Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Strong. Ride Bikes.
About MCA GRRLS
MCA GRRLS represents our outreach initiative, dedicated to attracting and retaining female student-athletes, coaches, and volunteers. The question arises: why implement special measures for girls and women if our programming is already inclusive and equal? While our programs provide equal opportunities, true equality requires acknowledging that females may need different approaches at times to feel genuinely welcome in MCA activities.
Contact
Email MCAGRRLS@minnesotacycling.org
Retaining and Recruiting Females
Our constant effort is to boost female MTB ridership among athletes and coaches. Given that, on average, 80% of participants in mountain biking are male, creating opportunities for young women to engage in the sport is imperative.
Ridership stands at 20.6%, up from 18% in 2022
Female Coaches have increased to 23%, up from 19% in 2022
Initiative Goals
Inspire young women to cultivate confidence, strength of character, and empowerment through mountain biking.
Provide a fun and welcoming sisterhood for all participants, regardless of experience and ability.
Offer role models for female student-athletes by increasing women in leadership roles within the MCA.
Sisterhood: mantra for continuous progress
Any girl who shows up to practice, ready to challenge herself.
Any woman volunteering with the MCA as a coach, ride leader, or in any other role, supporting the belief that mountain biking is a sport for girls.
Any female supporting the cause of getting more girls on bikes and committed to aiding us along the way!
How You Can Contribute
Volunteer! Committed volunteers are vital to bringing events and activities to life. Your support, feedback, and ideas are integral to the initiative. Spread the word to all the girls and women you know, informing them about the MCA GRRLS and outreach events, and encourage them to participate.
Race Weekend Experience
The MCA GRRLS Big Red Tent at each race provides opportunities to meet girls from other teams. Participate in crafts, activities, or games. Share shout-outs and stories with like-minded individuals. This is also a great space to meet our MCA Ambassadors.
MCA GRRLS
Coaching Support
Middle School Girls Teams/Pods
We strongly recommend teams to establish teams/pods for middle school girls, fostering higher female participation and retention as they transition to high school. This initiative provides girls with a secure, all-girls space to enhance their confidence. These pods ensure a well-rounded experience, balancing fun, skill development, and healthy competition, valuing mistakes as opportunities for learning. The crucial emphasis on non-competitiveness remains, and ideally, these pods are led by women coaches. Teams that have embraced the pod concept have witnessed a growth in the number of girls on their teams over the past three years.
Coaching Girls: Online Practice Guide
For organized MCA GRRLS girls’ teams/pods, refer to our practice guide with best coaching practices, ideas, games, video links and more.
Women’s-Only Mountain Bike Skills
We offer the option of Women’s-only MBS courses for coaches who find it more enjoyable and less intimidating to learn from and alongside other women. Women’s-only sessions are indicated on the full schedule on our Mountain Bike Skills page. Register in CCN.
MCA GRRLS Ambassadors
This program provides opportunities for student-athletes who aspire to take on leadership roles, contributing to the growth of female representation in biking and reshaping self-perceptions. These girls serve as representatives for ALL girls in the MCA, acting as the voices that pave the path for girls in mountain biking.
The Ambassador program has been filled for 2024.
WELCOME 2024 MCA GRRLS AMBASSADORS!
Ambassadors are middle or high school student-athletes with a passion for advancing female participation in mountain biking. Ambassadors advocate for #moregirlsonbikes and utilize their minimum one-year experience with an MCA-affiliated team. This program empowers them to represent the voices of GRRLS within the MCA community. Ambassadors lead by example, actively engaging, supporting, and motivating fellow GRRLS to embrace the joys and empowerment of cycling. With inclusivity, positivity, and an extreme excitement for cycling, Ambassadors brainstorm creative ways to engage more girls in the sport! We are excited to see their positive impact and how they will inspire and empower others on their cycling journey!
Addison Deutsch
Shakopee
Alexis “Lexi” Halvorson
Wayzata
Alice Saewert
Minnetonka
Aliya Gricius
Winona
Ani McQuillen
612MTB
Audrey Gulick
St. Croix Composite
Ava Daum
Westonka
Charlotte Cannon
White Bear Lake
Ciara Thatcher
612MTB
Clara Lang
PWER
Claudia McDonald
Austin High School
Crosby Winfield
Wayzata
Eleanor Meyer
SPY South
Elizabeth Mendez
Burnsville
Elsa Lindfors
Saint Paul Central
Ester Wilcox
St. Cloud Composite
Evelyn Bruns
St. Croix Composite
Evelyn Rose Richmond
Edina Cycling Team
Greta Dickhausen
Burnsville
Greta Nygren
Hopkins
Hayden Kohn
St. Cloud Composite
Josie Schroeder
Hopkins
Kate Nickleski
St. Croix Composite
Katerina Kostal
Mounds View High School
Lillian Kainz
Rock Ridge MTB
Lily Kohn
St. Cloud Composite
Lydia Michals
Hopkins
Makenzie Reese
Westonka
Morgan Matheson
St. Croix Composite
Morgan Rother
Champlin Park
Nora Leger
Winona
Reese Cutts
Shakopee
Sarah Pottenger
Mankato
Sophia Pedersen
Lakeville
Sophie Gricius
Winona
Stella Museus
Cuyuna Lakes
EVENTS
MCA GRRL’S FIRE Camp
FIRE: Females Improving Riding Experiences
- Are you a mom or a new adult female cyclist interested in volunteering with your MCA GRRLS team but feel you lack the necessary skills?
- Are you currently a volunteer on a team and aspire to lead a girls’ team/pod?
The purpose of the MCA GRRLS FIRE Camp is to empower women to discover their superpower and evolve into confident ride leaders, assistant coaches, and coaches.
During our session, we’ll cover areas like overcoming fears, why have girls-only teams, running an effective girls’ team practice, and engaging in games that appeal to girls. No skills necessary, just a desire to learn and have fun. Your own bike and helmet are required.
Sessions are complete for 2024, but we look forward to seeing you next year! If you are able to find at least 10 attendees, we can hold another FIRE Camp…email us!
Join us at our first Women’s-Only MCA Day: FIRE Camp + Women’s-only MBS 1 all in one place.
You may choose to attend just the morning session or both the morning and afternoon sessions. YOU MUST REGISTER FOR EACH SESSION SEPARATELY.
Where: Carver Lake Park Woodbury (Bike Park area)
Sunday, May 19
Morning session: FIRE Camp (see below) 8:00am–12:00 pm
Lunch Break: 12:00pm–1:00pm
Afternoon session: Women’s-only MBS1 1:00pm–4:00pm
Sunday, June 23
Morning session: FIRE Camp 8:00am–12:00 pm
Lunch Break: 12:00pm–1:00pm
Afternoon session: Women’s-only MBS1 1:00–4:00pm
Space is limited.
If you plan to attend both sessions, you have the option to explore several local restaurants in the vicinity or bring your own lunch.
Women’s-Only Mountain Bike Skills (MBS) Courses
MBS 1
No upcoming dates
MBS 2
Wed 7/10/2024 6–9pm
Monarch Singletrack Trailhead
MBS 3
Wed 7/10/2024 6–9pm
Monarch Singletrack Trailhead
It’s Time to Get #MoreGirlsOnBikes
MCA GRRLS is our outreach initiative focused on recruiting and retaining female-identifying student-athletes, coaches and volunteers. Why does the MCA need special measures to recruit more girls and women if programming is inclusive and equal? Although we have been successful in providing equal opportunities to everyone once they’re participating in our programs, we can only be truly equal when we address that some females may at times need different things to feel welcome and invited into league activities.
Initiative Goals
- Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Strong. Inspire young women to build confidence, strength of character and empowerment through mountain biking.
- Provide a fun and welcoming sisterhood for all participants, regardless of experience and ability.
- Provide role models for female student-athletes through increasing women involved in leadership roles with the MCA.
The Sisterhood Is…
- All girls who participate in the Minnesota Cycling Association.
- All women who volunteer with the MCA as coaches, ride leaders or other roles.
- All females who support getting more girls on bikes and are committed to helping increase numbers of girls participating in the MCA.
What Can You Do To Help?
Volunteer! In order for events and a variety of race day activities to come to life, committed volunteers are needed. Your support, feedback and ideas are an integral part of the initiative. Spread the word to all of the girls and women you know. Tell them about the MCA and outreach events, and encourage them to join in.
Follow MCA GRRLS!
Increasing the Numbers
Our goal is to get more girls on bikes. A lot more girls. We would like to see the number of female athletes equal to the boys. We are asking each MCA team to help by intentionally recruiting girls. Starting in 2022 if each team just recruited 8 new girls, imagine the possibilities!
- If 50 teams each recruit 8 new 6th grade girls / year, that would = 400 new girls / season
- If 50% of those girls continue onto their HS team, that would = 200 girls / grade
- IN 7-YEARS the league would have 800 female HS student-athletes.
Programming
GRRLS Team-Pods
The MCA (MS) GRRLS Team-Pod concept was formed to increase female participation. Keeping middle school girls together helps extend their interest in mountain biking through high school and as a life-long sport. The program strikes a balance between fun, skill development, competition and viewing mistakes as opportunities to learn. It de-emphasizes winning, does not call girls out on their mistakes, and champions the “non-competitive” aspects of the program.
Moms on Bikes (MOB)
We know that girls motivate girls. What better way to motivate our MCA-GRRLS than to see more moms on bikes! Our MOB program allows moms from teams across the MCA to meet, ride together, and have fun while building confidence on the bike. During the season we will have MOB skills training and rides. After all, why should your daughter or son have all the fun?
MCA-GRRLS Tent at Races
Look for the MCA-GRRLS tent at each race in the infield. When you’re not racing come over and meet other girls, make crafts, learn bike skills, play games and just have fun.
Ambassador Program
MCA-GRRLS Ambassadors are middle school and high school girls who are passionate about growing female participation in mountain biking. MCA-GRRLS will help raise awareness of the effort to #GetMoreGirlsOn Bikes and most importantly will be the local advocate and voice of what girls want out of the MCA-GRRLS program. Coaches can nominate female-student athletes or girls can apply themselves.
PERSONALITY TRAITS
- Outgoing personality
- Spirit of inclusivity
- Desire to see others succeed just as much as (if not more than!) you do
- Respect for self and others
- PASSION for getting #moregirlsonbikes
DUTIES
MCA GRRLS ambassadors play an important role for their teams!
- Identify potential team members in your school and community and encourage them to try it out.
- Make an effort to greet, talk to and include all new team members.
- Assist their coaches in teaching skills to female teammates as requested.
- They are encouragers! They look for those teammates who may be struggling and encourage them in those areas where they may need help.
- They assist coaches with any other duties that they need help with. This may include planning team parties, race day warm-ups and social media management.
- They assist in leading MCA GRRLS team/region/MCA rides.
- They assist in planning and carrying out MCA GRRLS events on race-day such as volunteering at the MCA GRRLS tent and updating the MCA GRRLS social media feeds.
SKILLS
The skills that we aim to teach each MCA GRRLS ambassador include, but are not limited to:
- Positivity
- Organization & Planning
- Communication & Teaching skills
- Develop fundamental MTB skills throughout the season
AMBASSADOR BENEFITS
- MCA GRRLS shirt to wear at MCA GRRLS events.
- Being an MCA GRRLS Ambassador can count towards service hours
- List MCA GRRLS Ambassador on your college resume or job applications
MCA GRRLS Ambassador Applications are open through June 30, 2023. Click here for the application.