FAQS

What is Little Bellas all about?

Our goal at Little Bellas is to create an experience where girls are smiling and having fun on their bikes. We strive to help girls find a sense of empowerment and self-confidence through interacting with positive mentors, conquering obstacles, and mastering a skill. In addition to amazing mountain bike mentors, the girls will have an opportunity to meet professional female cyclists, who are performing at the top of their sport.

The Little Bellas program is a non-competitive program offering week-long half and full day camps, weekly program sessions, and event camps for girls ages 7 to 18 years old. Our mentoring model allows girls to have fun on trails and play games in an uninhibited environment that encourages them to be themselves.

What does the program cost?

Little Bellas provides Financial & Gear Up assistance to help cover up to 100% of the registration cost for participants in need. Families may register a participant(s) at zero dollars to secure a spot in each of our programs. We offer assistance based on each individuals families need, so cost is not a barrier to participation. Our program cost the same in every geography across the country.

Our sponsors generously help keep program cost low for all girls by subsidizing each participant entry fee on average of $50. Since 2007, we have been able to provide financial assistance to every family who has requested it.  If there is space in the program, we do our best to more than accommodate anyone's need.

How do we mentor the participants?

We mentor on the trail by developing a level of trust with the girls and implement a planned curriculum to focus on a skills progression—accomplishing skills and building confidence. We have found girls will bring some of their life challenges with them and work it out through riding with their peers and with their mentors. This all happens organically. We do not plan a curriculum addressing body image, positive self-talk, bullying, fear/anxiety, however our mentors are coached on how to work through these issues if they arise.

Why do most of our programs focus on 7 to 13 year olds?

We found these are formative years in which girls are still receptive to adult influences while beginning to experience peer pressure.  We've also seen girls in this age bracket are more likely to drop out of sports.  For these reasons, these girls particularly benefit from a positive team environment, positive mentoring, and learning the values of physical activity.

Why do you continue to offer programs for 13 to 16 year olds?

We have found that a lot of girls want to continue riding with the program after they are 12 years old, and we want to continue to offer programming for them. In these programs, we have been able to dive deeper into curriculum to explore female specific nutrition, challenging mountain biking terrain, racing, and becoming a mentor and role model to others.

How do I apply for a Financial or Equipment Assistance?

 To apply for financial assistance follow these simple steps:

Little Bellas follows up directly with each registered family to discuss and verify financial assistance needed.

During registration, select YES to request financial assistance and tell us what fee, if any, works best for your family. No credit card required for a $0 checkout.

When can I register my participant?

Our programs registration pages typically open at 9:00 am local time at various times depending on the program launch date.  Click here to learn more about for more information about specific program. 

What is your cancellation policy?

If you for any reason need to cancel your Little Bellas registration prior to your program start, we offer the following refund minus a $12 non-refundable processing fee:

• 8 or more weeks before launch: Full refund
• 5 to under 8 weeks before launch: 75% refund
• 3 to under 5 weeks before launch: 50% refund
• 2 to under 3 weeks before launch: 25% refund
• Under 2 weeks before launch: No refund

Can I transfer my registration to another program or receive a credit for a future program?

Little Bellas does not offer transfers between programs or credits toward future programs. Each program operates independently and requires its own registration. If your participant can no longer attend, our cancellation policy will apply based on the date we receive your cancellation request. Please review our cancellation policy above for full details.

What if there is a weather related cancellation?

Weekly Programs: If we must cancel a program day due to weather, one make-up day (or two, depending on the program) is built into the program schedule. Because our programs are largely volunteer-based, we are unable to guarantee additional make-up sessions beyond those built into the schedule.

Camps: Camps have access to indoor facilities and are not canceled for weather-related reasons.

What bike is appropriate for the program?

Although we have a wide variety of bikes at the program all participants should have a bike with hand brakes and treaded mountain bike tires.  Due to safety, we do not allow coaster brake bikes at the program.  Learn more about bike sizing and how to shop for kids bikes on our blog post.

My participant is 6 years old. Can I register for a program?

In order to provide equal opportunity, we strive to offer our programming to participants who are within the designated age ranges and to offer it to every participant for the same number of total years. If your daughter is 6 years old on the program start date then we ask you to email us at info@littlebellas.org one month prior to your program start date. If at this time your program has remaining spots open, we will speak to you to learn more about your participant and discuss the possibility of her joining our program.

What if my participant needs to miss a few days of the program?

It’s perfectly normal for the girls to miss a few days of the program, and we design our programs so each girl will be successful regardless of missed days. We do not take payment by the day under any circumstance. It would be a huge organization challenge and burden on the organization at large.  Our expenses for a camp or program are not based on daily expenses.   For example, we have to pay for insurance as if she attended every day.

Who can participate in Little Bellas?

At Little Bellas, our programming is female identifying, which includes non-binary and transgender individuals. As an organization, we are committed to providing programs that are inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all participants. Little Bellas has and will continue to welcome males in the organization in meaningful roles.

Who are our mentors?

We have a diverse group of active women in each chapter who absolutely love riding their bikes and spreading a love for the outdoors and physical activity to girls.

How can I become a mentor?

We are always looking for new mentors! We have an interview and screening process for all of our mentors.  Please fill out this interest form.

What does it mean to be a mentor?

We have an amazing network of women who participate in our programs. We recognize you most likely have a busy schedule, and we want mentors who are engaged in their communities and have an adventurous lifestyle. With this in mind, we expect you can volunteer for 75% of the scheduled program days, (For example, 6 of 8 of the weekly two hour sessions.) Consistency is very important to building a successful bond with the girls in the program. The quality of our program depends a great deal on the commitment of our mentors. As a mentor, you are one of our greatest assets, and this role is extremely important to us.

Want to start a Little Bellas in your area?

We are growing and getting more girls on bikes than ever before! We are currently expanding our programming with a deliberate approach to ensure quality in each new location. If you are interested in helping to start a new chapter, please fill out this form. We would love to hear about your area.

Additional Registration FAQs