How do I Start a Michigan Scholastic Cycling Club?

Student FAQ
How do I start a scholastic cycling club at my school?
1. Gather your riding buddies together or find others who share your interest.
2. Look for a teacher at your school that is a cyclist and would be interested in helping.
3. If there is no teacher that is a cyclist, would another teacher be interested? Are there
other adults who could help a teacher?
4. Approach the principal or other school administrators requesting to form a cycling club.
Have a plan ready that has your purpose, who is interested, who your coach will be, etc.
Check out www.miscabike for forms, tools, and tips.
5. Have your coach sign up the club and have each club member register, using the MiSCA
registration link.

What if there isn’t anyone else to ride with?

1. If you can’t find anyone, put up posters and fliers announcing the formation of the club.
2. Check with your area bike shops to see if they know of other students in your area that
ride. Maybe they will send out an email to their customers to tell them of your interest
in forming a club.
3. If you still can’t find enough other students, check out the section on forming a
composite club.

What if the school says no?

1. Contact us at MiSCA, info@miscabike.org, perhaps we can talk to the school
administrators about how other clubs have been successful.
2. Is there another school club in your area that will let you join? Sometimes it is possible
to have more than one school in a district and all form one club.
3. Don’t give up; check out the section on forming a composite club
Teacher FAQ
How do I start a scholastic cycling club at my school?
1. Approach the administration with your request, insuring that you have a plan that
incorporates how the club will operate, when you will meet, if you plan on having a race
team, etc. Contact MiSCA, info@miscabike.org, for helping in forming a plan or how to
overcome objections that may be raised by the administration.
2. Find another teacher or adult willing to help; you will probably need several adults to
help during rides, for transportation, etc.
3. Advertise at the school(s) that you are forming a cycling club. The earlier in the year you
start the better, especially if you want to have a MTB team for the fall season.
4. Check with the local bike shops for support and names of potential volunteers and
students.
5. Register your club using the link http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?
eventid=12490
6. Have each of your students register as a MiSCA club member, following the link
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12494
7. Check the MiSCA website for tips, tools and information to help you organize and run
your club.
8. Get ready to have fun!
Composite Club FAQ
MiSCA is allowing the formation of composite clubs as long as certain qualifications are met.

 Our goal is to insure the safety of the students.

 Composite clubs must have a minimum liability policy in the amount of $1,000,000.
 Students that have a school cycling club available to them may not join a composite
club.
 Composite teams must include the wording “Scholastic Club” or “Scholastic Team” in
their team name.
 All composite clubs must be approved by MISCA prior to registering. Contact us at
info@miscabike.org to let us know you want to form a composite club.

How do I form a club that is not an official school club?

1. Will the club be part of bike shop or a recognized youth organization? (Scouts, YMCA,
etc.)
2. If YES, complete the steps below, if not, go to step 3
a. Register the club with the USAC as a scholastic cycling club
http://www.usacycling.org/forms/clubapp.pdf
b. The head coach must request a background check conducted through NCSI.
Simply go to http://www.ncsisafe.com and click on “Background Check
Screening Self Registration” on the left side of the webpage. Complete
three easy steps:
Step 1: Enter Self Registration Number: 69288637
Step 2: Enter Your Information as Requested
Step 3: Provide Legal Authorization and Certification
c. Register your club using the link at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?
eventid=124940
d. See section 4 for more information about becoming a USAC scholastic club.
e. Have each of your students register as a MiSCA club member, following the link at
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12494
f. If a bike shop is sponsoring the team the shop will be considered to be a MiSCA
affiliate shop. Affiliate shop information and requirements can be found on the
MiSCA website at http://miscabike.org/support/misca-affiliate-bike-shop/.
3. For those clubs that answered NO in step 2, additional requirements apply:
a. Register the club with the USAC as a scholastic cycling club
http://www.usacycling.org/forms/clubapp.pdf
 b. The club must obtain USAC club liability insurance
http://www.usacycling.org/forms/ClubInsurance.pdf
c. The head coach must obtain a USAC Level 3 coaching certification
http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3133
d. The head coach must obtain USAC coaching liability insurance
http://www.usacycling.org/forms//coaches/coach_insurance.pdf
e. Register your club using the link at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?
eventid=12490
a. Have each of your students register as a MiSCA club member, following the link at
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=12494
4. About becoming a USAC Club
a. To register as a USAC scholastic club you must be a member of the USAC
b. There is no charge to become a member, registration is done through the USAC
website https://www.usacycling.org/ Check this link to start the member login
process https://www.usacycling.org/myusac/index.php?pagename=login
c. You will need to designate a President and Vice President of the club. They must
be USAC members
5. Check the MiSCA website for tips, tools and information to help you organize and run
your club.
6. Get ready to have fun!