Mountain Bike Reviews Forum banner

How Not To Coach

2K views 49 replies 14 participants last post by  electrik 
#1 ·
#2 ·
It can be very challenging for a talented rider to be an effective coach. So many things come so easily to them that it can be tough to break something down into its component parts. :skep:

Even a putz like me can take for granted how many moves are now "automatic". You should see Mrs. Monster roll her eyes when I say something dumb like "This bit is easy - just a little wheelie-drop at the end..." :D
 
#6 ·
That's so true. I'm an average rider at best but I find I have a lot of difficulty teaching things to riders who aren't as good as me. I really have to think everything through and try to give a breakdown but even then the results are mediocre. The only thing I'm ok at teaching is line choice.

Strangely enough I have much better success coaching those who are as good or better than me. One of the guys I ride with was struggling with a drop sequence that I wouldn't even attempt on my bike, I was like "more speed, pre-hop the log drop, line it up and commit". Two runs later and he had it completely dialed.

Just because your kid is involved in a sport does not mean you should coach. Especially the same sport.:madman:
If it weren't for my dad coaching me, I'd likely still be playing tennis instead of mountain biking. So in this case I suppose it's a good thing he did coach me or else I wouldn't have gotten into mountain biking. :D
 
#4 ·
Unglued Jr. is still about a year away from organized sports but it seems to me that of all the potential coaches he could have, the one he would be most likely to tune out would be his dad. That's why you'll find me in the stands cheering, not behind the bench yelling.
 
#7 ·
Yes... how to end up in a neck brace in 5 minutes. :p

In general, never take advice from a pro(only his coach). They RARELY have any conscious concept of how they do it and lack the teaching skills to elucidate the technique in a meaningful way from the groms.

It's funny also, because you'll get people swearing this and that about a certain piece of equipment and how its so important and makes them better, but it's all hogwash and placebo!! That is what you get when no scientific method is followed.

Oh, and i'll add to that article - STOP scrolling through the cRC site, all these cafe racers and parking lot crit riders stop dropping wads on carbon wheels and shoes... at your level you'll get way better bang for performance buck by having a coach!! Your friends will be mystified how u beat them when your bicycle weighs 10lbs more!! :thumbsup:
 
#12 ·
Involved sure, but its still around, just happened to get renamed to CanFitPro...

*Disclaimer*

I'm not knocking CanFitPro, I've just seen so many terrible trainers that have this and only this as their certificate like its some sort of key to being a professional trainer.
Just to be clear, Can Fit Pro has nothin g to do with coaching in Canada. Two different systems.

CDEP is way more involved than Can Fit Pro ever will be. I walked away from Can Fit Pro as it's more about making you spend money at some conference. Plus the recert stuff is useless unless you want to be an aerobics instructor... aka prance around to music like some Nancy barking orders to a bunch of bored house wiives.
 
#14 ·
I coached ski racing for 10 years, and then went back to racing myself for the last 10 years or so. My youngest is a couple years away from becoming a Nancy Greene racer herself, and I have good examples to follow for how to coach your own kid. I plan to jump back into coaching for a few years while child #1 goes through the NG program, then child #2. At 9 or 10, I'll pass them off to other coaches, but I'm going to do what I can to get them to catch the ski racing bug. If they become snowboarders, I simply disown them.

I could never coach anybody in mountain biking. I can barely keep myself alive. I expect my son will be teaching me more things than I'll ever teach him.
 
#16 ·
I coached ski racing for 10 years, and then went back to racing myself for the last 10 years or so. My youngest is a couple years away from becoming a Nancy Greene racer herself, and I have good examples to follow for how to coach your own kid. I plan to jump back into coaching for a few years while child #1 goes through the NG program, then child #2. At 9 or 10, I'll pass them off to other coaches, but I'm going to do what I can to get them to catch the ski racing bug. If they become snowboarders, I simply disown them.
Having a mentor of a coach is a hugely overlooked aspect especially in the lower ages. Plus talking to other coaches both in your sport as well as others is overlooked. To often you see the whole keep it secret mentality going.

Speaking of sharing, Learned this little tidbit from Shepley. Don't worry about their performances till they are 18-20, basically when they stop growing. Worry about their technical skills and teach them correctly.
 
#28 ·
I think Seb makes a good point.

I had the pleasure of a private lesson with Ken Doraty in WBP last summer focused on jumping technique. We don't have any Dirt Merchants, Alines or CIUs out here and I found I was getting sketchy when the jumps got lippy. In a morning his instruction colossally improved my jumping. He was really able to assess what we were doing and then communicate what we were doing versus what we should be doing in terms that made it easy to visualize and implement. Exactly what you want in a coach/instructor. Super nice guy too! :)
 
#29 ·
I've got to say, I really agree with this. A good rider does not necessarily make a good coach. This was highlighted to me when I went to Ray's Women's Weekend. There were all these amazing female riders there trying to coach. Not all were that good at communicating. The most useful coaching for me actually came from guys who were trained coaches.
 
#31 ·
Nerdgirl brought up the other challenge with coaching. That being communication and is why there are so many coaches. They all are trying to pass on the same info yet they all do it slightly differently.

The reality is while coaches try their bbest to get the athlete to grasp what they are passing on. Not every athlete will absorb that info from that coach for whatever reason. Yet they hear the same thing from a different coach they will suddenly get it. Nothing wrong with that as everyone communicates the same info differently just as each rider absorbs it differently.
 
#49 ·
Heard something mentioned tonight about coaching and sport. That the most important area of coaching is at the level 1 and 2. Basically the bottom. As this is where all the skills need to be gained to succeed as one gets faster and so on.

Unfortunately the average people think that coaches are for guy's chasing podiums. Or in some cases think that instructor and coach are the same thing.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top