By PCG Elite Coach Axel Santiago
A coach is a very important element in the development of a
young cyclist. For parents, it is an
important and sometimes difficult task to select the right coach for their
child. The right coach must have
sufficient knowledge of the sport and training, enough experience working with
young athletes, proper teaching skills, a good philosophy and style, and the
ability to relate well with others.
When working with youth cyclists, all of the work and effort
should be directed to the following important aspects:
- building their character
- teaching them honest and fair competition
- developing teamwork skills
- teaching them self-respect and respect for others, and
- teaching them how to win and how to lose.
Youth
training is not simply training an adult on a smaller scale.
I will not discuss structured physical training for youth
cyclists because at this age the most important aspects are the ones listed
above. Physical training will come
naturally while learning and enjoying the sport of cycling. Riding their bike with coach guidance, they
will spend time on pedaling skills, maneuverability, and learning the
importance of keeping well hydrated, eating well, and getting enough
sleep. A good example would be: A young
mountain biker must devote much of their training to balance skills and the
ability to bypass obstacles, while they enjoy biking up the mountain. In addition, at the ages of 14 or 15, one of
our goals for these young cyclists should be to assure that their desire for
training and competing stays at the same level over the years.
When it comes to their tools, such as the bicycle, shoes,
helmet, etc., my recommendation is not to invest in very expensive items since
children often grow very quickly, and within a year a cyclist may outgrow their
tools and need a larger size. Cycling
can be a very expensive sport so we must be reserved with these types of expenses. Where you should invest is in training
measuring devices, such as cycle computers, heart rate monitors, power meters,
etc. The young athlete should begin to
relate to them, learn to manage them, and begin to understand the importance,
and the immeasurable value, of the data that they can provide.
A journal is another tool which the coach should start
teaching how to use and how important it will be to young cyclists. Weight, pulse, amount and color of urine,
menstrual cycle, etc., are just a few of the metrics that they must learn to
document. Currently, there are online
diaries to document this type of data.
One such program is included in TrainingPeaks. With this tool, the rider learns to know
himself/herself better, which is the whole purpose of journaling these metrics.
A cyclist who knows his/her body, even
without the advantage of training, still has a great advantage over the
competition.
We should not ignore those young cyclists who are not starting
out as stars. Not all children develop
at the same age, rate, or learn the same way. All young cyclists should feel welcomed and
appreciated for their efforts. An
athlete, who at fourteen years old may be a little behind or seems to be lazy,
can become a surprisingly good athlete in a few short years. At this young age, because of their rapid
growth, they often experience joint pains, mainly in their knees, ankles, and
lower back. This limits them from exercising
at full capacity. Therefore, if you do any
work with strength training, my recommendation is to use only the weight of
their own body. Have patience with them
and listen to them.
Finally, it is of greatest importance that parents give
their support and attention to these young cyclists at all times. Sports training includes discussions about
their bodies and how they are changing as they progress. Tracking metrics as mentioned above, amount
and color of urine, menstrual cycle, etc., can be embarrassing and can lead to
misunderstandings. It is important that
the athlete feel comfortable discussing these topics with their coach and their
parents. The parents should monitor and ensure
that their children are developing and training in a safe environment, where
they are protected from negligence, and from any type of abuse whether it be of
a sexual or emotional nature. Keep the
lines of communication open with the child and the coach. Have the conversations necessary to keep
everyone on the same page and working together.
