3 Biggest Mistakes when Coaching your Rider

Being a parent coach is an amazing blessing for both parent and rider! The bond that is being created is unbreakable. Every parent coach, coaches with the best intentions but sometimes we make mistakes. Here are 3 common mistakes that when taken care of should keep those good intentions pure.

Forgetting Riding is Fun I know this sounds obvious but forgetting that riding dirt bikes is fun is not as obvious as it sounds. In fact, it sneaks up on every coaching parent! There may come a time when coaching your rider becomes repetitive, aggravating and stressful. If you find yourself having these symptoms, then you most likely have the “no fun allowed” bug. This is a serious coaching mistake and if it is not treated properly it will cause coach and rider to quit. Not Being Encouraging Have you ever thought about how your rider is by themselves when they are riding? They are alone with their own thoughts in that helmet and the revving of dirt bikes makes it hard to hear any cheering. The best time to give your rider encouragement is at home and before the race. We have a few phrases we say at home: “You are so awesome!” “You look like you’re having so much fun” “I Love doing this with you” “You did a new thing today!” I strategically say encouraging things to my rider because I know that when they are alone with their thoughts those encouraging words are what they will hear. And my screaming mom voice on the sidelines! Rushing Progress There is no age that a rider should be able to do a wheelie, jump a double, or race even. It is easy to find ourselves as parent coaches comparing our riders with other riders. Do not do that! Your rider already has amazing talent on their bike. Your job is to teach them to ride safely and watch them turn into great riders on their own time. Embrace every moment that you get coaching your little riders. If you feel discouraged because you checked all those mistakes in your own parent coaching journey, please do not! Take heart, it is never too late to get back on track with your good intentions.