Safety & Risk Management

Safety is our primary goal and risk management is the foundation that all of our activities are based on.

Our Risk Management plan will focus on a primary concern ensuring that we provide physical and emotional safety that you would expect and that is necessary to build a thriving and successful team.

That said, mountain biking is an inherently risky sport and removing that risk would also remove the fun and reduce the benefits to be gained from this experience. While we can't remove all the risk, we can manage the risk. The following sections describe the various ways the team will manage risk.

Student athlete performing a track stand

This is called a track stand, its a skill we teach and when to use it while riding. This SA is performing it with no hands. The NICA handbook indicates a rider is to keep both hands on the handlebars at all times. While this rider is a well-skilled rider, we are sure he was reminded to put his hands down. Kids will be kids...LOL.

Physical and Emotional Safety Plan

Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of the student athletes and coaches is our primary goal. Everything else is secondary to providing a safe environment that allows the experience to result in personal growth.

All coaches must be licensed by NICA. A NICA Coaches License requires a background check and training designed to help protect student athletes from emotional and physical harm.

Achieving this goal starts with education and awareness. Anyone who is regularly working directly with student athletes during NICA, FICL and/or Tallahassee Composite events (practices, races, etc) must be a NICA licensed coach.

An adult may participate in a team activity and work directly with student athletes without a NICA coach license exactly once. The adult must sign a waiver and a participation agreement that clearly specifies the expectations of their involvement.

There are so many aspects of the NICA Risk Management plan that they can't reasonably be reproduce here. See the following documents for details and know that we will follow all NICA guidance in this area.

Safety is everyone's responsibility. Athletes are encouraged to always ride within their limits and coaches are encouraged to avoid taking the risky line. Coaches must always model appropriate behavior, on and off the bike. Helmets must be worn on the bike, in fact, as soon as an athlete or coach puts a leg over the bike, they must be wearing a helmet.

We will do everything we can to keep your child safe and to instill in every athlete an understanding of Risk Management so that they can make informed decisions.

Mountain biking is an inherently risky sport and we can not remove the risk without also removing the fun and opportunity for the sort of experiential education that this team is intended to provide. If you are not comfortable accepting this aspect of the sport, perhaps this team is not for your young person.