Regular Season Practices Set To Begin

It's almost time. Finally! On August 17 teams may begin in-person practices. Giddy up! We know you’re excited to get back to riding with your teams and we are, too! However, it must be done so in the safest way possible.

Our state has made great progress in the fight against COVID-19 during the time since the league was paused six weeks ago, yet public health and safety challenges persist. We must remain diligent. Follow social distancing and symptom screening protocols, mask up whenever you're not pedaling, and ride in small groups and keep the groups consistent from practice to practice. And of course, stay home if you're not feeling well. It will be vital that everyone reads and follows the Return to Play Guidelines and Return to Racing Guidelines.

COVID-19 will continue to present obstacles to nearly every area of life and the league is no exception. Our planning has followed the lead of medical experts and public health officials. As we have developed our 2020 playbook for the return of interscholastic mountain biking, safety continues to be our first priority; that commitment will remain paramount as student-athletes return to the trails.

Pit Zone Registration

Please remember that student-athletes and coaches alike must be fully registered in the Pit Zone before participating in team practices.

To check your status, log into the Pit Zone. Student-athletes: Your 'Practice Ready' status will be dispositioned Yes or No. Coaches: Click 'License Profile'; your current license level will be labeled 3, 2, 1 or none.

Student-Athletes – 'Practice Ready' Requirements:

Coaches – Level 1 Compliant Minimum Requirements:

Personalized Plates for Riders and Coaches

Student-athletes who are 'Practice Ready' and coaches who are license Level 1 (and above) no later than Wednesday, August 19 will receive a custom plate with their name printed on it.

Student-athletes who are planning to petition for category placement upgrade and want a customized plate must apply early (remember, number ranges correspond to specific categories). Petitions may be completed by head coaches only and must be submitted by Monday, August 17. Note, middle-school riders may not compete in or petition to upgrade into high school categories.

What happens if you complete registration or upgrade later? No worries, you can still participate this fall. You just won't have your name printed on your plate.

Individual Time Trail Races

As previously shared, our plan for racing this season utilizes the individual time trial format. In a time trial, riders set off on a circuit at staggered intervals in a race against the clock. The elapsed time from start to finish, plus any time penalties, is used as the rider’s total time for the event and determines placement relative to other riders in the same category.

Only one team will race at a time – boys and girls, high school and middle school together. Riders will be started at a constant interval and the order will be determined by the team's coaches. The goal is to minimize passing and where passing occurs, for it to take place within a team that has already been practicing together.

Events will still be held over two days on scheduled weekends, however entire teams will compete on a single day. On race weekend, teams will have a designated arrival time at the event site, allowing for a warm-up period, a staging time and a start time. Teams that are closest to the venue will be scheduled earlier in the day, while teams that have further to travel will race later in the day.

The coronavirus outbreak remains volatile and could still effect our plans. Our refund policy has been amended in consideration.

The funds raised through this sweepstakes will be split 50/50 between the teams and the Arizona league. Each team that participates will keep half of the money they raise, and will have full discretion on how to spend it on their team. The other half will stay with the league to improve the multiple programs, clinics and events that we host each year. The league will also set aside a portion of these funds to help families needing financial assistance to participate.

Sweepstakes Prizes

Team Prizes

Fifty-percent of the face value of every ticket sold will go back to league teams, plus the top two teams that sell the most tickets per registered student-athlete will win prizes from Strike Visuals and Feedback Sports!

Share the sweepstakes information via email and social networks. Remember to include your team name and make an “ask” to select your team when purchasing tickets, and consider including information about how your team will use the funds raised from the sweepstakes.

Coach Training and Education

The national coach licensing staff is offering another round of live, online Leaders' Summit sessions so that you can get the necessary core requirements for your Level 3 coach license or the continuing education units needed to maintain your current coach license. The sessions will be offered in September and October at varying dates and times to accommodate your busy schedules.

Pre-registration is required and is available through the Google calendar schedule. Important note: The online Google calendar will adjust to your time zone; once you click on a registration link and are taken into the Zoom registration, the time is displayed in Eastern Time. Each session will be limited to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please direct all questions regarding this program to Jon Casson.