The Upstate Shredders is a youth mountain bike team open to rising 6th-12th grade students from across Greenville County. Our goal is to create a fun and inclusive environment for student-athletes to develop strong bodies, minds and character through mountain biking. All skill levels are welcome - from beginner to advanced. Our riders are invited and to participate in the South Carolina Interscholastic Cycling League (SCICL) race series in the fall. 

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Practices​

Practices begin in early July and continue through mid-November. We practice Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings during the season. Weekday practices feature drills, games, and trail riding that develop the skills and fitness. Saturday Adventure Rides will focus on XC trail-riding at some of our favorite Upstate SC and Western NC trails. All riders practice at the same venue with groups divided into levels based on skill and fitness. 

 

Practices are limited to athletes and coaches registered with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Pitzone. All coaches receive background checks and are trained in risk management, concussion awareness, and First Aid.   

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Practice times can be found here. ​

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Communication​

There is a good amount of stuff to communicate.  All intra-team communications is done through TeamApp instead of email. Our TeamApp page shows practice time and locations, race schedules, and allows team members, coaches and parents to communicate with each other. There are also links to the Pitzone and SC NICA website from the TeamApp team page, as well as a useful document section.   Once you join the team, you can download TeamApp, search for “Greenville County MTB,” and fill out a request to join.  We encourage parents/guardians and athletes who are permitted to have phones to be active on TeamApp as this is where all things are mentioned.

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Racing​

Student athletes who choose to race compete in cross-country style events based on NICA standards (www.nationalmtb.org). Parents and students are responsible for providing transportation to and from all races. Many families and coaches camp on-site at the races and there is an incredibly fun, festival-like atmosphere. Some of the athletes say this is the best part of racing!​​​

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Equipment​

Student athletes need to have their own mountain bike and are required to wear helmets and closed-toe shoes when riding. Each rider is responsible for having and maintaining his/her own mountain bike. We encourage every rider to establish a relationship with a local bike shop for bike tunes, equipment maintenance, and questions. Some discounts are available to team members for equipment and repairs.​​

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Volunteers​

Parents and guardians play a huge role in NICA. The Greenville NICA programming is provided entirely by volunteers. There are many ways that parents can get involved, and we encourage parents to plan to be part of our community! Completing NICA coach training allows parents and volunteers to ride with the team at practice or pre-ride race courses with their athlete! Other ​​​

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Questions?​

We are here to help! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need help finding a bike, have questions about the team, or if costs associated with the program or equipment are a barrier to participation. We want everyone who wants to ride with us to be able to!​

Contact us upstateshredderssc@gmail.com.​

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