Hanover-area mountain bike team starts practice
It's a quiet July afternoon at West Manheim Township Park, the baseball field and surrounding area empty but for a bunch of small orange flags outlining a bike path.
Off in the distance, Hanover soon-to-be seventh grader Olivia Keefer appears from the other side of a hill, working her way through the course on her blue bike. Her father, Mike, trails a few feet behind, encouraging her and offering tips to help her beat the terrain.
Mike Keefer hopes this day will be remembered as the humble beginnings of a successful youth mountain biking team in Hanover. He's been biking for more than two decades, and he's had the idea for this team for more than five years now.
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It's the second official practice for the Hanover Area Youth Composite Team, but right now he's the only coach and his daughter is the only athlete. When they go home, they'll continue trying to get the word out about this new team, which is open to middle school and high school students in Hanover and all of the surrounding school districts.
“Racing as long as I have and going to events, I don’t see as many young people involved in the sport," Keefer said. "I’ve thought for a long time that it would be nice to get more young people involved. Cycling is not a typical sport, and there weren’t any leagues for cycling. The opportunity to start that locally, for me, is exciting.
"I think back to when I was in school; if there was a cycling team, it’s something I would’ve jumped on. I’ve spoken to a lot of other people who say that same thing. Cycling is something you can do the rest of your life.”
Keefer's team will compete in the new Interscholastic Pennsylvania Cycling League, which hosts its first competition on Sept. 18 in Marysville. The league lives under the umbrella of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which has steadily been opening state youth leagues across the country. Keefer went through a NICA training program, and his team is fully insured through the organization.
He's posted flyers promoting the team in local bike shops, and Olivia said she's working on a team website and encouraging classmates to join the team through Instagram and other social media sites.
“For me, just getting the team established is the important part," Mike Keefer said. "If I can get one to three kids to an event this year, that’s a successful start.”
Three teams, three historic seasons in Hanover
How to join
The Hanover Area Youth Composite Team practices on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Mike Keefer can be reached at mkeeferkeefer@yahoo.com.