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Minnesota Cycling Association

Coach With the Rochester Mountain Bike Team

You don’t need to be fast. You just need to care about kids, safety, and riding bikes.

Become a Coach
Volunteer at a Race

Why We Coach

Our volunteer coaches are the backbone of the team. We are mentors first and instructors second. Our goal is to create confident riders, safe athletes, and lifelong cyclists.

We welcome:
• Parents
• Recreational riders
• Competitive riders
• First year mountain bikers

You only need:
• A safe trail capable bike
• A helmet
• Willingness to learn
• Positive attitude with students

We provide training, structure, and practice plans.

Time Commitment

Practices run mid July through mid-October

• 3 practices per week
• 90 minutes each
• Attend as many as you reasonably can
• Even once per week helps the team

Race Weekends

Approximately 5 weekends per season

Coaches attend when available but races are optional.

Meet the Head Coaches

Use info@rochmtb.org to contact all head coaches.

Jessie Ekholm

Head Coach

Jessie has a passion for helping young riders grow in confidence, resilience, and trail skills. As a firefighter, he brings a calm presence, strong safety awareness, and steady leadership to every practice and race day.

He also serves as the Rochester Mountain Bike Team’s representative on the Rochester Active Sports Club (RASC) board, helping connect the team to the broader cycling community. As a parent of a rider, Jessie understands firsthand what makes the sport meaningful for families and works to create a supportive, welcoming environment for athletes of all experience levels.

Jessie enjoys encouraging new riders, challenging experienced racers, and making sure every student leaves practice feeling accomplished and excited to come back.

Caleb Nelson

Head Coach

Caleb has been mountain biking for over 20 years and loves helping riders grow from their first nervous lap around the practice field to confidently riding real trails and races. His coaching focuses on skill development, safety, and building a lifelong love for riding.

He is a BICP Level 1 Coach, MCA Level 3 Coach, USA Cycling Level 3 Coach, and a GSMBC Apprentice. Caleb is also a Wilderness First Responder and Rescue Scuba Diver, bringing a strong safety mindset to practices and events.

Outside the trail, Caleb holds degrees in philosophy, biology, and aerial transportation, serves on a school board, and plays piano. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his wife Darlene, their three children, their husky, and cheering on his oldest daughter who rides on the team.

Jason Thiesse

Head Coach

Jason is a longtime member of the Rochester endurance sports community. As a parent of an athlete on the team and proud husband to Norma, who also coaches, the trails are very much a family activity in the Thiesse household.

Professionally, Jason is a Staff Engineer at Thrivent with over 20 years of development experience. He has a passion for mentoring and problem solving, and is especially known for his ability to explain complex ideas in a way that makes sense to everyone. Those same strengths carry over to coaching, where he enjoys helping riders understand the “why” behind skills and training so they can grow with confidence.

Jason values steady progress, perseverance, and helping athletes challenge themselves — and making sure they have fun doing it along the way.

Terry LaForest

Team Director

Terry is in his fourth year coaching with the Rochester Mountain Bike Team and has been riding for about five years after getting hooked during the COVID era. His favorite places to ride are Cuyuna and Levis Trow Mounds in Wisconsin, and he’s always happy when a trip to one of them shows up on the calendar.

Around the team, Terry is best known as the resident TeamSnap guru and the guy who enjoys tinkering with bikes and parts as much as riding them. He especially enjoys helping riders get equipment dialed in so they can ride with confidence.

Outside of practice, Terry works in corrections, bringing patience, steadiness, and a calm presence that translates well to coaching young riders. He enjoys encouraging athletes as they learn new skills, build independence, and discover just how fun mountain biking can be.

Coach Development Pathway

All coaches begin as Ride Leaders, paired with an experienced coach, and may progress through Minnesota Cycling Association certification levels.

  • Ride Leader; basic team participation
    Works directly with students during practice

    Requirements:
    • Background check
    • Online MCA training
    • Helmet and safety rules

  • Leads groups and skill instruction

    Requirements:
    • Additional hands on MCA coursework
    • Ride leadership skills
    • Practice management
    • CPR/First Aid

  • Advanced instruction and leadership

    Requirements:
    • Advanced training
    • Leadership role on team

  • At least one coach per ride group must be CPR/First Aid certified.

    Find local classes:
    https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

  • MCA offers coaches three free courses of hands on skill training. Necessary for a Level 2 Coach.

    https://minnesotacycling.org/on-the-bike-skills/

  • We strongly encourage BICP training for coaches wanting to grow instruction skills:

    https://www.bikeinstructor.com/

    Courses teach:
    • Teaching progression
    • Safety scanning
    • Risk management
    • Group control