SKILLS BASED TRAINING IS WHERE IT’S AT!
As you can see, the main components that need to be considered when coaching a junior athlete are frequency, duration, intensity and percentage of skills verses fitness training.
While physical conditioning and specificity of training isn’t recommended until age 15-yearsold upwards, this is not to say that younger athletes shouldn’t be out riding and in particular working on their skills!
I asked Donna Dall, coach of Junior World Champion Cameron Wright, to give some insight on her coaching approach with Cam over the last few years.
“Coaches and parents should recognise that junior athletes are significantly different in their physical, psychological and emotional make up and these individual differences should be well catered for,” she explained. “Younger athletes are not miniature versions of adults; they are in fact a growing body metamorphosing both physically and psychologically with growth spurts, puberty and hormonal changes. When coaching junior athletes, my emphasis is on skill development, routines and positive cycling habits. The emphasis on training volumes and intensities has been gradually increased with Cameron’s age and years in the sport.
“I have been very conscious of the changes in race demands from age category to age category with Cameron and have prepared him for each transition into the next age group accordingly,” Dall added. “Cameron enjoys taking part in mountain biking for many different reasons and we have tailored his training to ensure it is always a positive and enjoyable experience.“
You can certainly teach a dog new tricks, although learning new skills definitely becomes harder with age. I definitely wish I had got into this sport a lot younger than when I did at the age of 21. There are a whole range of opportunities for kids to take part in fun, skills-based sessions these days. Many of the local clubs and coaches offer skills clinics, kid’s races, and unstructured group rides where youngsters can have a lot of fun in a non-competitive environment and learn invaluable skills and techniques.
A couple of years back I met a young mountain biker at a local 24hr race. I remember his father trying to encourage him to get out and complete a lap for the team. The young rider, however, wasn’t interested in slogging his way around the course. Instead he simply wanted to practice his wheelies and muck around at the nearby jumps park. Two years on and I have started coaching this young athlete. He is now almost 15 and has the physical and mental maturity to start following a structured training program. He also has much more desire to push his limits up the climbs as well as practicing a few wheelies, jumps and whips!