SoCal 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.

SoCal Interscholastic Cycling League's
Coaches eNews 12/11/08

1. RIDER CAMPS THIS WEEKEND
2. OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS
3. TEAM REGISTRATION UPDATE

1.RIDER CAMPS THIS WEEKEND
The SoCal League will be hosting two day camps for high school aged mountain bikers on December 13 and 14. The first camp will take place in Orange County (Laguna Niguel), the second in LA County (San Dimas).

We need some coaches or parents to volunteer for either camp this weekend. Volunteers will be helping with rider instruction, registration, lunch and whatever else is needed. If you are interested in helping out please contact justin@socaldirt.org or call us in the office at 510-653-2453.


2. OFFICE HOLIDAY HOURS
In recognition of the holiday season the league office will closed December 25th to January 1st.


3. TEAM REGISTRATION UPDATE
Team registration is off to a great start.  A list of teams that have already registered is below. If you are not on this list and you intend to register, please do so as soon as possible. Rider registration will open once all teams have registered, hopefully late January.

If you have questions about team registration please contact tyler@socaldirt.org

Castle Park High School
Chain Reaction
Redlands Adventist Academy
Rim of the World High School
St. Francis High School
Yucaipa High School

Dear SoCal Coaches,

It's hard to believe it is already December and a number of SoCal teams are already doing team practices.  It's no small accomplishment to get a new club actually rolling out on the trails, but there is still time to get ready.  Hopefully all coaches planning on fielding teams in the first SoCal series will be rolling by early January.  Please let us know what we can do to help!

We are excited to announce the date for the 2009 opener!  The first race of the series will be March 8th at Vail Lake (Temecula).  We encourage you to mark your calendar and spread the word!

Happy Trails,

Matt Fritzinger
League Director

SoCal Interscholastic Cycline League's Coaches eNews 12/5/08

1. TEAM REGISTRATION IS OPEN
2. UPCOMING RIDER CAMPS DEC 13-14
3. WFA-MTB VENUE NEEDED
4. LEAGUE MANUAL AVAILABLE


1. TEAM REGISTRATION IS OPEN
That's right! It's time to make it official. We have opened team registration through our Specialized Pit Zone. Go to www.socaldirt.org and click on the Specialized Pit Zone logo to begin the process. Once your team has completed the 5 step registration process, there will be approximately 3-4 days before you get your Certificate of Insurance. Remember, the League's liability insurance will not cover you, your team or any others affiliated with your team until you have a Certificate of Insurance.

Rider registration is not open at this time -- it will open soon after the New Year.

We already have 5 teams registered! They are:
Castle Park High School
Chain Reaction
Rim of the World High School
St. Francis High School
Yucaipa High School

Questions? Contact tyler@socaldirt.org


2. UPCOMING RIDER CAMPS DEC 13-14
The SoCal League will be hosting two day camps for high school aged mountain bikers on December 13 and 14. The first camp will take place in Orange County (Laguna Niguel), the second in LA County (San Dimas).

These camps are a great opportunity to get your riders excited about the upcoming season! They get to meet their fellow racers, learn some new skills and enjoy a day on their bikes! What more could they want?

We also need coaches and parents to volunteer at both camps. We need people to help with skills instruction and demonstration, and we also need people to help with registration and lunch set-up/take down. If you would like to volunteer, please contact justin@socaldirt.org

For more information and registration materials, please visit http://socaldirt.org/camps/index.htm.


3. WFA-MTB VENUE NEEDED
The SoCal League will be hosting its inaugural Wilderness First Aid 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. The training will focus on staying calm, making good decisions, and relevant hands-on practice, including on-the-trail scenarios specifically designed for mountain bike coaches. Upon completion, each participant will receive a Wilderness First Aid-Mountain Bike (WFA-MTB) Certification good for 3 years.

However, we currently lack an appropriate venue to hold this course. We are looking for a school to use a  classroom for two days with an accessible grassy area nearby. If you think your school fits this criteria, please contact justin@socaldirt.org. Thanks!


4. LEAGUE MANUAL AVAILABLE
The League has put together a manual designed to help coaches better manage their high school mountain bike programs. The manual was handed out at the Leaders Summit last month. If you were unable to attend the Leaders Summit and would like a copy, we are offering them at a discounted rate. Please contact tyler@socaldirt.org for details.

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

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

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.