Mountain Biking...might just be our new favorite sport!

Our move to Kentucky has open us up to a new sport!

My kids are champs! We have moved several times and each place is exciting but also brings a lot of new challenges. It's easy for me as a mom to think positive and brag on the new experiences they get to have, but I know deep down starting school in a new place, meeting new friends in towns where the kids have all grown up there and finding your place in a new crowd all brings on some tough days. It's never easy leaving all the familiar stuff from home, to start all over. The moves are more difficult on our son, as he isn't as social as our girls.

One way to adjust to a new place is to join a club, group or sport. So....we have tried many sports over the years with the kids, it is a pretty extensive list. Taking the kids to sports became a chore. The kids had anxiety about a new team, new kids and while I longed for them to find their place, the practices were sometimes hard to watch.

Nothing seemed to click with our son until MOUNTAIN BIKING. He found his sport! It helped that his success came from within, its a team sport but mostly individual. The practices and the races bring such a positive energy! Never before have we witnessed a sport where every parent is on the side lines rooting for every kid that rides by. The coaches are kind and sincerely care about the kids, not only learning the sport but they want to see them succeed in every aspect. Not only do parents cheer from the sidelines, they are encouraged to ride with the kids and become secondary coaches for the team. The parents have as much fun as the kids! (And they can ride e-bikes, cause some of us are out of shape!)

We've seen our son gain a confidence that we didn't know how to engrain into him. It was something he needed to find....mountain biking helped him find it!

The kids ride with others in their age group, but collect points on their placement in the race. Points are for the team, but also for the individual rider so they can measure improvement at each race. Races are difficult, it pushes them out of their comfort zone mentally and physically, but the feeling they get when at the finish line, chokes you up with emotion watching from the side lines. Riders can start in 6th grade and ride through 12th grade. It so fun watching how the riders grow and get better and better each year.

If your son or daughter doesn't seem to fit the mold of the common sports, I'd encourage you to check out NICA in your state and see if there is a team you can get involved in!

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