Skilled and dedicated coaches are the most important aspect of Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League mountain bike teams. A Missouri League coach puts the safety and overall well-being of their student-athletes as the first priority. NICA-licensed coaches are role models and teachers who are open to learning the best practices of youth mountain bike coaching and actively working to hone their leadership skills. — From the MO NICA league website
COACH KURT BEDOW
Kurt has been active cyclist for the past 25 years: commuting to work, joining endurance rides on his road bike, participating in gravel bike adventures, and experiencing fantastic trails on his mountain bike. For Kurt the best part of having a passion for cycling is the people he rides with: good friends and most importantly, his son Isaac. He strongly believes in passing his love of cycling onto the next generation and NICA is the perfect outlet for that passion.
COACH TONY STEWART
Growing up Tony enjoyed biking and racing BMX bikes. He also used biking as a means of transportation. He became a coach to spend more time with his high school aged son and to help spread the enjoyment of cycling with others.
COACH BRIAN KING
Brian cut his teeth riding the trails of Colorado and Utah and brought his love of singletrack back to Missouri when he started a family. The hills aren’t as steep in the Midwest, but he believes being on a bike is just as fun here. He became a coach to share his passion for the sport, and the great outdoors in general, with the next generation, including his freshman son.
When he isn’t riding trail, he enjoys cranking road bikes, or playing board games with the family. His day job is writing post-apocalyptic novels as a professional author.
COACH KATHERINE LUH
TEAM DIRECTOR GINA STEWART
While Gina is not much of a cyclist, she is very excited to see mountain biking coming to MO schools. She has volunteered to be the team director in an effort to get a team going for her son, whose passion is cycling, and for her community.