Contents November 2021 1. Season Highlights
2. 2021 Season Award Recipients
3. Participant Feedback Survey - INPUT Requested
4. Pros Closet: Sell/Trade Program
5. Colorado Gives Day - Dec. 7th, Schedule a Donation Today
6. Educational Partners: Colorado Mountain College, Fort Lewis College, and Western CU
7. Boulder Centre for Orthopedics & Spine - Expert Resources
8. Member Benefits
9. 2022 Calendar
| 4. | Pros Closet: Sell/Trade Program | | 6. | Educational Partners: Colorado Mountain College, Fort Lewis College, and Western CU | | 7. | Boulder Centre for Orthopedics & Spine - Expert Resources | |  Sophomore Nathan Squires, Heritage Rides and Shines! | Director's Note As the Dirty Dozen year comes to a close there is so much to celebrate! The collective support of positive youth development is outstanding. A mountain bike team is an incredible way to make friends, connect with nature, escape from stresses, and test your capabilities. The lessons and joys facilitated by dedicated coaches are endless. Inspiring student-athletes demonstrated grit, positive sporting behavior, respectful competition, leadership, kindness, and compassion. Coaches and team volunteers devoted countless hours planning and preparing teams for the season, encouragingly taught skills, developed rich team traditions, welcomed new members, and said goodbye to hundreds of seniors. | The power of this shared experience is priceless as we lift one another up, instill new levels of confidence, model healthy choices, develop deep bonds, and create everlasting memories. Weeks of adventures, the sound of cowbells, cheering spectators, and hearing your name as you cross the finish line may be all it takes to feel accomplished and a sense of belonging. Whether a coach, rider, volunteer, sponsor, or contributor this inclusive spirit emboldens the mission to provide an opportunity to Ride 'N Shine! With immense gratitude to all for making magic happen,
Kate Rau, Executive Director and Team |  Fans fuel the stoke for Kyan Strong, Steamboat. |  JV racers Megan Heath, Aspen/Basalt and Mai Cullwick, Colorado Rocky Mountain School shine! | | | 1. Dirty Dozen Season Highlights The program was supported by 31 loyal and engaged sponsors with Your Front Range Toyota Stores as the presenting sponsor. A whopping 1,929 registered student-athletes rode bikes with us in 2021! Of those, 1,568 tested their limits racing, 348 girls comprised 22% of the total high school racers, and 165 riders earned their Legacy status by participating in a Colorado League event from 9th-12th grade. An average of 1,377 riders raced per weekend where 8 scenic communities hosted us. Volunteers spent 2,022 hours during 5 weekends to help produce 18 days of racing. | A total of 88 teams participated representing more than 180 high schools while engaging in 4 spirit contests, competing for a Toyota Slingshot jersey, mastering grabbing nutrition from the Honey Stinger Feed Zone, and playing in the Yeti Skills zone. More than 18 high schools awarded activity letters to mountain bikers. |  Elise Drummond at State Championships. | A total of 834 dedicated coaches fueled the singletrack stoke. We hosted 16 virtual and regional clinics to educate 253 coaches. It was reported that 584 student-athletes from 15 teams picked up shovels and contributed 1,166 hours of hard work on local trails. More than $30,000 of scholarships in-kind and cash was distributed to 111 student-athletes, 69 coaches, and 24 teams to support participation and licensure. Elise Drummond, Legacy Varsity Racer, shares her thoughts: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Not only did I have an amazing season this year, but also an amazing 4 years. Thank you to all my coaches and teammates that have come and gone throughout the years for the memories and mentoring. And thank you to my competitors, girls who I’ve raced against every year from freshman to varsity, for making the race experience worth it. I’m gonna miss this. |  Boulder Legacy rider Nayeli Hannon and teammates. |  Sophomores Luke Robinson, Fairview and Brodie Morrison, Rocky Mountain celebrate their efforts. | | | Fort Lewis College and Durango Coca Cola provided shade and beverages at the Season Awards celebration. Alpine Bank awarded $2,000 travel scholarships to assist 6 teams to attend the state championships. The following 2021 Colorado League Award Recipients demonstrate the culture that fosters us to all "Ride N Shine". Coach of the Year: North and South Both 2021 recipients navigated the challenges presented in 2020 and did not miss a beat when in-person racing returned. They lead with a focus on inclusivity and are masters at crafting purposeful play that cultivates strong community bonds. |  North: Andy Feeney, Fairview |  South: Geoff Williams, Fruita Monument, Grand Junction, and Palisade | | | All-Star Teams:
North: Lakewood
South: Taos Composite Acknowledges a team that displays exceptional leadership skills, strong positive sporting behavior, and a commitment to their coaches, athletes, and volunteers. The team provides service to their communities and consistently reinforces safety policies with a cadre of licensed coaches. SRAM Golden Pick Awards:
North - Fairview
South - Cañon City This award is sponsored by SRAM to acknowledge community service and to promote trail stewardship. A team from each conference that completes the most trail building hours between April and October earns a Golden Pick and cash. | Exceptional Student-Athletes: Honors exemplary student-athletes whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others. They demonstrate outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, academic performance, and volunteerism in their team, school, and community. |  Tor Holm, Varsity Legacy, Taos Composite |  Isa Naschold, Varsity Legacy, 7220 Laramie | | | Most Improved Student-Athletes: Recognizes student-athletes who worked the hardest and improved the most in skill development during their tenure in the Colorado League. |  Mary Alyce Collins, JV Legacy, Rocky Mountain |  Dylan Doudy, Varsity Legacy, Grand Junction | | | Trailblazers: Trailblazers are a student-athlete, coach, or community member who has persevered through challenging circumstances, overcome adversity, and are inspirational role models. |  Taylor Czarnecki, Sophomore, Golden |  Riley Murphy, JV, Green Mountain |  Hudson Seeman, JV, Palisade | | | Volunteer Service Award: Moyer Family, Lakewood Out of the Saddle Awards:
Scot Banks, Scot’s Bicycle Service, Neutral Support, Salida
Jay Lucas, Volunteer and Advocate
Vicki and Kerry Meier, Race Crew Chief Course Marshals and Cañon City Coaches
Mark Bockmann, RaceRite Race Partners of the Year:
Ace Security
Town of Eagle
Town of Snowmass Village Read the inspirational stories of those honored HERE. | We invite you to provide feedback about your experience and the foundational elements of the program. Your input provides important information to help us plan for the future. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time and look forward to compiling your valuable opinions. Respondents have the chance to win some excellent prizes from our generous sponsors. | 4. Pros Closet: Sell/Trade Program Having a hard time finding gear or bikes? Want to reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing pre-owned gear? Selling a bike and want to optimize your time and increase your audience? |  Click here to schedule your donation today! | Tuesday, December 7th, Coloradans come together with the common goal to strengthen the community by helping to power nonprofits on Colorado Gives Day which features a $1 Million+ Incentive Fund. Help us achieve our goal of raising $15,000. Every dollar contributed to the Colorado League on Colorado Gives Day will include a portion of the fund, increasing the impact of your donation. Colorado Gives Day has grown to be Colorado's largest one-day online giving event, raising more than $307 million since it began in 2010. Community First Foundation and FirstBank partner to make this day truly impactful. | 6. Educational Partners: Colorado Mountain College, Fort Lewis College, and Western CU We are fortunate to have top-notch educational opportunities that offer a variety of distinctive learning environments. There are lots of options to explore higher education in Colorado. Alpine Bank offers to Spring 2022 graduates who participated in the 2021 Colorado League season. Apply HERE. Colorado Mountain College (CMC)
For more than 2 decades CMC has offered an Outdoor Recreation Leadership program. CMC has 3 residential and 8 commuter campus locations. From nursing to ski area operations CMC has an array of 4-year and 2-year programs. There are no application fees to apply to any of their programs. Applications are accepted year rouond. To learn more about CMC programs, and the application process, and to get started, CLICK HERE. Fort Lewis College
Become a Skyhawk and join the reknowned championship cycling team in an outdoor mecca. Fort Lewis is a unique-four year college with a focus on small classes and experiential learning. It is renowned for affordability, diversity, and high quality faculty. Fall 2022 Semester application deadlines: ▪ Priority Deadline: June 1, 2022
▪ Regular Deadline: July 15, 2022
| ▪ | Priority Deadline: June 1, 2022 | | ▪ | Regular Deadline: July 15, 2022 | Apply online HERE. Western Colorado University
Located in Gunnison, Western Colorado University delivers career preparation, engineering, computer and other sciences and a liberal arts curriculum to 2,900 intellectually adventurous students. Students can explore their field of study, gain leadership experience and discover extraordinary adventure. Featured Programs
Undergraduate: Outdoor Environmental Education
Graduate: Outdoor Industry MBA Application Deadline: March 1, 2021. Apply online HERE. | 7. Boulder Centre for Orthopedics & Spine - Expert Resources Dr. Dirk Dolbeare and the Boulder Centre for Orthopedics & Spine have supported the mission of the Colorado League since 2013. Their team of orthopedic surgeons has remained the region's dedicated bone, joint, and muscle experts since 1968. They were awarded the Letter of Commendation from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and recognized by the state of Colorado as a Health Quality Leader for their dedication to a health reform initiative developed to improve the quality of care, reduce medical costs, and enhance the patient experience. They specialize in keeping your life in motion. Check out their educational video library HERE. |  Feedback tools and repair stands are top-notch! | 8. Member Benefits We are extremely grateful for the support of each and every Colorado League sponsor. As a member of the League, take advantage of your benefits when considering your holiday gifts. More information is HERE. Available Sponsor Discounts
* Toyota
* Honey Stinger
* Primal Wear
* Yeti Cycles
* Optic Nerve
* Osprey
* TREK
* Bike Source
* Feedback Sports
* RackStarz
* Roll Massif Sunrise to Sunset
* Saris Racks
* Squirt Lube
* The Pro’s Closet
* Today’s Plan
* Lee Likes Bikes - RideLogic Classes |  Thanks to all our volunteers! Rovers love hearing the fans too! | 9. 2022 Calendar We remain optimistic about the prospect of continuing to host in-person events and a full race series in 2022. We are busy planning Spring events and the Fall race series as we gear up for the lucky 13th year. Race locations and team region assignments will be announced in the Spring of 2022. Several coach educational opportunities will be available including in-person, virtual, and Mountain Bike Basic Skills. | Many of events occur throughout the year check out the website calendar. Mark your calendars for the following. April 29 - May 1 Spring Coach Summit, Eagle
June 19 - The HUNDO 2022 Race Season Schedules August 27 - 28 Race #1 XC
Sept 10 - 11 Race #2 XC
Sept 24 - 25 Race #3 XC
Oct 8 - 9 Race #4 XC
Oct 22 - 23 State Championships |  Julissa Molter, Legacy JV Woodland Park sparkles in dirt! |  Yeti Skills winners Bradley Lamoreux, Pagosa Springs, and Hannah Garvey, Durango jump for joy! | | | THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS Their generosity keeps the wheels rolling! | |
