Coach Carter Smith Featured on Fast Talk Podcast – Episode 416
TX NICA coach Carter Smith was featured on Fast Talk, the endurance sports podcast from Fast Talk Labs, in Episode 416: “Setting the Example for Youth Development with NICA.” The episode dropped March 26, 2026 and runs just over 73 minutes.
Carter joined NICA’s Director of Coaching and Education, Mike McGarry, to discuss the philosophy behind youth development through mountain biking — and the real coaching challenges that come with managing a team of athletes with wildly different goals, from kids borrowing a neighbor’s bike to varsity riders eyeing collegiate competition.
Topics covered include:
- How to balance training across four distinct athlete categories
- Injury prevention through intentional skills instruction (and the data behind it)
- Nutrition guidance for junior athletes — and how to make it practical for kids and parents
- Navigating equipment gaps across teams with different financial resources
- Why late sports specialization may actually lead to better long-term performance
Carter also shares insights from five years coaching with the Texas League, including his own family’s journey through NICA as both a coach and a parent of student-athletes.
Listen to the full episode at Fast Talk Labs →
Also available on Overcast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
