The Galena Growlers: A team providing the foundation for a life-long sport
NORWICH – The life-long sport of Cross Country Mountain Biking focuses on both adventure and competition. In 2009, the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) was founded. Now in 21 states across the country, NICA has began to change the sport for several local student-athletes of the Norwich and Sherburne areas.
For the past six years, the NICA New York League has been a gateway for kids – ages in the middle school and high school ranges – to explore the sport of mountain biking.
The 2018 season sees the Galena Growlers team name for the first year but some of the members have now been a part of the New York League for three years.
The Galena Growlers are a NICA Composite team that is a non-school based club team for a geographic region that allows kids to get into the sport of cycling and/or Mountain Biking in particular, a life-long sport. The Growlers are open to all students – public, private or home schooled – located within Chenango County.
While everyone is not required to race, some of the local student-athletes thrive on the competition aspect the sport is now beginning to provide as member of the Galena Growlers.
Currently consisting of riders from 6th-12th grade, student-athletes from Norwich and Sherburne-Earlville school districts, 14 riders will return for head coach Rob Baker along with the four other coaches. All coaches who are involved in helping the team are certified with the NICA from Level 1 to Level 3.
As the team’s existence has become more well known in the area, Baker stated he is expecting to add at least 14 new riders to join the Growlers 2018 team, including three high school girls, a first for the group.
“The goal is all about having #MoreKidsOnBikes in the Chenango County area,” said Baker as the team is currently a club level sport.
The kids began to prepare for the season by starting practices in February and with help from one of the team’s sponsors, the YMCA, by using their indoor spin bikes. Practicing twice a week, the team can be seen in the fitness studio at the Y at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
“A huge shout out to Jamey Mullen and Shannon Gawronski for making that happen,” said Baker. “Since we still have some snow outside, outdoor mountain biking pretty hard to do. But the YMCA is allowing us to practice inside, which helps us get ready for the season.”
Once the snow is gone, the group will start practicing outside, three to four times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays along some with Sundays) for long rides when it is not a race weekend. Practices will alternate between the Norwich High School and the Sherburne-Earlville High School.
The New York League is a Spring based season and races will start in April. The five race series schedule begins with the first race taking place in Middle Island of Long Island, NY. The schedule will continue with the next three races happening in Wawarsing, Liberty and Queensbury, NY.
The fifth and final race will be the NICA New York State Championship, held at the Chenango Valley State Park in Chenango Forks with the Galena Growlers team being one of the race hosts. “We are excited that the State Championships is a local race this year and that we will be a host,” said Baker.
The Galena Growlers team is backed by many sponsors, both locally and nationally, for the 2018 season. The list of sponsors includes: Chobani, NBT Bank, NYCM, Gilligan’s, CVTechnologies, Benedict’s, T-Squared Custom Millwork, Growler Bikes of Rochester, NOMAD Mobile Bike Repair in Hamilton, Woodland Cycles of Milford, StansNoTubes of Painted Post. 6D Helmets of California, and Skylla Engineering of Texas.
“It’s not too late to join and start riding with the team,” said Baker. To find out more details on the Galena Growlers, check out the team’s blog at www.galenagrowlers.blogspot.com/ or their Facebook page named “Galena Growlers Mountain Bike Team - NICA NY”
More information about the NICA or the New York league can be found at www.nationalmtb.org and www.newyorkmtb.org
If you have any questions or would like to become involved with the Galena Growlers, contact Rob Baker via email at GalenaGrowlers@gmail.com.
For the past six years, the NICA New York League has been a gateway for kids – ages in the middle school and high school ranges – to explore the sport of mountain biking.
The 2018 season sees the Galena Growlers team name for the first year but some of the members have now been a part of the New York League for three years.
The Galena Growlers are a NICA Composite team that is a non-school based club team for a geographic region that allows kids to get into the sport of cycling and/or Mountain Biking in particular, a life-long sport. The Growlers are open to all students – public, private or home schooled – located within Chenango County.
While everyone is not required to race, some of the local student-athletes thrive on the competition aspect the sport is now beginning to provide as member of the Galena Growlers.
Currently consisting of riders from 6th-12th grade, student-athletes from Norwich and Sherburne-Earlville school districts, 14 riders will return for head coach Rob Baker along with the four other coaches. All coaches who are involved in helping the team are certified with the NICA from Level 1 to Level 3.
As the team’s existence has become more well known in the area, Baker stated he is expecting to add at least 14 new riders to join the Growlers 2018 team, including three high school girls, a first for the group.
“The goal is all about having #MoreKidsOnBikes in the Chenango County area,” said Baker as the team is currently a club level sport.
The kids began to prepare for the season by starting practices in February and with help from one of the team’s sponsors, the YMCA, by using their indoor spin bikes. Practicing twice a week, the team can be seen in the fitness studio at the Y at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
“A huge shout out to Jamey Mullen and Shannon Gawronski for making that happen,” said Baker. “Since we still have some snow outside, outdoor mountain biking pretty hard to do. But the YMCA is allowing us to practice inside, which helps us get ready for the season.”
Once the snow is gone, the group will start practicing outside, three to four times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays along some with Sundays) for long rides when it is not a race weekend. Practices will alternate between the Norwich High School and the Sherburne-Earlville High School.
The New York League is a Spring based season and races will start in April. The five race series schedule begins with the first race taking place in Middle Island of Long Island, NY. The schedule will continue with the next three races happening in Wawarsing, Liberty and Queensbury, NY.
The fifth and final race will be the NICA New York State Championship, held at the Chenango Valley State Park in Chenango Forks with the Galena Growlers team being one of the race hosts. “We are excited that the State Championships is a local race this year and that we will be a host,” said Baker.
The Galena Growlers team is backed by many sponsors, both locally and nationally, for the 2018 season. The list of sponsors includes: Chobani, NBT Bank, NYCM, Gilligan’s, CVTechnologies, Benedict’s, T-Squared Custom Millwork, Growler Bikes of Rochester, NOMAD Mobile Bike Repair in Hamilton, Woodland Cycles of Milford, StansNoTubes of Painted Post. 6D Helmets of California, and Skylla Engineering of Texas.
“It’s not too late to join and start riding with the team,” said Baker. To find out more details on the Galena Growlers, check out the team’s blog at www.galenagrowlers.blogspot.com/ or their Facebook page named “Galena Growlers Mountain Bike Team - NICA NY”
More information about the NICA or the New York league can be found at www.nationalmtb.org and www.newyorkmtb.org
If you have any questions or would like to become involved with the Galena Growlers, contact Rob Baker via email at GalenaGrowlers@gmail.com.
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