Our club is run by Volunteers – every session, every event, every experience. Some are not so obvious, ranging from individuals who attend meetings with various 3rd parties on your behalf, the editors of this website even, or those that manage club finances; whereas others you notice immediately e.g. your friendly sign-on team who greet you every Saturday, the club mechanics, and of course the most obvious being your wonderful Coaches.
Have you ever considered what it takes to become a British Cycling Coach? It’s a long process that involves a lot of theory coursework, but also plenty of practical work… Royce Murphy joined us a volunteer whilst working towards his Level 2 coaching goals – the plan was that during this time, he would help out and support the current pool of volunteers. Needless to say, based on feedback from members, parents and helpers, the benefit to the club has been immense, and Royce has brought with him some really creative and interesting ideas that our Coaches will be building into their own coaching moving forward.
Royce
A note from Royce:
“Firstly, I’d like to thank all the coaches, staff and riders that worked with me over the last 8 weeks on my Level 2 Road & Time Trial qualification. From the first Saturday to the last, people went out of their way to make me feel welcome. The overwhelming impression given was of professionalism and great enthusiasm for what you are doing.
The focus for our six coaching sessions was on efficiency, as it’s often the smartest rider, using the right techniques, at the right times, that wins the race. This was demonstrated at last Sunday’s Gent-Wevelgem when Luca Paolini beat much more fancied riders by conserving his energy in difficult conditions and getting his tactics and techniques right when it mattered.
Our coaching sessions progressed through:
- Pedalling Technique
- Climbing in & out of the saddle
- Out of the saddle accelerations
- Starting in a bunch
- Seated accelerations
- Assessing cornering speed & group cornering
Our final assessment week combined the cornering and climbing skills, and we timed the final ascent on Brian’s Bends where the fastest times came from carrying maximum speed through the bend and transitioning into good climbing technique. All riders used the racing line and demonstrated sound seated and standing climbing techniques.
Throughout the six sessions I was privileged to work with a group of superb young riders who were keen to learn, so special thanks go to Oliver, Millie, William, Caitlin, Finley, Ben and Anastasia.”
Thank you Royce!