Volunteer
Leadership
Training
ATTEND THE LEADING ADVENTURE SUMMIT
APRIL 25-26, 2026
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN
Volunteer
We take youth development and leading outdoor youth adventure seriously. Any volunteers, on the bike or off, who will interact with youth in any of the Adventure Team communities will:
- Pass a nationwide background check.
- Complete all seven online training modules.
- Pass with an 80% or higher on each module quiz.
LEADING ADVENTURE SUMMIT - April 25-26
Keynote: Leading By Example, Todd Poquette, 906AT Founder, Adventure Intelligence. Todd Poquette is a well-known advocate for adventure, resilience, and youth empowerment. He is the Founder and Director of Adventure for 906 Adventure Team, a non-profit begun with no staff or funding and five kids, transforming into an organization that is changing lives across the country supporting seventeen youth Adventure Teams across the Midwest (training 600+ volunteers and engaging over 1,300 kids).
In addition to 906 AT, Todd has become nationally infamous for developing endurance events challenging people to find their limits and go beyond them. As a notorious and unapologetically evil Race Director, he started and leads the Endurance Trilogy (PolarRoll, The Crusher, and Marji Gesick) comprised of three of the hardest endurance events in the country. With a passionate following, his races continue to sell out in minutes and post record attendance year after year, despite participants quitting at a rate of 50% or higher (and requiring them to text Todd the word ‘#quitter’ when they do).
Todd is a nationally recognized thought leader and motivator who has built a powerful movement around the development of ethos-driven culture and personal resilience. Through guiding principles such as Do Hard Things, Finish What You Start, and There Is No Finish Line, Todd has inspired individuals, teams, and organizations to embrace discomfort, pursue growth, and lead with purpose.
His work centers on creating an action-based resilience language—one that shifts focus away from problems and toward solutions. Todd’s approach empowers people to confront adversity with clarity and courage, fostering a mindset rooted in grit, accountability, and service.
Todd and 906 have been recognized as Changemaker of the Year (League of Michigan Bicyclists), Extraordinary Organization of the Year (Governors Fitness Awards) and was the leader of Project Adventrus, a bold, 1,000+ mile bikepacking expedition across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula designed to push limits and inspire resilience. This journey challenges riders to embrace discomfort, discover strength, and redefine adventure – and inspired a film documenting the journey, showcasing the highs, lows, and transformative power of adventure.
Adventure Team: an approach to childhood mental and physical health., Dr. Cara Crawford-Bartle will review data on trends in youth physical health (obesity, asthma, etc.) mental health (anxiety), emotional health (peer interactions, dealing with adversity, school participation) and some reasons behind those trends. He will review data on the beneficial effects of getting outdoors physical activity. Finally, Dr Crawford-Bartle will lead a discussion on how the Adventure Team approach to outdoor activity can be part of the solution to these issues and how adventure leaders can help youth develop the skills and behaviors to counteract these trends.
Cara Crawford-Bartle is a family medicine and urgent care physician. She and her husband have four young children, all of whom are active with 906 Adventure Team. In her free time, Cara enjoys spending time with her family and friends, mountain biking, skiing, ski patrolling, and attending her children’s school and extracurricular activities.
Real-world scenarios: Kids at Adventure Team. Julie Cunningham, Educator and Area Lead; You will be invited to put the skills you learned in the Connecting with Kids session to work. We will discuss some bike club situations that regularly occur with children and brainstorm ways to prevent the scenarios or deal with them appropriately so they do not occur again. All participants will be encouraged to reflect on differences in personal responses versus whole group outcomes.
Julie is a career educator having worked with children from 5 years old to undergraduates in college. She is also an Adventure Team Lead for Midland Area and 906AT Board Member.
Connecting with kids at Adventure Team. Cori Noordyk, Clinical Social Worker; This session will focus on building meaningful connections with kids in the 906 Adventure Team community. Coaches will explore relationship-centered approaches that support confidence, teamwork, and grit, while fostering a culture where kids feel seen, capable, and empowered. The training will also include an overview of coach responsibilities related to child safety and mandated reporting.
Cori Noordyk is a Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist living in Marquette. She enjoys mountain biking, alpine skiing, and,most importantly, connecting with others in ways that build trust, resilience, and community.
Leading with Your Why: How to Approach Every Ride with Intention. Laurie DeYoung, Adventure Team Lansing Area; What’s your why? Though we’re all united by a common vision, each AT volunteer’s specific “why” can be unique and personal. In this session, Laurie DeYoung, marketing professional and area lead for the Lansing Area Adventure Team, will talk about how knowing your why can help you navigate real-life situations in Adventure Bike Club. Whether you’re a new volunteer or have years of experience, this time of reflection and discussion will help you walk into this summer with intention.
Laurie DeYoung is a marketing professional from the Lansing area. Adventure has always been part of her family’s active lifestyle, from water sports as a kid to mountain biking as an adult. After a detour into triathlon, she found her way back to the woods thanks to the first Crusher EX. She currently serves as an area lead for Adventure Team Lansing Area and is raising two energetic boys alongside her husband, Mitch.
Adventure Team, Building Youth Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure and Play. Dr. Ryan Brang; Outdoor adventure and play are powerful tools for fostering resilience in youth. Engaging with nature and participating in adventurous activities provide unique opportunities for personal growth, social development, and emotional well-being.
Dr. Ryan Brang along with his wife Dr Katie Brang focus on preventative medicine, nutrition counseling, wellness and lifestyle education, procedural care, and general primary care at their practice in Marquette. In his free time Ryan enjoys cooking healthy meals for his family and spending time outdoors biking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and camping. Ryan is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Chief of Staff at UPHS-Marquette, the Upper Peninsula Representative of the Michigan State Medical Society and has completed advanced training in neuroplastic pain management and is a certified culinary medicine specialist. Ryan is also a volunteer coach with the Marquette Adventure Team (since 2023), a 906AT Board Member (since 2018) and a frequent participant of 906AT events (since the beginning).
First Aid with Dr Ryan Brang and Dr Cara Crawford-Bartle:
We will review potential injuries and medical events that may occur on the trail, the resources available in leader’s first-aid packs, and how and when to call for help when needed. We will also break into smaller groups to rotate through various trailside first aid topics like assessing and initial management of injuries, responding to health issues like heat illness, asthma, and concussion, and EpiPen training. The small groups also allow for discussion of common adventure scenarios requiring first aid treatment, practice with available treatment tools (EpiPen and splints) and discussion of typical trail treatments with medical personnel. Ample opportunities for Q&A will be provided.
Day 1, April 25
Location: Barrel and Beam Event Venue in Mqt
Breakfast (7:30 – 8:30 AM)
Opening remarks (8:30 AM)
Keynote: Leading By Example, Todd Poquette, 906AT Founder, Director of Adventure. (8:45 – 9:30 AM)
Leading with Your Why: How to Approach Every Ride with Intention. Laurie DeYoung, Marketing Professional and Adventure Team Lansing Area Lead (9:30 – 10:15 AM)
Break (10:15 – 10:30 AM)
Adventure Team: an approach to childhood mental and physical health, Dr. Cara Crawford-Bartle, Family Medicine and Urgent Care Physician and Midland Area Volunteer Coach (10:30 – 11:15 AM)
Lunch (11:15 – 12:30)
Food Truck
Connecting with kids at Adventure Team, Cori Noordyk, Clinical Social Worker and Volunteer Coach with Marquette Adventure Team (12:30 – 1:15 PM)
Break (1:15 – 1:30 PM)
Real-world scenarios: Kids at Adventure Team, Julie Cunningham, Educator, 906AT Board Member and Midland Area Adventure Team Lead (1:30 – 2:15 PM)
Adventure Team, Building Youth Resilience Through Outdoor Adventure and Play, Dr. Ryan Brang, Physician, 906AT Board Member and Volunteer Coach with Marquette Adventure Team (2:15 – 3:00 PM)
Break (3:00 – 3:15 PM)
Enhanced First Aid. Dr Ryan Brang and Dr Cara Crawford-Bartle (3:15 – 4:30 PM)
Break (4:30 – 6:30 PM)
dinner on your own
Evening Volunteer Panel (6:30 – 8:30 PM)
Day 2, April 26
Locations: Barrel & Beam Event Venue and 906AT Basecamp (Mqt)
Breakfast (7:30-8:00 AM)
MTB Mechanics 101 (Barrel & Beam) (8:00-11:00AM).
Coaches have been asking for this. This is an introduction to becoming a mechanic, lead by mechanics. You’ll go home with a renewed understanding of common MTB problems and how to repair them. This will be a combination of instruction and hands-on work in the field.
Lunch (11:00 – 12:00 PM)
On The Bike Skills for AT Leaders (Base Camp) (12:00-2:30PM).
The afternoon will start with a boxed lunch from 231 West and your travel to basecamp (from Barrel & Beam). At Lakeshore Drive Basecamp the training will include a walk through of a typical night at an adventure bike club basecamp. It’ll be a quick review of the equipment, the rules, why it’s set up this way, and we’ll answer questions.
Next, it’s time to get on the bike. Instructors will take you through every skill you will teach this summer. This is a deep dive into each skill. We’ll talk it, walk it, and then let you try it. This is not a ride. Expect to get a lot of reps riding over obstacles, and getting out of your comfort zone. We piloted this last summer and it was very well received.
END (2:30 PM)
Select one of the volunteer roles (on the bike or off the bike). If your community rides one day a week, we ask that you attend all of the rides unless you’re on vacation. Pick a day or do both if your community rides twice a week. The commitment is up to you, but we’ll count on you to be there every week once you pick a day.
You can be experienced or brand new. We’ll train you. We need leaders willing to show up and be role models for the kids. If you’re inexperienced but love working with kids, we’d love to have you on our team.
906AT offers volunteers online training modules to prepare you to coach this summer and you can attend the in-person Leading Adventure Summit for additional hands-on experiences. The Summit also provides OTB (On The Bike) skills for Leaders, so you know how to teach the skills we focus on with youth riders.
Adventure Teams develop youth resilience and community. We do not race. We do not keep score. We do not group by skill. There is no clock. Our staff and volunteers will meet youth and volunteers where they are. You have one mission, should you choose to accept it. Get a little better every day. It’s You vs. You.
We work hard to keep out-of-pocket costs for volunteers low. If cost is a concern, please get in touch with us for more information.