The Need

For youth cycling coach Wes Biesen, a lifelong love of racing on 2 wheels has translated to a passion he wants to share with kids – the more the better – across Arizona.

As a kid, Wes grew up racing BMX and motocross, then took up mountain biking as an adult. When his family all became interested, their road led to involvement in the Arizona Interscholastic Cycling League. Affiliated with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, and commonly known as AZ NICA, the league is dedicated to promoting mountain biking as a way to build strong minds and bodies, character and community among sixth through twelfth graders.

AZ NICA is a loose group of affiliates, led by volunteer coaches – and Wes, a commercial banker at Bell Bank in Chandler, is one of those. Becoming a coach for the sport, he said, helped him see its impact firsthand and made him want to help build a community of kids, parents and coaches “to add positive energy to the state.”
 

The Impact

When she started the AZ NICA chapter, league director Jen Harrelson knew it would be impactful as well.

“I knew we would have the ability to help these kids, beyond just getting them in the league,” she says. “ …. It gives them so many more opportunities that our kids take for granted.” It’s building a whole community, Wes agrees. Students, parents or community members can start or join a mountain biking club in their community. AZ NICA provides training and recreational and racing events for all skill levels, with a goal of empowering youth to be part of the fun, inclusivity and respect of the mountain biking community.

“We’ve had kids who were overweight and struggling with self esteem,” Wes observes. “I got to see kids that started off with no confidence, and then … they had lost weight, they were more confident and it was a different person. That was really cool to see. And then you have other kids that were dealing with mental health or drug abuse, and it’s nice to see those kids have an outlet to do something that’s a lifelong sport.”

For many families, though, the cost of joining – whether for bikes and equipment, or for league and event fees, may be prohibitive. AZ NICA raises funds for scholarships and other ways to help kids participate, and that’s what Wes’s $4,000+ Pay It Forward gift was used for.

Receiving the check was “a bright spot,” acknowledges Jen, who says the scholarships will cover league fees for less privileged kids and families who want to try the sport.

Nobody gets cut from the AZ NICA team, and kids can bike recreationally or race competitively as they choose. Activities include trail work, an initiative to get “more girls on bikes” across the state, and adventures such as point-to-point scavenger hunts. Parents can get involved by signing up to ride along with their kids, coaching, or simply supporting their kids at races.

“We involve younger siblings,” says Jen. “It’s a family affair.”

From his days of youth BMX racing, Wes fees he’s come full circle by paying it forward to AZ NICA through fundraising, donations and volunteering.

"What makes this unique as a league is that these kids can do this lifelong,” he says. “If we can instill a love of the sport with the kids at a young age, and then they can instill it in their family and help with the community as they grow older, then I feel like that’s a win.”

Through the Pay It Forward program, Bell gives employees money each year to donate to people in need and causes they care about.