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None of the High School teams in the Placer Foothills program have team tryouts. Everyone who is interested can sign up and become a team member if they are in good academic standing and participate regularly as a team member. The beauty of mountain biking is that no one ever sits on the bench and every single rider can participate in every practice and every race!
The Placer Foothills teams are here to accommodate all levels of riding ability and experience. We have a great group of student-athletes and strive to be inclusive to all newcomers. We have a minimum of three different ride groups which ride at levels appropriate to the rider’s ability and experience. Anyone who knows how to ride a bike can quickly learn the basics of safe mountain biking. If you are new to the sport, be sure to ask your coaches, as there are no questions not worth asking! We find new riders learn at rapid rate if they attend all team practices. You will be amazed at your progression of skills learned from the beginning of the year to the end.
Yes, many of our ride leaders and coaches have been riding mountain bikes and other bikes for decades. Athletes will be taught what to bring to be prepared and how to ride safely on the trails.
There is a trial period in October/November where you can give the team a try. If you decide it is not for you, a refund for your Placer Foothill membership dues is available if requested by November 20th. That said, since mountain biking is an endurance sport, it requires some commitment over many weeks (or months) to get into shape, and this can make the difference between a very fulfilling season and a season that is less than satisfying if you do not put in a consistent effort.
Absolutely! Please contact us and we will coordinate with you on a time & date to ride with team/club. We will need you bring a proper helmet, bike and water. Please print out the one-day waiver and bring to the ride. The waiver can be downloaded and printed below. Please contact us via email with any questions.
October & November (NICA Pre-Season) – Saturday morning trail rides at various locations
December thru Early-May – Typically our weekly schedule is as follows.
Mid-May thru September (NICA Off-Season) – Break from team training. Many of our riders choose to ride together to attain individual goals in Enduro racing (CES).
At the start of each practice ride the team is divided into three groups based upon ability/speed/endurance. Each group will have a NICA-certified coach or Ride Leader accompany them. Our student athlete to coach/ride leader ratio is 6:1 (max) within each group. Additional ride volunteers are distributed throughout each group, and there is always a ‘Sweep’ ride leader taking up the rear.
Our team policy is at least 3 of 4 practices a week with the Saturday morning riding being the most important. We allow multi-sport athletes to participate on the team with the consent of the Team Director. If you have a winter sport in addition to mountain bike team an individual written agreement will be established specific to the multi-sport athlete. It is important to make as many training sessions as possible, you will find it increasingly difficult to stay with the group and your experience will become less satisfying.
Involvement with the Club is one of the most fulfilling parts of this sport for any family. Parent involvement is expected. There are many opportunities to get involved with the team on multiple levels. This allows parents to stay connected to their kid’s athletic pursuits while interacting with many other like-minded parents. The feeling of camaraderie created by this team is unlike any other high school sport. Parents can become involved by:
There are generally 6 races in the season. The races begin in the Spring usually the first week of March. Races continue with one very two weeks until mid May. The State meet is in late May and this is the final race of the season. Once the race schedule is published it is available on the NorCal site.
They are very exciting events with over 1,000 student-athletes competing and cheering for their teamates. The atmosphere is electric. There are multiple categories for girls and boys and the courses are fun, challenging and technically diverse. They vary in distance from approximately 12 miles for the Freshmen/Sophmore races to up to 24 miles for the Varsity races. The courses are set on a circuit that allows for multiple laps so you can see the racers coming around multiple times. The race venues have varied terrain with uphill and downhill aspects which require bike handling skills and good endurance capacity as well.
Race venues for the five races are generally between 1 to 3 hours drive from the Sierra Foothills. We anticipate that the races this year will take place at Exchequer (Sonora), Boggs Mtn. (Cobb), Swasey (Redding), Six Sigma (Clear Lake) and Granite Bay (Sacramento). The NorCal State Champions meet will be in Northern California with location to be determined. Each athlete is responsible for their own transportation to and from the events. Athletes may carpool and generally arrive the afternoon before the event to pre-ride the course. Riders may pre-ride the course the day before and is highly recommended for all riders.
Riders and their families are entirely responsible for transportation to and from races. As a matter of policy, Placer Foothill Coaches & Ride Leaders may not carry riders to or from races. The NorCal League usually publicizes accommodations near the races should you decide to stay the night. Many families choose to camp together at the race venue or a nearby campground. These camping weekends are fantastic where many great memories are made.
No. An athlete is not obligated to race, but we highly encourage every team member to try it at least twice. The majority of the athletes who sign up for the team do so to improve their conditioning and riding skills and to race in most if not all five NorCal races.
