At least one parent/guardian of each student athlete must actively participate with the team each year. Parent participation is defined in the expectations below.
Transportation
Parents must provide transportation to and from practices and races for their own child(ren). Coaches are not obligated to offer rides to or from practice and are prohibited from transporting unrelated individual student athletes alone in a vehicle.
Student athletes and parents can use the team’s Slack channel to ask for and coordinate rides.
Training and Trajectory
Parents must provide opportunities and support their child(ren) in their training commitments and goals. Parents will discuss their child’s goals with them throughout the practice and race seasons.
Communication
Most team communication and all team announcements are made in Slack. Parents and student athletes will register and join Slack separately because some communication goes to both student athletes and parents, and some communication only goes to parents. Slack can be accessed using the Slack app (IOS or Google Play) or Slack’s website. An invitation to join OHS MTB on Slack will be sent after registration is complete and registration fees are paid. Student athletes and parents are responsible to read information provided by coaches, ask questions if needed, and respond when asked.
Parents and student athletes are accountable for the information shared in team announcements.
The prescribed workouts and team events are posted in Slack. If the RSVP option is shown, student athletes must respond if they will attend the team event, or not. Student athletes and parents can ask for and coordinate rides to and from team events using Slack.
Parents must participate and communicate with coaches in a helpful and respectful manner. When opportunities are present, parents must show support and communicate positively with all OHS MTB team members, parents, and families. Any issues related to safety, equipment, injury, student athlete performance or behavior will be discussed with parents, from the head coach and/or team director.
Race category adjustments are sometimes necessary to provide a safe, successful experience for racers. These adjustments are discussed with parents and with the Level 3 coaches. The head coach will ultimately make decisions for race category placement.
Help on race days
Set up or take down the team’s “pit”
Sign up and bring food, cook and clean when needed
Cheer for your child and team mates by attending at least ½ the day
Each parent is required to sign up for a race-venue shift at least once per year. Each parent that isn’t a level 2 or 3 coach has this expectation. These sign-ups are available a couple of weeks before each race, when the race flyers are updated on the UtahMTB website.
Ride with the team (optional)
Parents are strongly encouraged to ride with the team. Parent riders are an essential part of the team’s success by providing the required number of coaches to maintain NICA’s coach-to-student ratio for practices and events.
Any skill, experience, or availability is welcome. Parents that want to ride with the team are allowed to do so ONCE before they are required to register with NICA and receive a Level 1 certification.
Without registration and certification, parents cannot ride with the team at practices OR at the race venues.
Parent-rider registration and certification is completed in PitZone and includes:
Signing a participation agreement
Paying a coach license fee
Submitting a background check
Passing an online concussion training course
Passing an online NICA Level 1 coach course
Passing an online NICA philosophy and risk management training course
Passing an online Athlete Abuse Awareness training course
The Utah league and NICA offer several perks/discounts for cycling products to adult volunteers that become Level 1, 2, or 3 coaches.
If interested in riding with the team, reach out to the coaching staff by email at: info@ohsmtb.org
Volunteer for specific team assignments (optional)
During registration, you can select to volunteer in one or more of the following:
Sponsorship or donation
Parent rider
NICA certified coach
Food committee member
Team events committee member
Trail advocacy committee member
Social media management
Tow team trailer to and from races