How LVCMTB can make a difference through Teen Trail Corps
Teen Trail Corps is a program, supported by REI and the Walton Family Foundation, that provides NICA student-athletes the opportunity to serve and give their time towards bike related advocacy activities. It is designed to provide exposure and be a gateway for NICA student-athletes into the world of advocacy.
Student-athlete activities are categorized into five badges that may be earned. The first four are Speak, Serve, Ride and Respect. Once a student-athlete has earned all four, they receive the fifth badge, “Teen Trail Corps Captain.”
NICA envisions a future where NICA student-athletes are advocating for and making a significant impact on our cycling environment.
Many of our students, coaches and parents have worked with Lehigh County, Valley Mountain Bikers and local trail crews to help maintain or repair trails after storms and throughout the season. In 2021, LVCMTB assisted at Jordan Creek, Walking Purchase and Trexler MTB trails through nearly 100 combined hours or trail work, continuing to form strong relationships with local trail stewards.
Some of this work can be as simple as trimming back overgrown trail brush, removing fallen branches or reporting larger debris to the appropriate trail authorities for professional removal.
In working with trail crews, students are learning what it takes to build safe, sustainable trails and how to protect them for the long term. It also helps them understand how to better navigate various trail conditions while riding their bikes.
TTC Rules established by NICA and PICL
(NICA Handbook Appendix B – League Exceptions Pennsylvania)
TRACKING
All team hours must be tracked through the League’s TTC reporting in PitZone.
Trail work hours must be quantified by ¼ hour blocks. Hours must be submitted by the weekly deadline of 11:59pm Wednesday nights, beginning 1 week before the first race of the season. No backlogged trail hours will count toward TTC awards.
Annually, TTC points tracking will conclude on the Wednesday two weeks before the originally scheduled date for the PA Finals
weekend.
POINTS
Individual Points
Riders can earn up to 25 bonus points toward their year end
individual score. Hours accrued in trail maintenance work will award points in the following manner.
25 points max.
Hour 1-4 = 5 points each Hours 5-9 = 1 point each
Trail work hours must be completed during official team practices, as described in NICA TTC rules, or local trail club work days, and verified by a coach or the trail work organizer.
This status must be achieved annually in order to qualify for bonus points in current season.
TTC Captain Bonus
Points are awarded once. Speak, Respect, and Ride patches are earned
= 10 bonus points for TTC Captain status.
This status must be achieved annually in order to qualify for bonus points in current season.
All TTC bonus points will be applied at the end of the season, along with the attendance bonus, to the rider’s current race category and will be added to any race points totals in order to crown the end of season race champions.
Team Points
Team TTC Points and championship will be awarded based on the average amount of TTC hours per team member.
The calculation=total amount of hours the team riders work during the course of the current season divided by the number of riders on the roster as of Sept 30 of the current year.
This average will be directly converted to points and multiplied by a factor of 1000. The team points will be capped at maximum of 10,000 points for the year.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
TTC Individual Leaders will be recognized with leaders jerseys
presented on the podiums of the league events.
Individual Leader Jersey per Age Group (not racing category)
The leading team each week will be recognized each weekend of the season via announcements and social media and the top overall male, female, and team will be awarded a TTC Trophy at the year.
