When someone finds out I started a youth mountain bike team, the most common question is "what do you teach and how do you run practice"? I recently presents some ideas to this question at the 2018 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League Leader's Summit. Maybe someday I'll narrate over this but for now it's just slides.
2. WE TALKIN’
‘BOUT PRACTICE
● Season Practice Planning
● Choosing a Location
● Practice Goals
● Practice Format
● Activities
● Logistics
● Arrival and Warm-up
● Warm Down and Departure
● Be Prepared
● Dealing with the Unexpected
● SoMont Lessons Learned
3. SEASON PLAN
Think:
● Season Plan
● Monthly Plan
● Weekly Plan
● Daily Plan
Reality:
● July
○ Assessment & Basic Training
● August
○ Fitness & Team Building
● September
○ Events & Maintain Fitness
● October
○ Wind-down
Season Month Week
4. SAY HELLO TO SAM
July 1 - Loved admiring insects while riding
his bike. Couldn’t ride more than a mile.
August 1 - Finished his first 5 mile rail trail
bike ride
Sept 9 - Worked hard but didn’t make the
Lap 1 cut at Blur
October 8 - Finished his first race at Yellow
Creek
November 6 - Crushed his Dad in the Wiss
at the end-of-season banquet
7. LOCATION -
MAKE IT WORK!
● Short loop (easy, technical)
● Enduro loop (hard, non-tech)
TE Practice Map
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/
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Db5xzSXpn0KcYoI&ll=40.0759369
63768385%2C-75.445267684685
86&z=16
17. EXAMPLE PRACTICE ITINERARY
Time Activity
5:30 Coach arrival & setup
5:45 Coach briefing
5:55 Athlete arrival
6:00 ABCs & WFH
6:10 Practice start, warm up ride
6:20 Activity 1 (skills, games, etc..)
6:40 Loop/Enduro/Gravel/rail-trail ride
7:15 Warm-down, stretching
7:20 Athlete recap, team building, team cheer!
7:30 Athlete departure
7:40 Coach debrief
7:45 Coach location cleanup
8:00 Coach Departure
18. LOGISTICS
● Schedule all practices on
calendar in advance
● Highly recommend TeamSnap
● Require RSVP for athletes AND
coaches
● Know practice location in
advance
● Take roll of riders and coaches
● Keep good records
● Always ANNOUNCE start &
end of practice
19. ARRIVAL &
WARM UP
● Always start on time
● Identify start location. Start
there every practice.
● ABCs and FWH
● Do a warm up ride
● Don’t forget coach briefing
● Identify who is in charge
(what’s your practice plan?)
20. WARM DOWN
& DEPARTURE
● Warm down ride especially
when high output at end
● Do a verbal wrap-up with
athletes
● Huddle with staff before
leaving
● No riding around the
parking lot
● End with a cheer!
21. BE PREPARED
● Communicate practice plan
with your staff
● Don’t forget First Aid
● Remember your gear
● Bring extra helmets, food
● Consider walkie-talkies
22. DEALING WITH
THE UNEXPECTED
● Weather & temperature
● Trail conditions
● Less daylight late in season
● Athlete level of preparedness
● Dealing with late arrivals to practice
● Be ready to deal with injuries
23. LESSONS LEARNED
● Don’t be afraid to implement a
structured practice format
● Take EXTRA special
consideration for beginners
● More coaches is good, but also
means more (and better)
communications
● Nurture & appreciate your
coaches
