Georgia Youth Mountain Biking League Celebrates 5th Season

Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League Experiencing Substantial Growth As It Gears Up to Celebrate 5th Season of Middle and High School Mountain Biking

55 Teams, 850 + Athletes across Georgia and South Carolina will participate in the 2018 Fall Season

The Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League (Georgia League) is gearing up to celebrate its 5th season of Middle and High School Mountain Biking racing programs with a new two day race format to accommodate the continued growth and interest in the league. “We are experiencing substantial growth across all areas of our league,” said League Director, Kenny Griffin. Not only are the athletes and their families recognizing the value of our mountain biking youth development programs; but corporate partnerships, volunteer recruitment, and board engagement are all on the rise.” Over 55 teams, 850 student-athletes, and 450 coaches are expected to participate in the league in the 2018 fall season. Teams hit the trails this month to officially begin their 2018 pre-season activities; hosting info meetings, bike checks, and try it out sessions in their local communities to raise awareness and recruit new members and volunteers. Students or coaches interested in joining a team in their area can contact League Director, Kenny Griffin, at Kenny@georgiamtb.org.

Regular season practices begin July 1st. Road Atlanta will host the first of the five race series weekends, September 8 -9, with the remaining race weekends taking place throughout Georgia in September and October. The October 6th race weekend will feature a new addition to their race line-up, Bartram Trails, in Milledgeville, GA. The Peach State Championship will be held November 4-5 at Dauset Trails in Jackson, GA. The two day race format will include middle schoolers racing on Saturday, and high schoolers racing on Sunday. Click HERE for the full 2018 race season schedule.

Current Georgia League athletes will also have the opportunity to fine tune their skills prior to the start of the season at the Georgia League’s inaugural Georgia Rider Development Camp . The camp will be held at Dauset Trails in Jackson, GA July 13 – 16, 2018.

The League has experienced explosive growth since its inception in 2014 – growing from just over 10 teams and 121 student-athletes that inaugural year. In just five seasons, the Georgia League has trained 1,381 student-athletes and over 674 coaches through its Mountain Bike Youth Development programs. In 2017, the League awarded over $19,000 in scholarships and $22,000 in loaner bikes to deserving athletes and coaches! The League is comprised of teams across Georgia, including Rabun County in the North, Columbus in the West, Milledgeville in the East, Albany in the South, and multiple teams in between; as well as 4 teams in the South Carolina Upstate Region. View a map of all teams HERE.

The Georgia League is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, and an affiliate league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) umbrella, providing exclusive mountain biking programs for middle and high students. The Georgia League is one of twenty-two leagues in twenty states overseen by NICA, established in 2009, with 14,394 student-athletes and 6,453 licensed coaches participating across the nation. The Georgia League is open to all Georgia students, regardless of ability, believing that cycling is about lifelong health, not just today’s win. Scholarships and loaner bikes are available to students in need. For more information about starting a team in your area, League Sponsorship or Volunteer information, or for more information on the Georgia League, visit www.georgiamtb.org or connect with them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/georgiamtb, on Twitter at @gamtbleague, on Instagram at georgiamtbleague, on YouTube at Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League, and on LinkedIn at Georgia Interscholastic Cycling League.