Coaching Idea

[PoppaNoDoz]

First off I am not telling anyone their business - so if you're a coach and you read this it isn't intended to make you mad. I've taught classes and I've been a student and I have a genuine interest in learning more as well as improving the art of education.

 

 

That disclaimer aside, here's an idea: Having a student draw for you the track. Go out, have a session with a student, see where they are making mistakes, then have them come in and draw you a map of the track and have THEM tell YOU where they feel strong and weak. After they draw the track, based on their input and what you've just seen you can give some very pointed correction.

 

You could apply it the way you apply the steering drill - maybe 3/4 the way through day one of Level I or ANY day where you have a particular student who is a good student but is frustrated by his or her progress.

 

Here's where I am coming from - for many riders they are new to the track they are riding, maybe they've never ridden on a track or never at THIS track. They are severely distracted or at the very least over stimulated. They may finish the 2 sighting laps and come back and genuinely NOT have a clear picture of how the track is actually laid out. It may take them literally half the day to even get a mental picture of what corner follows what and where. Having them draw you the track may help them to remember the layout and that in turn will help them become relaxed faster and subsequently more focused. It might even be something you tell students early on - that after a session you are going to want them to draw a picture of the track they just rode.

 

 

Drawing the track also will show a coach, very visually, where the student has a mental block. Did they draw a straight line through an area that is actually esses? Did they draw the front straight disproportionately long or short? Are there turns that, as you observe them drawing the turn, it becomes obvious that they have mental or emotional sticking points on? As a self teaching tool I've drawn tracks and realized I missed entire sets of turns. My brain was just so overstimulated that I was in pure "react" mode the whole time and not actually processing data.

 

All of this is in our heads, all of it. It isn't physical strength that makes the rider, it's acuity and discipline - drawing the track from memory and then using the student's drawing as a coaching tool might significantly help some students.

 

Like I said, it's just an idea. Not trying to annoy anyone.

[Crash106]

Interesting idea, NoDoz. I watch track videos and often think, "Where the heck is the road? How do they even know which way to turn?" I think part of this is the way cameras see versus how our eyes see, but still ...

 

One problem with your idea: Most people can't draw. At all! They hate being asked to do it and feel very uncomfortable about it. It is like asking someone in a choir to sing solo. For me, and probably for you, drawing is perfectly natural. Most folks, not so much. On the other hand, for some people, I'll bet it would work very well.

 

What else ya got?

[PoppaNoDoz]

Yeah, my actual "drawing" skills are pathetic - still, the ACT of drawing forces me to walk through the track in my mind. I don't know that I'd consider drawing like public speaking, but I can see how for some they'd be similar.

[PoppaNoDoz]

Thought about it some more - other ideas include:

 

Having track maps printed out and available at the refreshment spot where everyone meets between sessions

 

and

 

Having students take the map and walk through it with an instructor by their side ("Ok, this corner feels REALLY good, but this one I can't seem to exit properly to get set for the next one, this one ALWAYS feels like I'm too fast, no matter HOW fast I'm going")

[Mika]

Having track maps printed out and available at the refreshment spot where everyone meets between sessions

 

Having students take the map and walk through it with an instructor by their side ("Ok, this corner feels REALLY good, but this one I can't seem to exit properly to get set for the next one, this one ALWAYS feels like I'm too fast, no matter HOW fast I'm going")

PappaNoDoz;

 

The CSS Schools I've attended did have track maps and were used in reviews with coaches.

 

Mika

[Cobie Fair]

Having track maps printed out and available at the refreshment spot where everyone meets between sessions

 

Having students take the map and walk through it with an instructor by their side ("Ok, this corner feels REALLY good, but this one I can't seem to exit properly to get set for the next one, this one ALWAYS feels like I'm too fast, no matter HOW fast I'm going")

PappaNoDoz;

 

The CSS Schools I've attended did have track maps and were used in reviews with coaches.

 

Mika

 

We do have maps, and we keep extras on hand for the students.

 

Having the student draw the turns, nothing wrong with this and have often encouraged students to do so. Not that many have gone ahead and done it, but we do keep them pretty busy! An active part in one's own training is a good idea .

 

CF

[Jasonzilla]

Handing someone a track map doesn't have the same effect. If you have someone draw it, you'll get an idea of what they think the track is like.

 

Two people I know have written on track maps the things they're seeing. One is a scientist who was REAL fast, and the other is an AMA rider. I write everything down, and when we walk around the tracks, I can have the corner explained perfectly while we're walking from one to another.

 

It's a great idea you have there, and I'm definitely going to use it. There are things to work out though. I don't work with riders in learning the track, per se. If they're uncomfortable through a corner, I think I can get them to draw it so I can get an idea of how they're seeing a track and if they're deficient in their points or not.