield School Forest. We will be including trail maintenance activities into some of our practices. Also, races cannot happen without many volunteers. Families of athletes on the team are strongly encouraged to volunteer at the races. Volunteer time blocks are set up so that you are able to still watch your athlete in their race.
You’ll Need Some Equipment: Your athlete will need an appropriate bike, helmet, cycling clothing and other items. Please consult with coaches before making a large purchase. We can help you get the right gear and minimize the cost. Bicycles and helmets must be inspected and approved for function and safety, then re-inspected at regular intervals. Team members can qualify for discounted bikes from Trek and Specialized through the Sports Den. We are lucky to have an ally in the Sports Den. Sports Den staff will show members of our club specific bikes that qualify for the program. Mountain biking is hard on equipment and you should expect to have mechanical issues on your bike. Most team members trust the skilled mechanics at the Sports Den to get them back on their bikes after mechanical issues.
Coaches: Our coaching staff is open to any parent or community member who wants to help get more kids on bikes. At this point, Coach Candace is the main person coordinating communication between parents and coaching staff. Additional coaching support comes from multiple volunteers from the community and parents of riders on the team. Your coaches are non-paid volunteers; we coach because we want to introduce the next generation to the many physical and mental benefits cycling has to offer. We take our responsibility of being coaches and providing a safe and fun atmosphere to learn seriously. We are certified in CPR, Wilderness and Remote First Aid, and have attended multiple webinars and multi-day training workshops. We welcome parents and community members to join our coaching staff. Please contact us if that interests you.
Parent Volunteers: The Marshfield Mountain Bike Club’s success depends on family support. We hope all parents can be involved with our team in some capacity. There are multiple opportunities to volunteer with our club. Some examples are helping to organize paperwork, coordinate carpooling to practice and races, taking action photos during races of athletes, planning race weekend food for the team, handing off water bottles to racers, and many more. We will discuss the various opportunities at our kick-off meeting and in emails in the weeks to come. We as parents are expected to volunteer at a race during the season.