The 2019 Alpha Junior Team filled up in under 30 minutes! Information for currently enrolled 2019 Alpha Girls:
Summer 2019 is just around the corner! Your girls are the light of our lives and we can’t wait to get out and ride with them.
Tuesday June 25th - Tuesday August 6th. Retreat in Whitefish will be July 20-21st.
Meeting 530-730 at the Rattlesnake Trailhead. Try to carpool or ride bikes there!
Ages 8 and up!
The $50.00 is a membership/jersey fee and includes gummy bears
For questions/comments or concerns please email us at: Juniors@mtalphacycling.org -------------------------
General information regarding Junior Team
Please note - We have a hard cap on the number of junior spots available. No Exceptions. We apologize for those who were unable to get in this year**, but we are unable to accommodate any more than our allotted number due to safety and the number of volunteer coaches available.
The MT Alpha Junior program is SMALL and LIMITED in numbers. This is for both safety and so that we can provide our littles with as much one-on-one time as possible to really develop their MTB skills. Its a girls-only program (including coaches!), which give the girls the confidence to push themselves and have fun doing it! This space creates a team dynamic among the girls; a very special thing. The girls will learn basic-to-advanced technical skills on their mountain bike (depending on ability level), gain knowledge about bike mechanics and riding in the mountains, and develop new friendships. Rides will last 1.5-2 hrs and will be focused on having fun.
We have an extensive waitlist this year. Because of this waitlist, we would like to emphasize the importance of your little Alpha's attendance at every practice. If you do not think your little will be able to attend every practice, we ask that you reconsider joining MT Alpha. There are littles on the waitlist that have a demonstrated track record of good attendance. Missed practices (without objectively legitimate excuses) will mean that your little will not be on MT Alpha the following year and that they will not be able to attend our end of season party/trip.
** Waitlist - This year, we have a pretty extensive waitlist. While we wish we could accommodate EVERY girl who wants in, we are limited by the number of volunteer coaches available. __________ We will be doing an end of season (overnight) party/trip to the Whitefish Bike Retreat. More details about that will be coming soon! ***
***In order to be able to come on this awesome trip, our girls have to meet the following requirements:
Requirements
We want to instill a sense of being a part of a community, being a part of a team and commitment in our girls. This is why we are requiring:
Attendance at ALL practices
If your Alpha is absolutely unable to attend (due to sickness, vacation, other legitimate excuse), she can miss 2 practices and still come on the retreat. But she is encouraged to come to an MTB Missoula Trail Day (click here). If she misses 2 practices, she MUST participate in a Trail Day or volunteer at another MTB Missoula event (contact us to arrange).
Be encouraging to our team mates;
Refrain from using cell phones/ text messaging;
Try our hardest and be positive.
The Details:
The girls MUST have the following at each ride:
Water
Snack
Flat kit
Mountain bike with hand breaks and proper tire tread (if you have questions on this, email us!)
Parents are expected to arrange rides so that the girls are at the trailhead by 5:30 and picked up at 7:30 each week. We will have extra water, snacks, bike tools and post ride fun every week;
Parents are encouraged to volunteer at least 1 ride per season;
Also, Moms should join our Race or Club team!
other mt alpha opportunities for junior girls:
MT Alpha Skills Clinic
The MT Alpha Skills Clinic is open to Juniors and we encourage our Juniors and Little Alphas to sign up. It is a fun day of new instructors, new riders and new skills. Also, Mom can participate in the Clinic too!
Late summer cyclocross Clinic
In addition to the weekly rides, MT Alpha will be offering a late summer cyclocross clinic... Stay tuned for this!
Races
With the Western Montana Trail Series, there will be many opportunities for the girls to test their new skills in a race setting. We encourage our girls to try racing but we know how intimidating it can be. We try to provide a comfortable and excited atmosphere so our girls feel inclined to try a race with no pressure but racing is always optional.