Dear Team NICA -
Welcome to our Fall 2021 Season! While the safety of our student-athletes and community is first and foremost in our minds, we are also excited to see more leagues return to activities and racing. Congratulations to the Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio Leagues who kicked off their inaugural seasons earlier this month. NICA is continuing to experience growth across the country as we will have over 25,000 student-athletes participating in NICA activities in 2021 thanks to over 13,000 registered coaches!
Earlier this year we partnered with Trek Bicycle to launch the Trek NICA Pathfinders Scholarship to bring greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to youth mountain biking. The scholarship provides resources and support for student-athletes of color with the goal of overcoming historical barriers to the sport, and providing more access for diverse representation in mentors and role models.
This fall, we are excited to see over 150 student-athletes participating in NICA as part of the Trek NICA Pathfinders Scholarship program, with an additional 100 new scholarships available for Spring Leagues. To find out more about the Trek NICA Pathfinders Scholarship please visit https://www.nationalmtb.org/trek-nica-pathfinders-scholarship/.
NICA’s values require that our programs are welcoming and inclusive to everyone and to this end we have named Kristine Urrutia as our Vice President of Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. With Kristine’s added responsibility and leadership of our DEI efforts, we will continue creating a diverse and inclusive cycling community accessible to all.
Best Regards,
Steve