about the team

Eligibility

Any youth in grade, or grade equivalent, 6 – 12, in good academic standing is eligible to participate.  Youth must commit to follow league and team rules, pay league and team fees, and have the required equipment.

Team Information

Ridgeline Composite is a composite team made up of youth from the greater Tampa Bay area.  League rules require that athletes form a separate team when there are more than 5 athletes on a composite team that attend the same high school.   As such, as of October 2022, any athlete that attends Newsome High School is required to race under their high school’s name and their team scoring is separate from the Ridgeline Composite team’s scoring.  Despite this, the teams behave as one large team.  The coaches are the same for both teams, the athletes practice and have fun together and at races the teams have one area that includes both teams.  If you have any questions about the makeup of the teams or league rules, feel free to reach out. 

Equipment

Required Equipment

  • Mountain bike.  25″ 29″ knobby tires.  No single speed, cyclocross, or road bikes.  No bar ends.  Handlebars must have end plugs
  • Helmet.  Riders are encouraged to use helmets with MIPS.  Full face helmets can be used, but are not recommended as they’re not ideal for cross country riding and racing due to visual and hearing limitations.
  • Hydration.  Either 2 water bottles or a hydration pack.
  • Bike repair tools and a spare tube.  Even tubless riders must carry a tube.  Tire levers and a multi-tool as a minimum.  Air pump and/or CO2.
  • Bike lights.  At least one white light for the handlebars and a red tail light.  
  • Team jersey

Recommended Equipment

  • Gloves.
  • Eye protection
  •  Cycling-specific shorts
  • Nutrition (bars, gels, etc).

Rules / Expectations

Parents, athletes, and coaches are required to read and abide by NICA’s Handbook – 2023 Rules & Guidelines.  Annually, the team will develop a Team Constitution, which parents, athletes and coaches are expected to follow.   In general, parents, athletes and coaches are expected to follow the following general guidelines:

  • Be Safe
  • Be Responsible
  • Be Respectful

Practices

2023-2024 season practices will occur as below:

  • Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:00 pm.  The team will meet in various locations in the Brandon-Valrico-Lithia area.  Skills and games will occur in a field and some nights will include riding through area neighborhoods.  Student athletes must have lights to participate in the neighborhood ride.
  • Saturday trail rides, 9:00 am.  This practice will generally last approximately 2 hours, though some practices may be scheduled longer and occasionally will be moved.  Practices will typically be held at our local mountain bike trails.  
  • We follow the Hillsborough County school calendar.  If there is no school, there will be no mandatory practice.  
  • Optional practices:  Occasionally the team will have optional practices to allow for additional practice, riding with other teams, or to work around holidays.

Fees

A note about fees:  NICA, FICL, and the team do their best to keep fees as low as possible.   All entities are non-profits.   All persons in leadership roles with Ridgeline Composite are volunteers that participate due to their love for getting #morekidsonbikes.  The below fees are the minimum required to allow operation of the league and the team to offer the amazing experience for all involved.  We offer assistance to anyone who needs, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you’d like to participate but are nervous about the cost.

2023-2024 fees include the following:

  • League  and race fees: ($345)  These fees are payable in PitZone upon rider registration.  All athletes and coaches must be registered and paid in full to ride with the team unless they are participating in the team’s one time try-it-out ride.  These fees are applied to the following expenses:
    • NICA registration and insurance coverage
    • FICL registration
    • All FICL and NICA events for the season, to include all races and any other special events such as GRiT rides, Adventure events, and TTC activities
    • Team membership and rides with NICA certified coaches
    • Coach development
  • Team fees ($200):  These fees are payable to the team by check to: Ridgeline MTB, Inc.   The team fee covers the following expenses:
    • One race jersey for the 2023-2024 season.
    • Team business fees (registration fee, corporate fees, etc)
    • Coach licensing fee and background check cost reimbursement
    • Advertising (website, fliers, etc)
    • Supplies (cones, first aid equipment, etc)
    • Swag and recognition (prizes for games, awards and recognition for athletes, sponsors, volunteers, etc)
    • Food and nutrition at races
    • Scholarships for those that can’t afford to participate
    • End of season party expenses
  • Multi-rider discount:  Families with more than one child registered with the team may be eligible for a discount of the team fees.
  • The team does offer scholarships for those who cannot afford to participate.  Reach out to us if you’d like to be considered for this.
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Races

Races are optional, but a TON of fun and highly recommended!  In 2024 there will be a Prologue, 4 races, and an Adventure Day, beginning in February and concluding in May.  More information on the 2024 races can be found on FICL’s website under the Events tab.