New SoCal High School Mountian Bike League needs your help!

Are there any teams starting to pop up in the san deigo metro area? I'd be down to help out and lead rides/coach.

 

In Chula Vista, yes, but SD proper...I haven't heard anything yet.

I've been thinking about using SDMBA as a means to get the message out there in the SD area.

 

I'm still working on getting a teacher at my school to be a coach
they take forever to make up their minds.

 

Just like many kids that I know. :lol:

Coaching is a big commitment, B. Some teachers are downright too busy to coach (I have been that way for a few years...grad school, family, etc.) Teachers are real people, too. Some teachers (rightly so) are concerned that their schools will not pay them to coach. Sad reality, but in these tough economic times, it could come down to $$.

I'm just trying to ask you to be patient. It's hard when you're a kid and excited and you want to start riding N-O-W, but it'll all work out. Plus, the teams haven't even been able to buy team insurance yet, so nobody is riding.

 

but doesnt the race season start in like, 2 months? :?:

 

You coach, I'll wrench.

 

Do you need a teacher to be a coach? I live ~ 2 miles from Clairemont high I'd be down to do workouts in Tecelote Cyn and surrounding areas and such.

What are the rules of starting a team? I just wish there was something like this when I was in highschool I didn't start racing I joined my till college team......

 

March is when the races start. Most NorCal teams don't really start holding official practice until Jan.

No but if you don't work in a school you'd have to get a 'blue card'...basically that means you've gone through a coaching class, have been fingerprinted, etc.

You might have better luck volunteering at the races if you can't find a team to help support.

 

Different claremont #-o
i'm near the claremont near the 210/57

 

Ah bummer, well hope this spreads further south into SD Metro :-k

 

Hey guys,

Had a little bump in the road to getting a team put together at Murrieta Valley. The principal did not sign off on creating the club over insurance and safety concerns. I had a meeting with her this morning and told her about the league, health benefits of riding, relative safety of riding compared to other sports, etc. I basically threw everything I had at her. At the end of the meeting she was actually pretty excited and signed off. :beer:

We just need final approval from risk management, but she said she didn't see any reason why they wouldn't sign off on it after what I told her. WOOT!!

 

That's great news, Kluwen. But, how did you first broach the subject with the school? Did you leave it up to someone else to present the idea? I am just wondering...

Thanks,

-shud

 

I followed the school's protocol for starting up a new club. The first thing we did was an announcement through the morning announcements. We held a meeting at lunch to see what kind of interest we had. We then obtained the necessary paper work through ASB and filled it out. Once our president and officers had been establihed, we then turned all of the necessary paper work in. ASB then signed off on the club and it went to the principal.

Seven years ago I started up a mountain bike club here on campus. We went through the same process and did not have any issues. Unfortunatly I started a Master's degree a couple years later and the club fell apart. Last year a teacher was hurt while snowboarding with a club. Due to that injury, the principal said that risk management has become a bit more cautious

If I did it again I would go and talk to the principal first before starting the process.

Jay

 

^^. Excellent info Jay. Thanks for giving so much detail.

- shud

 

This is what we did as well. Most large schools have a pretty consistent protocol. Thanks for sharing.

 

I'm in...and MVHS is ALMOST in!

Hey all! I've joined the discussion now that, as KLUWEN has posted, we almost have a team at Murrieta Valley High. The NorCal staff has done such a great job in creating a model for SoCal to follow that I can't see why a school district wouldn't allow a XC team. I will add, though, that our principal has expressly forbidden downhill riding. Kluwen did a great job educating her about the discipline of XC vs. downhilling. I anticipate most adminitrators unfamiliar with the sport will often assume we'll be sending our student riders flying uncontrollably down a mountain!

Kudos to SDYETI for all the effort "spreading the word" about the SoCal league! Hello SHUDDER! Thanks for not posting the pic of me flat on my back in the MtB 101 class...my back's still a bit stiff!

I hope to see a great turn out at the first rider's clinic 12/13!

 

Hey Everyone. Thank you for posting your comments and rallying support of the SoCal League. My name is Quintin and I'm the guy that got us into all this. I'm not very "blog savvy", so please forgive the incredible delay in posting anything here.

The League is happening. We are bringing cycling as a sport to all public, private and home school high school students in Southern California. We are partnering with the very successful NorCal League so that we don't reinvent anything. they have grown their program from 4 kids at one school to over 400 kids from nearly 40 schools in 8 years.

With nothing more than a single press release on August 4th, and a few people like el Patricio (Patrick), Stephanie Gaudreau (sdyeti), Matt Gunnell, Tonya Bray, Dorothy Wong, Anna Lang, Robert Herber, Jason Ranoa, Michael McClure (shudder), etc., we now have 18 very real schools with nearly 200 kids asking to ride.

To pull this off, and make a legitimate sport for young, high school aged kids in our region, it will take an entire community. We have a huge cultural bias for the big 3 sports in this country. There are many school administrators who feel that football is a safer sport. But don't try to argue the point. We are taking the path of least resistance on all fronts. If you want to participate, and the community of teachers, students, parents and bike shops are all behind it, there is now an official avenue.

Imagine what your life would have been like if your high school offered you an opportunity to ride and race in your school kit! Think about it. And if you want to get involved, let me know. We have a benefit dinner on Saturday the 22nd. Gary Fisher is our Master of Ceremonies and Antonio Cruz will be our Guest of Honor. Join us! You will be amazed at the power and energy behind this. Check it out at www.socaldirt.org and if you know you can't make it, check out our online auction at www.socaldirt.cmarket.com There's some great stuff on auction and you can get them at incredible prices.

Thanks everyone.

Quintin Easton
President - Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League

 

SoCal CycleFest Benefit Dinner On-Line Auction OPEN!!

Hi Folks,

Here's an exciting way that you can participate in and support the new SoCal league:

The on-line auction (in advance of next weekend's CycleFest benefit dinner) is live and open!

You can bid on any number of great items...

Check it out at http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=socaldirt

Thanks!!


edit: Quintin beat me by 2 minutes

 

Time is Running Out to Buy Your CycleFest Dinner Tickets

Hi all...

Tomorrow night is our 1st Annual SoCal CycleFest benefit dinner in LA!! Come eat, celebrate, and bid on the great auction items while enjoying the emcee-ing of Gary Fisher and the remarks of Tony Cruz!

The dinner is from 6-10 pm at Ca De Sol restaurant in the Toluca Lake area of LA.

Proceeds benefit high school mountain bikers!!

Click here for details: http://www.socaldirt.org/events/cyclefest2008/index.htm

The League thanks you

 

Here is the event flyer