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-   -   High School MTB team (https://www.bikeforums.net/mountain-biking/389126-high-school-mtb-team.html)

Repack Rider 02-17-08 07:29 PM

High School MTB team
 
My daughter attends Sir Francis Drake High School at ground zero for mountain biking, San Anselmo California. The school is two blocks from the place where Gary Fisher and I opened a business called "MountainBikes" in 1979, where we assembled and sold bikes built on Tom Ritchey's frames.

Drake High has a varsity mountain bike team, and I see the kids in their matching jerseys riding in groups, always with a coach, on weekends at the local private singletrack course. The team won the NorCal championship a couple of years ago.

Some kids from a video class interviewed me for a project on hiker v. biker conflicts, and during the conversation I learned something wonderful.

In a school with fewer than 1100 students, there are SIXTY members of the MTB team! It is by far the most popular varsity sport, even though the kids have to supply their own bikes and arrange transportation to the events.

If football players had to buy their own equipment and get to the games on their own, football would disappear.

Dannihilator 02-17-08 08:16 PM

That is cool.

Cheeto 02-17-08 08:19 PM

I wish my school had a MTN bike team...
I'm mad that they don't. My school spends all it's money on football.

xcracer13 02-17-08 08:26 PM

Same with mine.

Frunkin 02-17-08 08:29 PM

Start one.
I started a cycling club. It's not that hard, just drag some friends out, and spread the word through school.

Whats cool is that repack supposedly worked with Gary Fisher back in the day. Thats cool.

Cheeto 02-17-08 08:32 PM

My friends don't like MTN biking, they think I'm weird for doing it, but screw them to, eh?
My principal, cares only about football, and how his school looks.
so, mountain biking team is out of th question, even though my though my history teacher could be the coach, she's big into biking

MattP. 02-17-08 08:38 PM

School is for fools.

I just ride my bike.

Cheeto 02-17-08 08:39 PM

I suppose you just got your education because your just so great?

MattP. 02-17-08 08:40 PM


Originally Posted by Cheeto (Post 6183661)
I suppose you just got your education because your just so great?

My edumacation is not yet complete :eek:

Cheeto 02-17-08 08:41 PM

I can tell.

NitroPye 02-17-08 08:45 PM

Even if you can't start a varsity sport start a club. Thats how a sport will start anyways. Looks good on the college application too maybe.

giant rules!!! 02-17-08 08:47 PM

i wish my school had a mtb team. that would be really cool. i think that a lot of schools dont have them because a lot of people dont ride and it isnt all to popular and it would be hard getting races together and stuff like that.

Cheeto 02-17-08 08:56 PM

theres already a club that overpowers anything I could ever start
Sorba-omba.

xcracer13 02-17-08 09:00 PM

There's a High School mountain bike League in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, but I don't think there's enough interest in Biking at my school to even get a 3 man club started. =[[

cryptid01 02-17-08 09:05 PM

Clearly, football is the problem.

DevilsGT2 02-17-08 09:09 PM

Bike companies would be wise to offer up some equipment, get as many kids into it as they can.

Terrapin Ben 02-17-08 09:53 PM

San Andreas High School Football Rules!!!

rankin116 02-17-08 10:09 PM


Originally Posted by Terrapin Ben (Post 6184135)
San Andreas High School Football Rules!!!

Ted Theodore Logan

Bill S. Preston, Esq.

Repack Rider 02-17-08 10:24 PM

Sorry, trivia buff. That would be SAN DIMAS High School.

rankin116 02-17-08 10:29 PM

I stand corrected.

Terrapin Ben 02-17-08 10:40 PM

I mean, it wasn't lost on you or anything. the point got across. *air guitar*

RT 02-18-08 02:45 AM


Originally Posted by Repack Rider (Post 6183205)
If football players had to buy their own equipment and get to the games on their own, football would disappear.

I don't mean to sound gruff, but I think this is a ridiculous assertion. Look into ice hockey. Parents fund their child's hobby by working two jobs for 13 years, and it is more expensive than either football or cycling. Of course you don't have hockey in your area to the same degree as even warmer climes, like Dallas or Orlando. My point is, I was raised in your neck of the woods, went to school 2nd grade through college in Santa Cruz, and as a former hockey parent (living outside of the Golden State), can say that your varsity sports will never be replaced by cycling. Perhaps (remotely) in a school district with rich private schools, but otherwise...

BearSquirrel 02-18-08 07:20 AM


Originally Posted by Cheeto (Post 6183623)
My friends don't like MTN biking, they think I'm weird for doing it, but screw them to, eh?
My principal, cares only about football, and how his school looks.
so, mountain biking team is out of th question, even though my though my history teacher could be the coach, she's big into biking

Don't blame the principal. It's the alumni and parents that are on his case constantly about football that leads to this level of attention. That and basketball.

Parents pay lip service to academics. But they HOWL about bad athletics.

I like the case of Drake high school. Ultimately, I think there will have to be lawsuits about money following the student's interest instead of the alumni foisting their athletic priorities upon them.

BFG 02-18-08 07:48 AM

Alumni?

rankin116 02-18-08 08:07 AM


Originally Posted by Toddorado (Post 6185191)
I don't mean to sound gruff, but I think this is a ridiculous assertion. Look into ice hockey. Parents fund their child's hobby by working two jobs for 13 years, and it is more expensive than either football or cycling. Of course you don't have hockey in your area to the same degree as even warmer climes, like Dallas or Orlando. My point is, I was raised in your neck of the woods, went to school 2nd grade through college in Santa Cruz, and as a former hockey parent (living outside of the Golden State), can say that your varsity sports will never be replaced by cycling. Perhaps (remotely) in a school district with rich private schools, but otherwise...

I'm not so sure about saying his was a ridiculous assertion. When I played HS football, there were many many kids on the team who were there just to be there. Football never made cuts. If all of those kids were forced to buy there own equipment, I honestly don't think we could have fielded a team. The kids playing hockey on the other hand, really wanted to play hockey, and they loved it. Not the same passion with all the kids playing football. I think we would have had maybe 20 kids on the team if we had to buy the equipment. Not enough.


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