When Nolan O'Donnell was a sophomore at Mount Saint Joseph, he was looking for an athletic outlet that would give him a chance to get outside — but not just around ballfields and crowds.

After school counselor Nikki Kelley started a mountain biking club at Mount Saint Joseph last November, O'Donnell found what he was looking for.

Kelley, O'Donnell and Nick Hershfeld, who all live in Catonsville, have helped the club expand to more than 20 members.

“In my mind, it's a sport,” said Hershfeld, a junior. “It's been clear that it has been pretty successful so far.”

O'Donnell said he enjoys mountain biking because it's a team sport that has an element of independence. He also likes the idea of always moving.

Such clubs are popping up across the country.

According to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, more than 7,500 student-athletes took part in NICA-sanctioned events in 2015 — up 51 percent from the previous year.

“You don't really have a coach directing you through drills,” O'Donnell said. “We work on skills with mountain biking, but you get out and experience it yourself and you learn … from riding.”

The club meets once a week for rides and once during school hours to plan, organize rides and quiz one another about skills. There are also occasional races, Kelley said.

Rides take place on trails at Patapsco Valley State Park. They typically are about 10 miles long and last about two hours.

“There's something about Patapsco that mountain bikers really value because of the terrain and layout of the park,” O'Donnell said.

“It's a good opportunity for kids to see the hidden treasures of what they have around their home.”

When trails are too muddy to ride, the students practice skills, such as balancing and bike-body separation.

Hershfeld and O'Donnell have noticed more interest from freshmen this year, and the more experienced students have helped newcomers get up to speed.

“Every time these kids are going out they're learning more and getting faster,” Hershfeld said. “It's cool to see.”

Kristen Dieffenbach, an associate professor in the athletic coaching education program at West Virginia as well as a member of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology executive board and a professional cycling coach, said biking is an inclusive sport that accommodates people of varying abilities.

She noted that a program in Michigan has the slogan, “There's no bench in mountain biking.”

The culture of the sport is small and tends to be community-based, she said.

And even if bikers finish 20 minutes apart, they still can talk about the same jumps, hills and obstacles.

“When a race is done, there is a very interesting phenomenon about the shared experience,” she said.

Kelley said she hopes to see mountain biking become an interscholastic sport soon.

NICA-sponsored leagues already exist in Virginia and Pennsylvania, Kelley said.

“We've got a great trail system and interest in the state,” she said. “We're looking into making the push and being a part of that.”