USA Cycling and NICA Announce Shared Commitment to Champion the Development of Youth Cycling

January 28, 2021

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Cycling (USAC) and the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), a non-profit organization that develops interscholastic mountain biking programs for student-athletes across the United States, are excited to announce a formal sponsorship to increase accessibility to cycling in America.

With a mutual commitment to getting more kids on bikes, together NICA and USA Cycling will promote youth riding, advance cycling opportunities at the interscholastic level, and build stronger and more passionate communities through cycling.

“We are pleased to welcome USA Cycling as a sponsor and look forward to the opportunities this creates for our student-athletes through our shared passion for youth cycling and character development,” said NICA President Steve Matous.

Visit nationalmtb.org for more information about NICA Leagues in your area, how to get involved and coaching resources. Follow @nationalmtb across all channels for the latest updates from NICA.

The benefits of this commitment will be realized with:

• Collaboration on connecting maturing riders with their next cycling experience.
• An ongoing commitment to providing free USA Cycling Junior memberships, and discounted Family memberships, for league student-athletes to reduce barriers and encourage participation at more local events.
• Recognition of NICA league event results in the USAC ranking system. This will facilitate Regional and National Championship call-ups and optimize the opportunity for riders to compete in a variety of events.
• A financial sponsorship that creates support across the NICA organization.

“It’s vital that USA Cycling and NICA work together, to champion a more inclusive and accessible path into cycling – especially for youth,” said Rob DeMartini, CEO of USA Cycling. “Together we can champion youth riding and racing and the next generation of cyclists. The work has just begun and we are excited to be working alongside the leaders of Interscholastic cycling in America to get more kids on bikes.”

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org) 

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Within the United States, USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.

USA Cycling is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2020. In 1920, the organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s 100,000+ members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.

For more information, contact Bouker Pool at bpool@usacycling.org

ABOUT NATIONAL INTERSCHOLASTIC CYCLING ASSOCIATION (NICA)

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association’s (NICA) mission is to build strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling. Founded in 2009 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, NICA develops interscholastic and community-based cycling programs for student-athletes and coaches across the United States. NICA provides leadership services and governance for local leagues to produce quality mountain bike events. NICA has served almost 64,000 student-athletes since 2009. Currently, NICA has 30 state and regional leagues and over 13,000 registered volunteer coaches who are working annually with over 25,000 student-athletes from over 1,100 high school and middle school teams in the USA.

NICA exists by virtue of generous sponsors, donors, and partners. For more information on NICA, visit www.nationalmtb.org, follow @nationalMTB on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

For more information, call (510) 524-5464 or contact info@nationalmtb.org