It was great to see our riders back at Hetton after the Summer break. We started last week on our off-road Autumn and Winter coaching programme. I would like to outline some key dates, initiatives and activities the coaching team will be running over the next couple of months. One of the great things about our off-road coaching means it is ideal for parents to watch and help out with the sessions. The coaching team are always keen to get parent help during a session, so please give us a shout during sign on and we’ll get you moving cones and helping riders in no time.
Girl Only Coaching Groups
We’re really pleased to see so many female riders in the club at the moment as it is an area we have been to keen encourage greater participation in. This year we are running a separate coaching group for our young lady riders in our Category A, B, C groups. Kirstie with support of the other coaches will run a separate session on a Saturday. These groups will also be supported by some of our expert female riders who have come through the club and remain involved in cycling as volunteers, racers and coaches. First session was last Saturday and received really positive feedback from the riders.
Track Cycling
As a region we now have a new outdoor velodrome in Middlesbrough. This is a fantastic asset and we would like to use it give our riders a taster in track cycling. We have a number of Track qualified coaches in the club and they are looking to run (weather dependant) some Saturday sessions before the cold weather takes hold. Keep your eye on our Facebook group for details.
Saturday Coaching
The first 6 coaching sessions this season are designed to take riders through some of the core techniques used in off road riding. Riders will have an opportunity to improve or get into racing off-road. We will have a couple of opportunities for a social ride during September and October (the first being this weekend). Off road techniques include; gear selection, dismounting, lifting the bike, remounting, cornering, climbing and descending. During our warm up sessions riders will have an opportunity to practice FUNdemantals of movement.
Regional Coaching
Keep your eyes on the britishcyclingnortheast.org.uk website for updates on Regional Coaching sessions. These typically cover holiday coaching sessions and Club Clusters of Training for Juvenile, Youth and Junior cyclists.