About
About
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NICA Values
FUN
NICA inspires friendship, joy, and adventure.
INCLUSIVITY
NICA believes everyone should be able to participate in our programs and feel welcomed, respected and supported.
EQUITY
NICA is committed to fair treatment, equal access, opportunity, advancement
and elimination of barriers to encourage participation for all.
RESPECT
NICA expects consideration for all others, oneself, and the outdoors. Community NICA unites diverse people, families and communities through cycling by creating fun and welcoming experiences.
WHAT WE DO
Lakeland Composite is a cross-country mountain bike team. Cross-country racing is a form of cycling
different from road riding, downhill racing, BMX, cyclo-cross, or track racing. Cross-country requires a
broad range of skills to ride bike trails. Team members will develop both technical skills and improve
their fitness through cross-country riding. Our team’s activities are focused upon preparing for and
racing at NICA-produced cross-country mountain biking events only. We do not participate in “gravity”
or downhill/enduro style events.
LEADERSHIP
NICA coaches are not just skills instructors; they are leaders, role models, and mentors for their student athletes. NICA’s coach retreats and leaders’ summits take a deep dive into the skills, knowledge, and best-practices of youth development. Both coach retreats and leaders’ summits play an important role in coach development: they bring coaches together for live training, facilitate connection and community, and empower coaches to be effective leaders in their mountain bike communities. NICA has developed coach licensing tutorials to give you the skills need to begin coaching. Since part of the mission of NICA is the accessibility and inclusivity of all riders, we also need coachs of all riding abilities. Additionally, we work to promote female and BIPOC riders and coaches.
AFFORDABLITY
Our team is blessed to have local sponsors, supporters, and individual donors each year. This can help offset most, if not all, of the costs for student athletes in which cost would be a barrier. Our budget is limited and our sponsorships are granted on a needs basis. Trek bikes is a world reknown bike manufacturer. They have been a long standing supporter of NICA from its inception. Trek organizes a Pathfinders scholarship program to assist riders with equipment and league fees so that we can get more kids on bikes.
ACCESSIBILITY & INCLUSIVITY
All practices are at Loyce E. Harper park which is located in South Lakeland. This is the closest and most convienant trail system for practices. Occasionally, we may practice at a trail system further away, but we will make every effort to arrange carpools per NICA safety standards. We welcome riders of all abilities, backgrounds, shapes, sizes and skill levels to join us! We value diversity and inclusion and will work with you to ensure that you and/or your student athlete have positive experiences.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
The Lakeland Composite team has continued to grow our presence here in Lakeland in our riding trail system at Loyce E. Harper park and in Lakeland. Each monthly our local bike association (RRMBA) holds trail maintenance days. These are opportunities for our student athletes to give back to the trail system they ride by helping to assist with trail maintenance. Under the direction of adult team leaders, riders help cut back green overgrowth, mow grassy areas, pick up trash debris, and even help design new trails. One of our riders designed and developed a bridge system for a trail as part of a school design project. The RRMBA accepted his design and implemented it into a new trail. Additionally, our team is engaged with Pedal Power ministries in First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland. This ministry takes used-like new bikes and rehabilitates the bikes for redistribution. The ministry is designed to help those families or individuals that need transportation options. Our riders volunteer at Pedal Power to help them assist in the mechanical repairs of the bikes.
WHO ARE WE
Lakeland Composite is a group for 6th-12th grade riders from various schools and homeschools throughout the area. Because we come from a variety of schools, we are know as a "composite" team. Under the banner of Lakeland Composite, we have one school-based team (George Jenkins) that scores separately for the purpose of racing but it a part of the Lakeland Composite team in all other aspects.
Lakeland Composite is part of the Florida Interscholastic Cycling Association (FICL) which consists of 17 teams like outs throughout the state. In 2003, Lakeland Composite had 39 riders and 20 coaches. FICL's inaugural season was 2020 which was cut short by COVID. FICL is part of a national organization known as the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA).
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