The third of 4 blog posts from past-member of PPYCC and current member of TrackProject.ie team member Felix English ……
More recently, due to the racing experience and the learning that I have enjoyed, I have come full circle and started coaching a small number of riders. I plan soon to take study for my coaching qualifications, just as the Coaches at PPYCC have done. The riders I coach vary widely in terms of ability and goals but in all cases I have to learn who they are, what makes them tick and help them to organise their training, apply appropriate activities and motivate them to help ensure success in their endeavours. The investment in time spent in supporting these athletes, and the time needed for my own training and racing, means I have to keep the number of athletes I work with relatively small. Finding the right people to work with is key to their success and the coach’s own satisfaction in supporting athlete achievement.
Coaching is important for any successful athlete however, when it comes to youth cycling my own experience tells me that if you enjoy your racing and listen to the advice given to you by coaches down at Preston Park this can sometimes be more than enough. Though riders that are a little older and looking forward to the junior ranks down the line might well want to employ the use of a coach. When I started riding at a national senior level, I had paid coaching which offered me a tailored training plan set on a weekly basis that was based around my life schedule.