|
|
SoCal MTB League e-News
League eNews 12/18/08
SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League eNews 12/18/08 1. TEAM SPOTLIGHT- ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL 2. NEW LEAGUE SHOP SPONSORS! 3. FIRST RIDERS CAMPS A HUGE SUCCESS 1. TEAM SPOTLIGHT- ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL High school mountain bike racing? Could it be true? Though his son had not been an avid cyclist, Lee Bird noticed his ears perk up when he heard about high school mountain bike racing. Both father and son decided that they wanted a high school mountain bike team at St. Francis High School in La Canada, where Lee’s son Lance is a freshman, and soon they were off to start one of the first high school mountain bike teams in SoCal. When Lee initially talked to the school administration about starting a mountain bike club he received enthusiasm and support. “At first, I think they thought I was talking about a bunch of kids sitting around at lunch talking about bikes,” said Lee of school administrators. The school allowed him to attend club day during lunch-time to see if there would be interest among the student body. During that lunch period, 41 students expressed interest and signed up. Soon after, Lee met with administrators again and this time got into more detail. After learning that students would be, in fact, riding their bicycles, the administration asked more questions to make sure that they became educated about mountain bike racing. Being a new venture for the school, they made sure that they had as much information about the sport required to make a fair judgment about the program. “St. Francis has both Lacrosse and Roller Hockey clubs which are just as, or more, dangerous than mountain biking,” stated Lee, which worked in his favor. Lee was also able to generate tremendous support on several levels. The mountain bike club had advocates in the students and parents, but also in some of the school’s faculty and administrators. Ultimately, this had a huge effect. After gathering information from the League office, other SoCal schools with mountain bike clubs, and from Lee himself, the school board approved the formation of the team. Once he got the green light, Lee set out to get some team sponsors in the local community. By seeking sponsorship from people he knew personally, Lee was able to talk about the team, the League and about the students directly with potential sponsors. Within 24 hours of beginning the hunt for sponsors, Lee already had $1000, with more on the way. A local bike shop, Helen’s Cycles, was particularly enthusiastic about the team, though everyone wanted to help out in any way they could. The St. Francis Mountain Bike Club currently has seven local sponsors who have given close to $2,000 for its inaugural season. The fundraising was an important part of the overall vision, as Lee wanted to make sure that funds were available to provide scholarships to any student that could not afford the required equipment. The St. Francis team came together very well, with fifteen students committed to the 2009 race series. However, Lee stressed that he and other committed individuals put in countless hours. “I knew it would be a huge undertaking, but it has taken about three times as much work as I anticipated,” said Lee. Finding a school faculty member was a big help, especially because Lee doesn’t work at St. Francis. Lee enlisted the help of the school’s cross country coach and English teacher Patrick Donovan. “Patrick, and the school’s Activities Director, Denise Gunter, have been a tremendous help and allies of the program from the beginning,” said Lee. With the team clothing design finalized and submitted to Hincapie, the first team ride under their belt (check out http://www.socaldirt.org/img/st_francis_ride.jpg for a great picture), and their team blog riddled with updates the St. Francis Mountain Bike Team appears to be well on their way to a successful season. If you would like more information about the St. Francis High School Mountain Bike Club, contact Lee Bird at leebird@btechonline.com or check out the team blog at http://stfrancisracing.blogspot.com. 2. NEW LEAGUE SHOP SPONSORS! We're happy to announce that even in this crazy time of holiday shopping madness, two new bike shops have stepped up to participate in our Official League Shop program. PV Bicycle Center (Palos Verdes) earned themselves a spot on the upcoming SoCal Jersey by becoming our first gold level sponsor. Stan's Monrovia Bicycles has joined in at the bronze level as well. Both shops are drop off points for donated lycra/gear, and have excellent, friendly service for all your bike needs. We still have one spot left on the jersey - it could be your bike shop! Contact katie@socaldirt.org if you're interested. Check out the shops: PV Bicycle Center - www.pvbike.com Stan's Monrovia Bicycles - www.stansmonroviabikes.com 3. FIRST RIDER CAMPS A HUGE SUCCESS This past weekend saw the very first event with young riders in the newly formed SoCal League. SoCal riders, coaches, parents, leaders and volunteers from the community at large attended the two rider camps, making the weekend a huge success. The SoCal volunteers really showed their true colors: on Saturday, the camp had 7 riders and 7 volunteers and on Sunday, the camp had 14 riders and 16 volunteers. On many levels, this was a dream come true for riders, parents and coaches. We are already in the midst of planning another rider camp for February - check out the details at www.socaldirt.org/camps/index.htm. 
SoCal League Spotlight: Rim of the World HS
SoCal Riders, Parents and Coaches- We are pleased to spotlight the first team of the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League: Rim of the World High School. Over the next couple months we plan on spotlighting many of the amazing new teams that are forming to compete in the first ever SoCal racing series. The opening race is set for March 8th at Vail Lake near Temecula. Six teams are already registered and 15 other prospective teams are working hard to organize. Future spotlights will be incorporated with the regular eNews (to ensure your subscription to the eNews please manage your news preferences at the link way below). We are looking forward to this weekends rider camps at Aliso and Woods Regional Park (Saturday) and Bonelli Park (Sunday) .
Happy trails, Matt Fritzinger League Director
SoCal League Spotlight: Rim of the World High School- Lake Arrowhead, CA The SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League is gathering more steam than anyone imagined; six schools have registered for the inaugural season and fourteen other prospective teams are working towards that goal. Scott Craft of Rim of the World High School, a public school in Lake Arrowhead, was the first coach to register a team and some of his students have been chomping at the bit for over a year now. Four years ago, Scott managed to get mountain biking approved as part of his P.E. curriculum. Using the 50 mountain bikes for P.E. class, interest in the sport grew quickly and soon Scott had a few students itching to compete with other high school riders. In fact, the interest was strong enough that plans were made to drive to the NorCal League races for the 2009 season. Once the SoCal League was formed, Scott jumped at the opportunity. Every Tuesday there is a group ride in Lake Arrowhead. Scott has been participating in these rides for several years and decided to approach his fellow riders for funding to the team -- the amount of support was tremendous. Both Assistant Coaches, Jon Tanklage and Seamus Tansey, came from the Tuesday group rides. One rider convinced his employer to donate $2,500, telling Scott that “he only wished he had a high school mountain bike team when he was a kid.” In a little over 24 hours after being approached, the local riders had donated almost $5,000. While Scott received great support from the community, including enthusiastic support from the local shop Don’s Bikes, he still felt he needed to get a bit creative to get the all funding he needed. “My goal was to ensure that if a student wanted to participate, cost would not be an issue,” said Craft. Each student interested in the team sent out several fundraising letters. The letter had a note from Scott at the bottom, but at the top the students personalized the letter to whomever they were sending it to. There are also plans to make a promotional calendar with information about the team, important dates and spots to sell advertising to local businesses. The Rim of the World High School Mountain Bike Team is off to a great start. “When you look at the whole package, you see right away that they've got all the ingredients for a great team,” said Quintin Easton, President of the SoCal League. There are 30 students who have shown a commitment to the team, including 4 girls. While the team is technically a club, Scott will soon be joining his Athletic Director in asking the school district for official recognition as a school sport. For more information about the team contact Scott Craft at Scott_Craft@rimsd.k12.ca.us. 
League Quarterly eNews 11/26/2008
Greetings SoCal Riders, Parents and Coaches: The last few months have been the wildest in the history of high school mountain biking and we are very fortunate to be growing amid such challenging economic times. In a snapshot, we received a grant from the Easton Foundation to replicate our programs in SoCal. We had great luck in finding and hiring some amazing new staff members. We put on more events than ever, and we did them down in SoCal, too. We could not have done it without each and every sponsor, donor, and volunteer and are tremendously grateful for all the support. Before we collapse for the holidays, we have some very important events in just two weeks -- our first rider camps for SoCal high schoolers on December 13/14. These camps are for complete beginner to intermediate boys and girls. We have no way of knowing how many riders to expect so we hope parents and coaches will help get everyone signed up really soon. Help us spread the word and let folks know they should sign-up by December 5th -- thanks!! Happy Thanksgiving, Matt Fritzinger League Director CONTENTS: 1. CYCLEFEST DINNER AND AUCTION A SUCCESS 2. RIDER CAMPS COMING UP 3. VENUE NEEDED FOR WILDERNESS FIRST AID TRAINING 4. SOCAL EVENTS BENEFIT THE LEAGUE 5. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS 1. CYCLEFEST DINNER AND AUCTION A SUCCESS The Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League kicked off the holiday season with a dinner hosted by Gary Fisher himself. "When we look back in 20 years at how big and important cycling is with kids and the population in general, we'll be able to point back to the inception of the High School Cycling League as a catalyst," said Fisher. In addition to Fisher, Antonio Cruz was in attendance lending support to the League. The silent auction featured items like a brand new Specialized Stumpjumper Pro Carbon and a VIP Race Entry package to the 2009 "12 Hours of SoCal" race series. The event raised over $20,000 for the SoCal League's inaugural season. "We were amazed by the turn out and enthusiasm at our first SoCal CycleFest Dinner. It was an important gathering of forward thinking stake-holders who all seem to have a tremendous sense of being at the beginning of something big," said Matt Fritzinger, League Director. For pictures from the CycleFest evening check out our web gallery. 2. RIDER CAMPS COMING UP The SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League will be hosting two riders camps the weekend of December 13 and 14. The camps are for high school aged riders of all abilities who may be interested in racing with the League. The camps will focus on mountain bike skills and rider safety on the trail. These are a great way to get to know other riders in high school and to kick off the SoCal League! For more information check out www.socaldirt.org/camps/index.htm or email justin@socaldirt.org 3. VENUE NEEDED FOR WILDERNESS FIRST AID TRAINING The SoCal League is seeking a school at which to host the first WFA-MTB training course. This 16-hour training is designed to prepare mountain bike coaches and anyone who rides bicycles in the wilderness to confidently and effectively respond to injuries and illness that can occur while riding. For more information on the course, check out our website. We are looking for a classroom with an accessible outdoor area for February 21-22, 2009. If you have a suitable location, please contact justin@socaldirt.org. 4. SOCAL EVENTS BENEFIT THE LEAGUE The SoCal League is garnering huge support from the cycling community throughout Southern California. Two local events, the Hillbily Bike Bash and the Tour de Tryptophan, have or will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the SoCal League. The 5th Annual Tour de Tryptophan/ 24 Hours of the Fullerton Loop is an event held the day after Thanksgiving at noon and lasting until Saturday at noon. The ride lasts for 24 hours, but riders are welcome to ride as much or as little as they like. Can you beat the record of 17 laps in 24 hours? More information available HERE. Participants may receive a limited edition t-shirt commemorating the event. The fist race of the Winter Holiday Shootout Series, promoted by Robert Herber and hosted by Racers and Chasers, was a huge hit. A portion of the proceeds, over $250, were donated to the SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League. Many thanks go out to everyone who made that event a success! 5. THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS The Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League would not be possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors Easton Sports Development Foundation II Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc. Clif, Inc. Bike Magazine CrankBrothers GoPro Hincapie Sportswear Tifosi Optics WTB Trek CORBA 
Registration for Rider Camps Now Open
The SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League is excited to announce that registration for Fall 2008 Rider Camp is now open. We have two camps planned: Saturday December 13th at Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Orange County Sunday December 14th at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in Los Angeles County Whether you are new to mountain bike racing, not quite sure if you will
race this year, or want to build on previous racing experiences, these
camps are the perfect place to meet other riders, learn new skills, and
find out what all of the fun is about. Don't miss the chance to receive
great skills instruction from League staff. For more information about
camps, including registration forms, visit
http://socaldirt.org/camps/index.htm
Leaders Summit Fast Approaching
The first annual SoCal Leaders Summit at Big Bear is fast approaching; coming up in just over three weeks on October 25 and 26. We have decided to expand the agenda and are revising the schedule accordingly. The original itinerary was developed before we knew that we were locked into a Friday night stay at the host venue. As most attendees will be arriving on Friday the 24th, the conference will now begin at 9:00AM on Saturday and will feature a fun trail ride with League founders and long time high school mountain bike coaches. We still have space for all interested coaches, volunteers, and team
founders. If you don't want to register today, send us a short email with
your name, address, phone number, and school affiliation if applicable.
Then we can keep you informed as the final schedule develops. For more
information go to http://socaldirt.org/coach/leadersSummit.htm
PRESS RELEASE: Specialized Backs NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League
Specialized Backs NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League Plans now being considered for expansion outside California FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, September 25, 2008
Contact: Matt Fritzinger fritz@norcalmtb.org Tel: (510) 653-2453
www.norcalmtb.org PDF version available
http://www.norcalmtb.org/about/press/2008-Specialized_Backs_NorCal_League.pdf Oakland, Calif. – Specialized Bicycle Components has backed the expansion
program of the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League,
which has recently created a Southern California league and is now drawing
up plans for state-oriented high school cycling leagues across the USA. Mike Sinyard, the founder and owner of Specialized, said, "Getting kids on
bikes is a personal passion of mine and a goal of the Specialized Fund.
High school mountain bike racing is a fun way for kids to accrue health
benefits, learn self-discipline, and foster camaraderie. We are honored to
be able to support Matt (Fritzinger), his staff, the coaches, and the
riders of the League. We look forward to working together in the coming
years to get mountain bike racing into high schools across the nation." Specialized becomes a Founding National Sponsor of the NorCal League, a
category designed to acknowledge companies that have made a very
substantial contribution to help realize the vision of a nationwide network
of state leagues. Matt Fritzinger, director of the NorCal League, said, "After eight years of
building the NorCal League, we are entering a new phase of development. We
are excited that our new SoCal League is taking off with a strong group of
directors and sponsors. The next logical step is to develop high school
bicycle racing beyond California. We are tremendously excited to partner
with Specialized, which is a local company for us, in this development
plan. Their commitments to innovation and advocacy are echoed in our
philosophy, and we really stand behind their amazing line of bicycles and
accessories." The Specialized sponsorship comprises both cash and product components.
Their support will allow the NorCal League to take on additional staff to
manage current operations and administration, while Matt Fritzinger focuses
on expansion plans. 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 because of generous donors and sponsors
including ESDFII, Specialized, Clif Bar Inc., Fox Racing Shox, Gary Fisher
Bikes, 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. About Specialized Specialized Bicycles, founded by Mike Sinyard in Morgan Hill, CA, in 1974,
designs and manufactures a complete line of high-performance bicycles and
components, including the first production mountain bike, which now resides
in the Smithsonian Institute, and its Body Geometry line of medically
proven cycling accessories. Specialized is a company of devout cyclists
whose goal is to create cutting edge, functional and technically advanced
products that provide a performance benefit for the enthusiast cyclist.
PRESS RELEASE: SOCAL LEAGUE GETS FLYING START
SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League Gets Off to Flying Start Industry, coaches, teams back fledgling league FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Contact: Matt Fritzinger fritz@socaldirt.org Tel: (510) 653-2453
www.socaldirt.org PDF version available
http://www.socaldirt.org/about/press/2008_SoCal_League_Flying_Start.pdf Oakland, Calif. – The cycling industry has been quick to back the fledgling
Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League (SoCal League), which
has made rapid progress since its August 4th announcement. Matt Fritzinger, founder and director of the NorCal High School Mountain
Bike Racing League, and now director of the SoCal League, commented "It's
amazing what has happened since our original announcement and launch of the
SoCal website. So many teachers, potential coaches, parents, and students
have contacted us. Because of the newly formed and enthusiastic founding
committee, and receptive bloggers, the word has spread fast. Last week
while scouting venues for camps and races, we kept running into mountain
bikers of all ages that already knew about it. With this kind of growth
potential we are grateful to have so much industry support." Easton Sports Development Foundation II provided the seed money for the new
league, and other companies have not hesitated to come to the party. Jim Easton, head of the Easton Sports Development Foundation II, said,
"It's very exciting to see the cycling community come together so quickly
and so generously, so that high school students from Southern California
have an opportunity to compete in a school-based sport that has been so
successful in Northern California. Future competition, not only between the
schools but between the best riders in Northern and Southern California,
can only increase the interest and growth of high school cycling." Working closely with Matt Fritzinger, the SoCal League president, Quintin
Easton, has already gathered a founding committee, and 15 prospective teams
have been identified so far, as well as one high school team – the Rim of
the World High School – that already existed and had been preparing to join
the NorCal League! "There's a lot of single-track right out the back of our school, so it made
sense for me to start teaching mountain biking," said Rim of the World PE
teacher, Scott Craft, who actually teaches mountain biking as a PE class,
using a pool of 50 mountain bikes. Craft says he will soon approach the
school board to change the team's status from a club to a school sporting
team. Located at Lake Arrowhead, the Rim of the World High School team has
25 members. Looking for expert advice on getting into competitive mountain biking,
Craft had originally approached his friend, the 2004 XC national champion
(30-35 Expert Masters), Jon Tanklage, and having found no suitable
opportunities in the region, the team was resolved to start traveling to
NorCal races, but then news came of the SoCal League. Tanklage and Craft were delighted to hear they'd soon be able to compete
against local school teams and volunteered as members of the founding
committee. "We don't want to win everything and put the other schools off.
I can see the need to develop mountain biking in other schools too, so I am
starting to work on that as well," says Tanklage, who lives in Whittier. The eleven-member committee contains a wealth of talent and experience, and
in addition to Easton, Tanklage and Craft, includes: Dorothy Wong, Tonya
Bray, Robert Herber, Stephanie Gaudreau, Anna Lang, Cici Arenas, Matt
Gunnell and Patrick O'Kane. This team will help the SoCal League get off
the ground with its inaugural five-race cross-country series slated to
begin in January 2009. Also of vital importance, are the sponsors signing up to provide the new
league with equipment and funding for its schedule of events. This is what
they have to say about the SoCal League: Clif Bar – Dylan Seguin
"As sponsors since things began in 2000, we at Clif Bar & Co are big fans
of the (NorCal) League and we look forward to seeing the SoCal League in
action this coming season. It's really quite amazing to see all the capable
young riders out there at the NorCal high school races, and it's going to
be a lot of fun to watch the League's energy spread south."
More... (1/2)
Specialized Bicycle Components – Ben Capron
"There is a lot of enthusiasm on our side to get involved and support the
program, particularly in spreading the reach of high school mountain bike
racing into other regions and eventually nationwide." Trek Bikes – Michael Browne
"When Matt approached Trek about supporting an expansion of his NorCal High
School program into SoCal, I saw it as a golden opportunity. Even beyond my
desire to promote Trek, this program appears exactly what our youth needs--
a program that enables fun activity and promotes an active lifestyle early
on when habits are being formed. Matt's execution of the NorCal League
proved to me that the SoCal program will have no problem taking off." Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB) – Gary Gleason
"Getting more young adults on bikes is our goal. Aside from the obvious
health benefits, the discipline, goal attainment and team skills that are
developed are really important fundamentals that this program can help
foster. We are proud to be a part of it." Crank Brothers – Christina Orlandella
"The SoCal League has the potential to provide access to cycling for young
people who need a hand getting involved. This is a benefit to the students,
to the schools, to the community and to the sport itself. The SoCal League
will bring new people into the sport, and many will become avid racers or
recreational cyclists for life. SoCal League members represent the future
of our sport. Other sponsors of the SoCal Interscholastic League include Creation Engine,
Bike Magazine, and Hincapie Sportswear. About 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 NorCal League exists by virtue of a range of fundraising
activities as well as generous donors and sponsors such as ESDFII,
Specialized, Clif Bar, Inc., Fox Racing Shox, Gary Fisher Bikes, 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.
|
