Want to get fit, make new friends, and gain confidence? Team El Grupo may be the place for you!
If you are interested in riding with Team El Grupo, please sign up here to be notified when we hold tryouts. Read the information below first though, to make sure it will be a good fit for you. We typically hold tryouts in May and/or December. Team El Grupo currently has a cap of approximately 40 riders on the team, and we rarely have space for more than 2-5 new people when we hold tryouts. Do not be discouraged if you don’t make the team on your first try. Instead, let us know that you’d like to be notified the next time we hold tryouts.
Tryouts are a great opportunity to see if El Grupo is a good fit for you.
The tryout process is based off of 3 C’s: Coachability, Compatibility & Commitment.
Coachability = willingness to listen, take in information, and try your best.
Compatibility = you | your attitude | your life work well with El Grupo and vice versa.
Commitment = willingness to make El Grupo an important aspect of your life.
WHO: Team El Grupo is a youth cycling development team. We ride bicycles for the sport of it. We are about a lot more than just riding our bikes down the street. We ride bikes for the physicality of it—riding to become stronger, smarter, and faster. Team El Grupo is comprised of male and female youth aged 12-18 from diverse backgrounds, representing more than 10 different middle and high schools in the Tucson/Pima County region. The Team rides road and mountain bikes competitively, as well as encourages bike touring, cyclo-cross, and daily commuting. All team members engage in bicycle education, outreach and advocacy through our Youth Empowering Youth program.
WHAT: Everyone on the team is expected to make their participation a priority in their lives and to come to practice ready to work hard. We all practice in the same way at the same time. However, different team members choose to seek their hard work in different ways.
Some of the youth on the team seek out their new found skills and strength in races. We participate in road and mountain bike races. Other participants do not choose to race and express their talents via self-supported bike tours. We at El Grupo regard both approaches as exceptional ways to prove to oneself that limits are only self-imposed.
As a team we strive to empower every rider with the confidence and courage to set and achieve goals that are dreams at the start of their El Grupo tenure. We also expect the same thing from every rider: that they come to practice ready to work hard, with positive attitudes, and with trust and kindness for their fellow teammates. If this is the attitude that carries you through your time with the team, we feel very confident that we can help you achieve your goals.
We also expect each rider to participate in community outreach activities and events, put family and school first, and all of this requires enhanced time management skills. El Grupo is about much more than just riding bikes.
No bicycle, equipment, gear or experience necessary to try-out.
Scholarships and tuition discounts are available for qualifying families. Please click here to for information (PDF) about the guidelines and email us for details.
