This page has information about our team training framework/philosophy.
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FOCUS
- Always have a plan & be organized
- Have a purposed/reason - and communicate it.
- Scales make the best “Jazz” - meaning focus on the fundamentals and repeating them, as it will allow for better long term success because it builds a broader base on which to build.UNPLANNED
- Be open to the unplanned, spontaneous. Don’t be so rigid/structured that the spontaneous doesn’t happen. Leave room for, and be open to unexpected opportunities, going off the beaten path, and trying new things.
- Use games to allow for this within a structure and with purpose. Games and teach skills and fitness without the awareness kids have of the “hardness” of things. Plus, it builds relationships, competitive fire, and team.
- The wild river cuts the best canyons! When we run into obstacles, we can either keep hitting our heads against them (think river against a dam), or we can cut around it. We don’t want canals. We want beautiful canyons. Be willing to find a new path to training, to working with an individual, and to getting results.NATURAL
- We work with our strengths. We work with the trails and resources we have, we build confidence on things we’re naturally good at, and we use that confidence to overcome weaknesses.
- We know and coach to our “psychology”. Each kid has their own psychology. Think of it like a diet - which is the best diet? the one you stick to. And just like some techniques/diets work better for our particular psychology, We need to understand how each kids thinks, to help position them the best we can on a ride. If leading is a better role for them, then give them that opportunity. If chasing is their thing, then give them the ability to chase. If they need to be pushed, then push, and if they need to be left a lone a bit, then give that space. We need to understand those nuances of mind and character and use them to their advantage (and ours).
- Sincerity is better than authenticity. Just “being real” has no morality to it other than being “honest”. But kids need honestly with caring and purpose. That is sincerity. Lionel Trilling, in his book “Sincerity and Authenticity” (long and largely boring, but very in-depth) explains that authenticity is largely descriptive and static and can be used to describe objects/things and humans, wheras sincerity is a human trait and is dynamic. Authenticity can be “truthful” without caring and without moral because even an “authentic” hatred is still authentic - it is real, it is what it is. However, sincerity requires us to act and really be the way we present ourselves to others. Authenticity strips away mannerisms, impersonations, and caring. One scholar defined sincerity as, “being true to oneself with an eye to others.” In other words, you can be “authentic” and still be a jerk, while it’s impossible to be sincere and be a jerk. We want to cultivate sincerity on our team - with coaches, parents, riders, and everything we do.
Bottom line is, we are training kids, not olympiansOlympians. We are building a lifelong love and skill for mountain biking. We need to build canyons, not canals. The results will follow this. Olympians come from those who love mountain biking, not the other way around. As you saw in the research above, they don’t love it because of the training. They train because they love it. We cultivate love through skills, experience, and lots of fun together. Then, that love sparks all the necessary ingredients they need to push, to train harder, to get better, and reach their potential.
TRAINING FRAMEWORK
Our framework defines the scope of how we train. It helps us think about how we design, organize and manage training exercises. We believe that if we train within this framework, we will get better at mountain biking, have more fun, and get faster.
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