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2025 Registration Opens Oct 1st, All Riders Must Be Registered Prior To The First Practice.
Murrieta Valley High School
Mountain Bike Team
Who we are:
The Murrieta Valley High School Team is a cross-country mountain bike team composed of high school and middle school riders. Cross-country is a specific form of cycling different from road riding, downhill racing, BMX, cyclocross, or track racing. Cross-country requires a broad range of skills to ride up and down mountain bike trails over various types of terrain. Team members will develop both technical skills and improve their fitness through cross-country riding. Our team’s activities are focused upon preparing for and racing SoCal-produced cross-country mountain bike events only. We do not participate in “gravity” or downhill/enduro style events. We are not a club, we are a high school sports team and we follow all the same rules and standards as a high school sport.
Our coaching staff is composed of dedicated volunteers. Our ride leaders, mechanics and coaches are team parents and community volunteers who are dedicated to the kids and passionate about the sport. All coaches and ride leaders are SoCal licensed, which includes a background check and training clinics. Coaches are CPR and Wilderness First Aid trained. MVHS MTB coaches strive to create an environment that supports personal development coupled with safe and positive competition.
Team Director
Aimee McClellan
Head Coach
David Chavers
Varsity Coach
Jared Paulson
High School Coach
Norm Bell
Middle School
Jason Neese
High School Advisor
Sara Hogan
Practices:
We practice three times per week.
High School-
-From October 2nd through March 9th (Daylight savings time) Lights are required!
Practices will be
Monday 4:00 to 6:00
Wednesday 4:00 to 6:00
and Saturdays 9:00
-From March 10th until May 25th.
Practices will be
Monday, 4:00 to 6:00
Wednesday 4:00 to 6:00
and Fridays 4:00 to 5:30
Middle School-
-October 15th through November 30th one event per week TBD.
-From December 2nd through March 9th (Daylight savings time)
Practices will be
Monday 4:00 to 5:30
Wednesday 3:30 to 5:00
and Saturdays 9:00
-From March 10th until May 25th.
Practices will be
Monday 4:00 to 5:30
Wednesday 3:30 to 5:00
and Fridays 4:00 to 5:30
**Practice schedules vary and will change from time to time!
Please pay attention to the Sunday night weekly schedule.
Weekday practices will be held at Vineyard Parkway with a few at Vail.
Weekend practices are usually off site, Vail, Santa Rosa, Skyline, Indian Truck Trail etc..
Please only attend your riding group practice. If a rider shows up to a practice they are not invited to attend they will be sent home.
Our team uses a special designed training plan and the coaches work throughout the season to ensure that riders maximize their training results. There are designated days for workouts and rest. Early in the season, riders will do what is called a time trial to determine ride group placement. Time trials are a timed ride on a specific route. This is not a test. The information simply helps the coaching staff make up ride groups, which are skill and fitness-based, for practice sessions. During the season there are periodic time trials to ensure riders are in appropriate groups. This also allows riders to see their progress throughout the season. Riders should be challenged, but not overwhelmed. During practices, all groups will do similar rides. Sometimes rides include features (sprints, hill repeats, etc.), but a group’s exact ride may vary based on time and skill. Students are required to attend all practices. We understand that our student riders have school responsibilities (homework, exams, etc.), which are a high priority. We will not excuse a rider for another sport or school club function.
Our Coaches are volunteers who are giving up their personal time (i.e., leaving work early or giving up part of a weekend) to attend our training sessions - students should be respectful by being on time and committed to the practice schedule. The safety of our riders and our ability to break into ride groups is dependent on the number of coaches and assistant coaches who are present. We value and respect the commitment and volunteerism of our Coaches. Parents or others who are interested in being a ride leader are welcome to ride with us. Our riders range from beginners to advanced, so we welcome every level of ride leader as well. Anyone who is wanting to ride with our team must be signed up as an assistant coach through SoCal. If you would like more information about riding with the team, please contact Aimee McClellan @951-719-0155.
We have some flexibility with Fall sports, however Spring sports overlap and do not work with our practice schedule. We will not accept any rider who will be playing an additional spring sport.
What is the financial expectation for a season?
We try to keep costs down, but the team is fully self-supporting, with no school funding. We do some modest fundraising (Super Bowl Squares), but it is primarily our team dues and sponsors that afford us the possibility to run this team.
Season Fees:
● Team Fee $100 per rider Due November 1st
● Uniform/ Kit (jersey and bib shorts) $170 to $240
● SoCal Registration $125 + $4.03 processing fee Due October 1st
● Race Fees $60/ race + $2.14 processing fee. You pay in one lump sum or
per race 1 week prior to.
● Spirit wear $$
● Travel to Races 5 Weekends $ 200-500
● Bike Maintenance – We have a team bike mechanic, but please do not abuse him. You must supply and or pay for all parts needed for the repair. He will not accept cash for labor, but gift cards are always nice. Riders are encouraged to learn to do a lot of this on their own!
If these fees present a significant financial burden, please speak with Aimee ASAP to arrange assistance. No rider has ever been turned away from a race or event for financial reasons.
What equipment MUST a rider have:
● Helmet (MIPS) – Make sure that it fits properly. Two fingers maximum should fit in the slack under the chin when it is buckled up.
● Gloves – Gel padding can help prevent numbness. Full fingered gloves are recommended for
mountain biking to protect fingers better in case of a crash. (These are optional as some riders don’t like gloves.)
● Glasses – Sport-specific. Do not wear glasses made with actual glass; this can be a hazard in a crash. Great options can be found on Amazon for under $20. Ask others what they’re wearing and where they got them.
● CO2 tire inflator- Riders need to be self-sufficient, coaches assist when necessary but riders need to carry their own gear and be able to fix a flat (don’t worry, we can teach you!).
● Lights (front and back for early season midweek practices).
● Hydration pack or water bottle(s)
● Snack food like a bar, dried fruit, or nuts that can easily be eaten on the ride.
● Lightweight packable windbreaker / raincoat.
How do we communicate with our team?
We use WhatsApp for our team communications. Through this app, we are able to text, email, rsvp, and volunteer for events, bring food, and carpool. Please sign up for WhatsApp as soon as possible so you can easily communicate with parents and the coaching staff. Parents/guardians as well as riders are encouraged to have WhatsApp on their smartphones to make communication easier and more efficient
PARENT GUIDE SHOW SUPPORT AND COOPERATION
• Attend every race. Being at the race is important to your rider. Be positive and encouraging to your rider and his/her teammates without adding undue pressure and unrealistic expectations.
• Belief in and support of the coach’s judgment, character, actions, strategy, and overall philosophy will help your child do the same.
• Please be respectful of all those around you: coaches, league officials, course marshals, parents, visitors, children, etc. Be a role model for other parents and students alike.
• Let your child and his/her teammates know that you are supportive and believe in them regardless of individual or team performance in the races.
Parent Rider Contract
Eligibility: Be a student at Thompson Middle School or Murrieta Valley High School. All riders must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA with NO FAILING grades. Grade checks to determine eligibility will be one week prior to each race. Not involved in a Spring sport that will conflict with our practices or races.
Behavior: You represent the team in the community and at school. Do not do or say anything that would reflect negatively on your team, coach, school, family, or self.
Riding Safely: Student-athletes must practice safe riding techniques and be in control of their bicycles at all times. Riding out of control or with excessive speed is not tolerated. Having a reckless attitude or taking dangerous risks are NOT TOLERATED. A dangerous risk is defined as willingly attempting anything that is beyond one’s ability to control the bike or puts someone else in danger (examples: Brake Checking, Cutting off, or making a pass at an extremely close proximity)
*Jumping, manualling, and other Free-Ride techniques during team-sponsored rides puts the whole team at risk as well as yourself. *Riding in a manner beyond your ability level is dangerous!
No Illegal Trail Riding: Again, you represent the team, the school, the league, and the sport.
Trail Courtesy: When you are passing a rider, let them know you are approaching and which side you are passing on. “Rider” followed by “On you left” or “On your right”
When riding on Public Lands always do so with the following in mind:
Always Yield Right of Way to Other Users
Respect Other Trail Users
Control Your Speed
Do Not Litter
No Negative Comments: There should be nothing but support between all riders regardless of skill level or gender. Negative comments about Team members and other fellow riders will not be tolerated.
Communicate: Always communicate with your coaching staff. We cannot read minds and it is important for us to know how you are feeling physically and mentally. Always report any injury or crash you are involved in or witness no matter how minor.
Stay Informed: Read your email, check messages from WhatsApp, check the website, and FaceBook: We have created several resources for communication but it is your responsibility to check them to know what is going on. Be aware there may be last minute changes to any activity.
Attendance: Riders must attend 90% of practices to be eligible to race. All absences must be reported to the team director. If you are leaving early or arriving late please let us know ahead of time so we are not waiting on you. Please do not make a habit of this as it will count as an absence. Multiple absences will result in dismissal from the team with no refunds of; team fee, uniform fee, league fees and or race fees. Saturday pre-ride’s on race weekends are not optional. If you are sick and miss a practice you may make it up on a non practice day, but it must be recorded on Strava and sent to the head Coach. If you have your own training program it will NOT be a substitute for missing a practice. All independent training should be done on non practice days. We understand that riders are at varying levels and their training demands can reflect that. Showing up to practice late or leaving practice early to participate in another sport or club will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from the team with no refund. Rider absences due to a result of bike maintenance/repair are not excused absences. Arrange to ride another bike if necessary.
Helmets: An approved MIPS helmet must be worn if a rider is on a bike (around town, campus, or at practice) and must be sized and strapped properly.
Equipment:
Bike: It is the rider’s responsibility to ensure that his/her bike is in a “trail-worthy” condition during the whole season, especially before races. Music players and headphones of ANY description are not allowed while racing.
Gear: Riders must be equipped to be self-sufficient on their bikes (water,tube,tools,pump,etc.)
Clothing: Show up to practice in proper gear.
Under 60º = Jacket/Long Sleeves
Over 80º = Extra Water/ snacks
Coaching Instructions: Riders must always follow the directions of a coach during practice in order to ensure their own and other’s safety.
Safety Rules & Considerations: ALWAYS wear a buckled and approved MIPS helmet. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Cross streets safely and obey ALL traffic/road signals
Ride no more than 2 across (stay out of the way of traffic)
Stay off private property
Follow prescribed training course for the day
Hydration is important for good results. Hydrate everyday whether there’s a race, practice or just out having fun. Hydrating the night before an event is a myth!!!
Eat regular, nutritious meals and get adequate sleep
Rider Involvement
Practices are mandatory. Missing practice, race days or leaving early for another sport is not allowed. Make sure you have no conflicts with any other sport or club you are looking to participate in prior to joining the team. Missing practice, race days, leaving early or arriving late due to another sport, club or personal training will result in dismissal from the team with no refund of any fees paid.
It is your responsibility to be on time and prepared for all practices and workouts. If you need a ride plan accordingly, not the day of. We ask parents to carpool whenever possible, but that means everyone needs to bear the burden of transporting riders to and from practices and events. Please drive when you can, don’t be the parent who is always looking for a ride and not offering one.
It is your responsibility to report all absences to the team director prior to practice. Multiple absences will lead to dismissal from the team with no refunds.
Riders need to be in the pit on time and ready for race day. Report to pit time’s are posted the Monday of race week on the race weekend schedule.
It is mandatory for you to be there both Saturday and Sunday of race weekends. Riders who do not report both days will be dismissed from the team with no refund of fees.
Your actions during the season will determine if you will be invited back the next year.
Being a part of this team is a privilege and is not guaranteed the following season.
Parent Involvement is NOT optional.
It is your responsibility to get your rider to and from practices or arrange for a carpool.
We only have 5 race weekends a Season. Parent attendance on race weekends is mandatory.
Parents are to be in the pit Saturday and Sunday on time whether or not your rider is racing that day.
Every family is to participate in race day cafe, if you and your rider are not able to make it to a race for unforeseen reasons please arrange for someone to bring your race day cafe item for you.
Please have your race day cafe item in the pit by the report to pit time on the weekend schedule, do not wait until lunch time as the kids are usually hungry early.
Everyone is required to help with staging on race weekends. High school parents stage on Saturday’s and Middle school parents stage on Sunday’s.
At the end of the day the start/finish area is taken down and the podiums begin, starting with Freshman girls D1 and ending with Varsity boys. After all of the single rider categories have been called, the team awards are given. Podium usually takes about 30 minutes, and then we finish packing up our pit if we didn't have time to do so prior to. We stay together as a team to support each other from the start of the day with the first race to the end of clean up. We are only successful if each family volunteers to participate and support the team.
Everyone is to help with pit setup and breakdown.
Everyone, parents and riders are to be at podiums to support their fellow team mates.
Please be generous with your time. Our riders truly appreciate it and you get the added bonus of getting to know the kids and their families!
Remember it’s only 5 weekends a year. 10 days to commit to our team and riders.
Support Our Sponsors & Team Bike Shop
The generosity of our team sponsors and bike shop afford us the ability to run our team. Please support these businesses and thank them for their generosity towards our riders.
Wrench N Roll in Winchester/ Murrieta is our preferred bike shop. They offer our team members bikes and services at a discount. Other area bike shops also offer SoCal discounts, so remember to mention you are a member at checkout! Jax’s and Alan’s are also great shops. Our relationship with Wrench N Roll is really positive, so let’s show them we value and appreciate them by:
● Always bringing in a clean bike
● Being courteous and polite
● Never being rude, using bad language, or showing impatience. This behavior reflects poorly on the team as a group and could jeopardize the team’s relationship.
If you ever have any concerns about your bike or its service, please address them with our team mechanic.
Our list of sponsors is growing… Do you know of a business or individual who would sponsor our team? Please let us know so we can get them a sponsorship letter!
Murrieta Valley High School MTB Team Parent/Rider Contract
We have read the following MVHS MTB Team parent/rider handbook. We agree to abide by the rules of this handbook. We understand that being on the MVHS MTB Team is a privilege that can be denied at any time.
We understand that attendance is mandatory and riders will be dismissed from the team for not attending practices or having attendance conflicts due to other sports or clubs. We agree that safety is important and will help to maintain it at all times.
Signatures Required
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Parent Name Printed
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Parent Signature Date
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Rider Name Printed
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Rider Signature Date
May sign for additional riders on back >
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