Participating in a team sport doesn’t always mean playing soccer, football or baseball. If your child’s interests tend towards the road less traveled, here are some alternative sports options available in the desert.
Once the summer heat begins fading into fall, the roads will once again be littered with caravans of road bikers fending off the traffic of our seasonal months. Mountain biking also comes alive during the cooler months, avoiding street traffic altogether. Particularly, one group of youth mountain bike riders, known as the Coachella Valley Roadrunners, will take to the trails in preparation for their cross country mountain bike season.
The Coachella Valley Roadrunners are a youth cross country mountain bike team based here in the desert. For those who don’t know, cross country mountain biking takes place on a designated course that includes technical turns, hill climbs, and descents. Each rider must complete a certain amount of laps that depend on his or her race level. Racers compete against each other and try to finish with the best overall time. These athletes are scored individually, but collectively, their scores contribute to their overall team score.
The Coachella Valley Roadrunners have two divisions: middle school grades 6-8, and high school grades 9-12. It is a coed sport for both boys and girls. The Roadrunners are only a few years old and currently have about twenty riders with numbers growing each year.
Their season officially kicks off in December when practices will commence. Races begin in January and will last until May. During the race season, you might see hordes of youth riders and coaches riding the trails of La Quinta Cove or Cahuilla Park. The team practices together three days a week where they spend two days on the trails and one day indoors at the spin facility of World Gym.
The Roadrunners compete in the SoCal League (SoCaldirt.org) of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA). The 2018 race season saw about seventy teams from all over southern California compete during the six race series. These races are held in various locations throughout CA, but predominantly in southern CA. Races take place on weekends, and teams encourage overnight camping with teammates to bond, enjoy nature, and of course, pre-ride the track.
The league offers various racing categories such as varsity, junior varsity, sophomore, freshman, and middle school. Each category is defined as boys and girls. Though the teams are coed, the races are not. Athletes at the varsity level have the opportunity to obtain a cross country mountain bike varsity letter. Many parents may be surprised to learn that a growing number of colleges offer scholarships for cross country mountain biking.
The Coachella Valley Roadrunners are always seeking new members who might be interested in joining the team. “Not only do we want kids to compete, but we want to promote lifelong fitness, fun, the ability to make new friends, and of course just to get outdoors and enjoy nature,” says coach Kevin Chandler.
For those interested, coach Chandler suggests heading to either one of their go-to bike shops for more information about joining the team: Palm Desert Cyclery, or Tri-a-Bike in Palm Desert. Once your son or daughter have caught the cross country bug, both shops ensure that they can help new riders find a bike that suits him or her, often for a reasonable price. Athletes may also inquire about renting or loaning a bike for the season. Either way, the Coachella Valley Roadrunners encourage anyone in grades 6-12 to try it out and join the team.
Photo by Dakota Jutovsky
