when my son was still in high school, the coaches would try to get the rest of the teams (football, basketball) to take up cycling for the overall fitness & stamina that comes with MTBing & going 50-60 miles on the road after school - for fun.... To the best of my recollection, 2 kids joined him - the 1st totally wiped out on a big hill on his first ride (they warned him!!), and the 2nd kid stuck - ended up with a track scholarship....