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RACES WILL FILL UP!
It's probably no surprise, but the races will sell out again this year. Even with a larger cap of 650 riders, there are just lots of families that want to participate this fall. We are addressing this by moving to 2-day races for 2022, which is taking a big investment this year and a significant commitment from our dedicated team moving forward.
We ❤ our MiSCA family and are thrilled so many of you want to experience mountain biking! More than 900 kids have signed up so far this year! Lots of you are first-year riders and that is awesome! If you're on the fence, maybe just sign up for 1 race this year and you can do the series next year.
We have around 25 spots remaining for our most popular events and slightly more for others. When the first race fills up, we will discontinue offering the full-series (all 6 races) registration. Each race will remain open until it reaches 650 total and we will implement a waitlist for that race.
This warning isn't to create panic or a stampede to go register, it's to give everyone plenty of notice so there are no surprises.
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Check out the 2021 leader's jersey, provided by PRIMAL!
The leader's jerseys have been ordered. Primal is an Expert Level supporter and the official Team Apparel Provider of MiSCA. Click the link below for exclusive pricing on high-quality kits and gear for your team. You can also purchase MiSCA-themed jerseys and hoodies from the MiSCA store. New leader's jerseys will be awarded at the conclusion of each race; riders are welcome to keep their jerseys and encouraged to wear them as long as they remain the leader. 2020 State Champions should wear their jersey at the first race of 2021, but should avoid wearing it at future races to avoid confusion.
NEW THIS YEAR: jerseys are "Race Cut" for a slimmer fit AND we added specific cuts for men and women! #solongunisex
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Zoo Lander Youth MTB Race - Aug 15th in NE Indiana
This is a cross country mountain bike race for kids only. Pre-k through 12 grade (2021-2022 school year).
Presented by Northeast Indiana Trailblazers (composite youth mountain bike team)
Come join in the fun of 14 categories of youth only racing from grades k thru 12 on the Franke Park trail system. Riders will tackle up to 15 miles of trails located near the Franke Park Ft. Wayne Children’s Zoo. Franke Park trails offer a variety of terrains, obstacles and even a creek crossing. For the advanced riders an uphill start followed by the creek crossing leads to a fast flowy section that goes into a twisty, punchy section sure to test your acceleration abilities and bike handling skills! This is followed by another flowy section that leads to a section of uphills and downhills. Don’t get lazy on the uphills because even though they’re short they are kind of steep and will sap your momentum. Another semi technical section followed by a 2nd creek crossing leads to a fast exit out of the woods and back to the hill and the start finish area. Certain sections of the course will be blocked off for less experienced riders. Registration will be open until August 12th and there is no day of registration. Located just 3 miles off of I69 the race venue is easy to access and in addition to access to the Zoo and its park/playgrounds there are also multiple food venues, shopping opportunities and places of interest nearby. Rean more...
Learn More | Download Flyer | Register
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July was a busy month for many of the MiSCA DEVO squad members. A big contingent traveled to Winter Park, Colorado for USAC MTB Nationals. Most of the athletes competed in multiple events. The team included Anabel Miller, Addison Forrester, Maddie Whitmer, Cullen Perkey and Luke Zuelke. From the Championship XC race to short track and to the new high school races the group represented MiSCA in grand fashion. Anabel did get on the box for the high school event and Luke had a tough crash and will be off his bike for a few weeks. Congratulations to Eric Hoffman, Jacob Boon, and Katherine Droese who also represented Michigan in Colorado! For more info and pictures, check out the Coyotes Blog post.
While in Winter Park Alexey Vermeulen talked to the team and gave then advice at racing at altitude as well as big status events like Nationals. Alexey then spoke to the DEVO team on our last Zoom call. He had a great session with the squad and has been a very gracious source of knowledge.
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DEVO athlete Emma Jimenez Palos was in Pennsylvania at the USAC Track Nationals. Her mother Magali was kind enough to give us a recap of our new National Champion.
Emma raced in the 13-14 Women Omnium (3 races) at the Preferred Valley Cycling Center in T-Town, Pennsylvania. This is a 333 meters outdoor concrete Velodrome. There were 13 girls in Emma's group.
The Omnium I was a 10 km points race (30 laps with sprints every 6 laps). That was the first race and the girls were trying to figure out the field. Emma knew some of the girls and her plan was to race smart and go hard on the sprints. She felt good and won all her sprints, opening big gaps and making the other girls work really hard. She took gold.
The Omnium II was a 1 km scratch race (3 laps). The field sat on Emma's wheel the whole race, which was expected after the first race. On the last lap a girl jumped early, and Emma went after her and sprinted for the win. She took her second gold.
The Omnium III was a 4 km scratch race (12 laps). The field was fighting for Emma's wheel, girls bumping shoulders to be behind her for a chance to sprint. Emma slowed down the pace to conserve energy and she waited for someone to jump. As no one did, she went for it at 1 lap to go and crossed the line with the second girl close behind her but unable to pass. Emma took the final gold.
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Passionate about getting more kids on bikes?
~ Join our growing team! ~
With MiSCA's moving to 2-day races in 2022. we recognize not every staff member will be able to commit to attending every race. That's where you come in! We're seeking folks to shadow us at a race or two this year, with the idea they will join the race staff for 3-4 races (Saturday and Sunday) in 2022.
All positions are available!
- Course Setting
- Race Operations
- First Aid & Safety
- Timing & Results
- Information & Merchandise
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BRAVE: Girls Epic Adventures
Registration is now full for the BRAVE program. BRAVE is a girls' adventure ride club that will meet 6 times throughout the spring and summer. The rides will be non-competitive and will focus on camaraderie, confidence-building, and FUN.
On July 12, more than 30 young ladies and coaches took on the trails of Stony Creek Metropark for the 4th BRAVE ride this season. Believe it or not, the weather fully cooperated, and it wasn’t rainy or too hot!
 
BRAVE riders enjoyed some of Stony Creek’s older trails, like the Pines, and sailed through the newer additions to the trail system, practicing skills on all the rock gardens and skinnies! These flow sections were some of the girls’ favorites—the evidence was all over their smiling faces!
BRAVE has two more rides this summer at various locations throughout Southeast Michigan: Novi Tree Farm, Stony Creek, and a final celebratory ride at DTE before the race season starts. Led by Lake Orion coach Tina Meyer, our BRAVE program is another not-so-serious program that aims to get more girls (grades 6-12) riding together and allows them to mix things up with riders and trails they may not usually visit.
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COACHES CORNER
If you already registered and were planning to upgrade to level 2 or 3, please email Sarah with your request. She will upgrade your current registration and you can upload your supporting documentation. Upgrade and upload your documentation by August 6th to ensure your plate is correct!
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There's still a lot to be finalized, but right now we're thinking to hold the 2021 coaches race at Cannonsburg Ski Area on Saturday, October 16th at around 4pm. We're hoping to add some other fun activities for the kids to do that night as part of a series finale celebration (zombie paintball, tent-or-treat, senior showcase). More information to come, but mark your calendar and get your costume ready!
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Upgrade Requirements for 2021
2020 was a weird year and 2021 continues to be challenging. We understand that many coaches were unable to work as much as expected with their teams, so MiSCA has reduced the required number of fieldwork hours to maintain or upgrade to level 2 and level 3.
Fieldwork requirements
- Level 2: 20 hours reported in 2020 and/or 2021 (down from 30)
- Level 3: 40 hours reported in 2020 and/or 2021 (down from 60)
First Aid / CPR requirements
In-person training is really important to ensure coaches grasp these important life-saving concepts; therefore, MiSCA requires first aid / CPR certification through the completion of an in-person class. Many providers offer a combination First Aid and CPR class -that will give you only 1 certificate, but that is perfectly fine. Coaches may petition MiSCA to accept online-only courses by emailing registration@miscabike.org. A waiver may be granted if an overwhelming majority of level 2+ coaches on the team have in-person certificates.
Clinics / Skills Training
Below are the clinics we have scheduled for this summer. If you have previously completed the ride guide or skills course, you are not required to repeat it; however, feel free to register if you'd like a refresher. NOTE:
Ride Leading Course for Coaches
This course offers practical training for leading rides and managing group situations on trails, with the emphasis on leading youth rides. Course topics include risk management, group management, trail etiquette, safety, and emergency preparedness. Please complete the following requirements in advance:
- Watch the Ride Guide webinar
- Review the Ride Guide manual
- Pass the Ride Guide quiz
August 1 at 11am in Brighton
August 7 at 11am in Grand Rapids
August 7 at 11am in Shelby Township
August 21 at 11am in Novi
Basic MTB Skills Course for Coaches
Learn basic mountain bike skills for safe ride leading and practices. This course covers riding positions, shifting, braking, cornering, timing and pressure control, and pre-ride bike checks so that participants can ride efficiently and safely. MiSCA strives to maintain a modern, consistent level of skill among all MiSCA coaches so they can model safe and current riding technique. You must have completed the Ride Leading course prior to attending this clinic. They are typically offered on the same day with the Ride Leading course occurring in the morning.
August 1 at 1pm in Brighton
August 7 at 1pm in Grand Rapids
August 7 at 1pm in Shelby Township
August 21 at 1pm in Novi
If you're ready to upgrade, please email Sarah to request an upgrade. DO NOT register again in SportsSignUp Play, as that will cause more issues and charge you more money!
Request Upgrade
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Support our Mission!
The Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association (MiSCA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers communities to develop and grow K-12 youth mountain biking programs across the state. We instill confidence by promoting the values of an active lifestyle, healthy competition, and outdoor stewardship and adventure while building life-long friendships in an inclusive environment. MiSCA now serves more than 900 kids and 300 coaches throughout the state, with new clubs/teams forming all the time. In the fall, MiSCA holds a professionally-run 6-event youth-only mountain bike race series. We provide coach training and support through a certification program that requires skills clinics, first aid/CPR training, background checks, and more to ensure safe and consistent education is provided to our youth. Additionally, MiSCA has programming focused on getting more girls active in the sport by creating girls-only events where girls feel welcomed and ensuring girls are included equally in all aspects of the organization. Cycling is truly a lifelong sport, and we strive to create a fun environment where everyone can experience the joys of the outdoors.
Thanks to YOUR SUPPORT, we waived $10,733 in registration fees to help families in 2020!
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Special thanks to our top supporters:
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