NICA Spring Season – Athlete Spotlight: Erin Smith

By Bob Frank

Although it had rained heavily the night before and the trails were a challenging, muddy mess, you would have never known that by the excitement and smiles on the faces of the 200+ participants and dozens of coaches at the kickoff race of the spring National Interscholastic Cycling Association NY League mountain bike race season.

This is the 10th season for the NY League which is comprised of about 25 teams from across the state. While the league has enjoyed steady growth over the years, the makeup of the teams has changed recently. The number of junior high school participants has skyrocketed, especially in the Capital Region, due primarily from the launching of the “Flow Riders” and “Saratoga Shredders” kids’ mountain bike programs, which between them have over 400 local riders! The overall competitiveness of the league has increased as well, driven in large part from the growth and depth of female student-athletes. Roughly 30% of the league is girls and there are special programs, such as the Girls Riding Together (GRiT) program which helps them be successful. 

GRiT NY strives to continue NICA’s core values of friendship, joy and adventure to create a program that is not only fun but creates experiences for girls to embark on adventures on and off the trails. Their mantra is to value inclusivity and truly believe if you want to bike, no matter the skill level or experience, EVERY GIRL is welcome and supported! They believe that biking and GRiT is an invitation that unites anyone who just likes to bike and where friendship, joy and adventure can start and flourish.

While the number of girls is on the rise it is no surprise that several teams are in fact led by their female student athletes. This is important because the league is unique in that although the boys and girls compete separately, the points awarded to the top place finishers, boys and girls, are the same. Therefore, the winner of the highly coveted overall team competition is determined by adding the points together of the top male and female participants for each team.     

One such athlete that has been a force for her team and has dominated the league for the last several years is Erin Smith. She is a junior at Scotia-Glenville High School and races for R-Cubed, which is one of the local composite mountain bike teams made up of student athletes from several area schools. Erin started mountain biking like many other kids by tagging along with her dad on rides. In sixth grade she did her first race and by seventh grade she moved up quickly to varsity. She is currently the four-time NY defending state champ. In the last five years, Erin has won over 20 varsity races and by the time she graduates next year she will mostly likely have accumulated more points for her team than any other student athlete in the 10-year history of the NY league. 

Erin’s success comes from having a high level of passion for the sport and a lot of year-round hard work and training. She also competes for her school’s cross-country running team in the fall and Nordic skiing team in the winter. This last year, she placed tenth in Section 2 Nordic skiing championships and competed at NYS championships at Bristol Mountain. 

As Erin has progressed so has her training. She now has a coach and follows a more regimented routine which tracks heart rate zones and perceived exertion, while also being mindful of rest and nutrition. After high school, she hopes to compete at the collegiate level as well. 

Erin sees a difference between competing for her high school teams versus competing in the NICA mountain bike league. While she likes the competitiveness amongst the high school teams, she also appreciates and enjoys the culture and overall community of the mountain bike league. The coaches, parents and participants are often supportive of one another, despite racing against each other. This makes for a unique and satisfying experience. Erin also has become a role model for many of the younger kids. It never ceases to amaze me how a subtle gesture or word of encouragement can have a profound impact on young athletes. NICA is fortunate to have some amazing past and current athletes who continue to give back to the sport by being excellent role models.

The NICA GRiT program has also done a lot to promote mountain biking for girls in the state. It increases their awareness of NICA programs by offering girls-only social and riding opportunities for girls, moms, friends, siblings and female coaches. GRiT day rides, local businesses partnerships, camps, and student-athlete ambassador programs are just a few ways they promote the sport. GRiT NY strives to continue NICA’s core values of friendship, joy and adventure. The goal is a program that is fun and creates experiences for girls to embark on adventures on and off the trails.

Today NICA has over 25,000 participants and leagues in 31 states. Most states have a four- or five-race schedule, held in the spring or fall depending on the regional climate. In New York, the races are held in the spring. NICA is guided by values of fun, inclusivity, equity, respect, and community. Every youth is empowered to be part of a thriving and engaged cycling community. The goal is to build “strong minds, bodies, character, and communities through cycling.” 

If you are interested in joining a local team, you are in luck, there are five of them: Niskayuna-Mohawk Composite “Mountain Goats,” R-Cubed NICA, Grey Ghost Composite, Saratoga Shredders NICA Team, and Rensselaer RedHawks.

Here’s the spring race schedule: 4/23, Cobweb Shredder XC at EF Academy in Thornwood; 5/7, Mountain Hugger XC at Walnut Mountain in Liberty; 5/21, The Farm at Tilden Hill Farm in Vernon; 6/4, Hyde Bay XC at Glimmerglass State Park, Cooperstown; and 6/11, Land of Lakes XC Championship in Old Forge.

The area teams have a long history of being very competitive in the league. The Niskayuna-Mohawk Composite “Mountain Goats” are the defending state league champions and won the first race of the 2023 season. If you’re interested in learning more about the league, starting a team or participating on a team, here are the primary contacts. In addition, all the teams have a presence on social media. NICA: nationalmtb.org. NICA NY: newyorkmtb.org.

Bob Frank (jfrank10@nycap.rr.com) lives in Niskayuna and is a “lifetime cyclist.” He’s an assistant coach for the Niskayuna and Mohawk teams and enjoys many outdoor activities.