SMBA Scholarship Campaign

Singletrack Mountain Bike Adventures (SMBA) is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization.  Founded in 1993 by our Executive Director, Matt Tomasko; the program was developed to provide opportunities for kids to experience the exhilaration and adventure of mountain biking and develop a greater appreciation and stewardship for our outdoor spaces. For 30 years SMBA has introduced Colorado kids to mountain biking, and we are Colorado's longest running, independent non-profit junior mountain bike program.

SMBA offers a variety of mountain bike programs for youth between 6 and 18 years of age in Boulder and Nederland, Colorado. To help reduce economic barriers to entering the sport, we offer both full and partial scholarships to families who need them. We also work with community partners to help get kids equipment who might not have the equipment they need to participate in the program. Our goal through all of our programs is to foster a lifelong love of the sport and appreciation of outdoor spaces through fun adventures on the trail. 

Our motto is "Building Champions in Sport and in Life" and to honor that we strive to not only provide adventure opportunities on the bike, but also community service and leadership opportunities off the bike. Each summer SMBA athletes have opportunities to participate in trailwork days in Boulder or Nederland. SMBA athletes have worked with Boulder County Parks and Open Space staff on trails at Betasso and Heil Ranch; athletes have also worked with Nederland Area Trails Organization and US Forest Service on the West Magnolia trails in Nederland. In addition to trail days, SMBA athletes have participated in volunteer days at a Boulder community garden which provides fresh vegetables to local food banks and families in need, and helped with a wetlands restoration project in Nederland. Participation in these service projects connects our athletes with the wider community and inspires them to seek out additional service projects and volunteer opportunities on their own. 

Our Junior Coaching program provides leadership development opportunities to older athletes, where SMBA athletes in 9th -12th grade work with our staff as assistant coaches and ride with various programs during the season. As a result of the adventure experiences on the bike and additional opportunities off the bike, our alumni stay closely connected with the mountain bike community and outdoor industry. About 70% of our current staff coaches started coaching with SMBA as junior coaches and have stayed with the program. While other alumni have been able to carry over the leadership skills they learn through SMBA to work in other parts of the outdoor industry. We have a number of alumni who work at local bike shops in and around Boulder. Some of our other alumni have gone on to work with outdoor education programs in college or focus on outdoor education related majors; and as college graduates, these alumni are working with youth and outdoor programs in around the country and internationally.

In addition to a love of the sport and outdoor community, SMBA has fostered a love of racing among some of our athletes. A number of our alumni have used the skills they learned on the bike through SMBA to successfully race with their collegiate and professional mountain bike teams. When asked, these alumni all credit the mentoring and variety of opportunities for their continued love and involvement with the mountain bike and outdoor community. 

Donate today so that we can continue our mission to provide scholarships and equipment to those in need removing financial barriers for participation so that all kids have the opportunity to learn the great sport of mountain biking.