THE HISTORY

What is Mountain Bike Junior League?

Good question. A question that requires a little background info. It started in 2001 with the birth of Maverick Sports Promotions.

The company is called “Maverick” for a reason, not just that it was easy to spell as so many would choose to believe. After years of observing how other events were promoted and produced from the perspective of both participant and event staff it was clear that it could be done better. Believe me, we respect the heck out of all promoters. But we took a cavalier approach and identified areas that made us Mavericks or a bit different than the mainstream.

Out of that inspiration came a commitment to quality ‘hyper-organized’ events. (anyone who's raced The Firecracker can testify to this...a frequently heard comment about that race is: "man, you guys are ANAL") Along with that came a commitment to customer service previously inexperienced by all but a few in the racing community and a commitment to distinctively formatted events that we hoped would put the fun back in racing. And most of all, we founded our company on the basis of a rock-solid-no-compromise attitude about leaving no trace on our trail network. It was out of that last point, as well as a sense of obligation to give back to the cycling community, that MTB Junior League began.

The roots of the league are pretty humble. The sport needs fresh legs if it’s going to survive and compete with baseball, football, soccer, and Nintendo. In 2001 we put our heads together and came up with ways to remove the obstacles that might be preventing kids from riding and racing their bikes. While we couldn’t do much about the cost of buying a bike, we could do something about the cost of participating in the local Wednesday night series, The Colorado Freeride Summit Mountain Challenge. The answer was simple: make it free to all juniors. So we did!

I’d like to say that the rest was history, but that would be untrue. At our first race of 2001 we had 11 juniors. It was a little underwhelming. Then at the second race we had 16. Better, but still not great. At the next race we had 25 junior racers. Not an out-and-out impressive number, but a validation of the fact that participation was on the rise. By the end of the summer of 2001 we had three races in the books with over 50 junior competitors. It was a huge victory for the sport but it did not come without a cost.

After race number 2 a kid named Kevin Soller, the reason MTB Junior League is what it is, came up to us and said “Hey, you know what? I’m racing against kids 4 years older than I am. It isn’t fair.” He was right. So we created more categories with more age divisions. We started with three and we ended up with eight. That was great! It meant more kids were participating, more kids got prizes, more fun was had, and the playing field was more level. It was totally “win-win”. Except for us. We hadn’t budgeted for all the additional prizes, yet recognized the importance of sustaining this incredible growth. So we bought ‘em. Prizes. A lot of them.

We took a financial bath on that stuff and went into our winter season thinking that there must be a better way to support and grow youth participation. The idea when it came was simple; why reinvent the wheel? There are kids programs that have been around for over half a century, Little League and Pop Warner Football being two good examples. What we ended up doing was “borrowing” elements from other youth programs and blending them or altering them to make them more relevant in our
community. The result is called Mountain Bike Junior League.

We’d keep it free, or at least very cheap, and we’d sell team sponsorships to local merchants to offset the administrative costs. All the kids would get a custom jersey, free entry into the Summit Mt. Challenge races, and the opportunity to attend group rides on certain Fridays throughout the summer. Awesome! We couldn’t wait. Here's where it got real interesting!

Summit County is an area unique in the United States in that we are winning the battle of trail access and use (this is due in LARGE part to the dedicated work of The Summit Fat Tire Society and local Open Space and Trails Planners.) We serve as a great example to other communities that are faced with user-conflict and trail damage issues. We’re winning the war, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t losing a battle or two here and there.

We’ve all seen someone who doesn’t know the drill come ripping around a corner sliding or skidding their rear tire. We’ve seen the occasional rider going around wet spots in the trail thus widening it (called braiding), or even blatantly riding when conditions are just too wet. It’s probably safe to assume that some of these folks are idiots, but all of them? We prefer not to think so. You have to believe that some of the bad behavior out there was the result of ignorance. Bandit trails were popping up all over the backcountry. A well-placed piece of education could go a long way in reducing the number of trail abusers out there. Here at last, with a kid’s program that we felt was going to be huge in terms of participation, was an opportunity. A huge one.

What started out as a youth development program turned into an environmental stewardship program before the first kid even signed up. The racing and the jersey are the ‘bait’. They’re what get kids interested. The ‘switch’ is the education that they walk away with. The kids learn about the environment, how to interact with other trail users, trail etiquette, some basic rules of the backcountry, and basic riding techniques. They learn about racing and healthy competition. They learn to overcome adversity and to be independent. They learn to have fun and respect each other. They learn to take joy in each other’s victories and console each other in defeat. We firmly believe that sport can be a healthy, safe, fun, and upbeat atmosphere. It produces better, more well-rounded human beings.

The league is entering its 9th season. Some kids that started with us have pursued competitive cycling at the National and International level. Many MTB Junior Leaguers have stood on the podium of big events. That is somewhat gratifying. More rewarding is the fact that a new generation of backcountry users has been born. A new culture has taken shape.

I’m sure that all of this is pretty remedial to most of you parents out there. I’m sure that those of you with a background in education are saying to yourselves “duh.” But to us it was a revelation. An epiphany. A way to give back to the community that supports us.

So with that I’ll bring to an end the long long long answer to the question “what is MTB Junior League?” and ask "Why MTB Junior League"?

Because we need it, that’s why. I need it. You need it. Cycling needs it. The environment needs it. The kids need it. We all win. It’s that simple, it really is.

So thanks for signing your kid up. From everyone who ever rode a bike or used a trail.

THE FORMAT

Here’s what your child and your family get for your $50 League fee:

Entry into all races in the Colorado Freeride Summit Mountain Challenge
A custom ‘team’ jersey
A priceless education in environmental stewardship
Group Rides
An opportunity to spend more time together as a family in a healthy fun activity
An opportunity to meet and mingle with all the other League parents and kids at each race and group ride
Every group ride contains an educational component. Subjects include preparedness, history, bike maintenance, riding techniques, trail etiquette, and sportsmanship.
Parents welcome!
the lifelong gift of the joy of riding a bicycle

GROUP RIDE INFO

2010 GROUP RIDE SCHEDULE
All Group Rides are from 4-6 PM for all ages
Directions will be posted here for each ride location the week prior to each date.

July 23 Stephen C West Ice Arena Breckenridge
From Frisco Take Highway 9 South to Breckenridge
Stay on Hwy 9/Park Ave.
At south end of Breckenridge turn left at traffic light onto Boreas Pass Rd.
Ice Arena is 1/4 mile up on right.

August 6 Breck OR Keystone Ski Area (TBD)
August 13 Breck Nordic Center

Please come with your bike ready to ride. There are many great shops in Summit County. Get that tune-up taken care of before the ride!
All riders MUST wear a helmet!

RESTRICTIONS

Kind of a tough topic because the program has been so free flowing since its inception. After 8 years we've learned a few things!
All Mountain Bike Junior League members must be on a bike with at least 24" wheels AND a triple chain ring. Take my word for it...it makes a huge difference. Notice I said "members".
Families may still bring kids to group rides that are not big enough to fit on a bike with 24" wheels. Here's the catch. You need to be responsible for them. That is, if they need extra attention, can't keep up etc., you need to be their guide. And we don't recommend they officially join the league until they are able to meet the requirement.
What we've learned is that the equipment makes a huge difference in a young rider's performance. We know there are phenoms out there that can pedal there tails off on a tiny bike and hang with older kids. But the true dividing line is 24" wheels and triple chain rings.
Why? Because of the Fun Factor. We take kids on true mountain bike terrain. It's amazing what they are able to tackle if they are on the proper equipment. It's just more fun!
There is no minimum age requirement for the league. If a kid can fit on a bike with 24" wheels we'll take em!

RACE SCHEDULE

Following is the race schedule for 2010. Details for each race will be posted in the Summit Mountain Challenge section of this website. Race details are usually available within about a week of each event.
All MTB Junior League members are automatically entered!

June 2 Frisco Roundup
June 23 Gold Run Rush
July 14 Swan River Rampage
July 28 Pennsylvania Gulch Grind
August 11 Breck Brawl
August 18 Breck Nordic Center Circuit Race(Juniors 10 and Under, 11-12, Junior Beginners)

Here are the race categories:
Junior Girls 10 & Under
Junior Girls 11-12
Junior Beginner Girls 13-18
Junior Sport Girls 13-18
Junior Boys 10 & Under
Junior Boys 11-2
Junior Beginner Boys 13-18
Junior Sport Girls 13-18

POINT SCORING

Well...try as we do to de-emphasize the competitive aspect of the program the racing is a part of it.
The top three racers in each category will be recognized at each race and at the end of the season.
Points are accumulated according to the following scale:
1st Place-100 Points
2nd-90
3rd-80
4th-70
5th-60
6th-50
7th-45
8th-40
9th-35
10th-30
11th-25
12th-22
13th-19
14th-16
15th-13
16th-10
17th-8
18th-6
19th-4
20th-2

A racers best 5 of 6 races will be used to comprise their total score at the end of the season.

REGISTRATION

Registration for 2010 is open. Forms are below.

2010 Registration Form
2010 Waiver
Jersey Sizing Chart

Jerseys this year will be road style with rear pockets!

Website | Summit Creations