FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Often, people call just to talk and discuss the
kids. What do I do about this? Why am I just
working with the kids? What makes me different
from the other trainers? Those are just some of
the questions that come up frequently. So, I
thought I would address these questions here...
What makes Manga Racing Schools different?
Coaching ability. Plain and simple. As a certified collegiate coach I have the
latest training on techniques to motivate, instruct, and properly re-sequence
your athletes riding ability in hours. Not to mention the hours of training in
fitness and nutrition received and practiced. My son Michael taught me more about coaching children in MX than any other
technique or child. Why? As a young child, Mike was a very unique individual
with very temperamental desire and confidence. He loved MX, loved the track but
lacked the confidence to just go out and do. So, I worked and worked with him
and learned a great deal about what it takes to take a 5 or 6 year old to
different levels of skill, speed, and confidence. I learned what worked and what
didn't. He's been to Loretta's, and was a strong candidate in 2007 until
injuries forced him out for 4 months. Today he joins me in most of my schools as he still loves that motivation, extra
option he can choose to make his racing more efficient and effective on race
day. To me, that is success…Ever try to coach your own?
What can my child expect to learn from your classes?
Your child will be taught the importance of proper braking, body positioning, throttle control, cornering skill building,
cornering strategies, line selection, jumping, and starting strategies. We spend
the most time on cornering. Before your child leaves, his or her corner skills
will be improved. Even if you have a great cornerer, I will help him or her
choose solid lines and even some obscure ones to consider. I will also make sure
your child understands the mental side of racing. Racing is a confidence driven
sport, without a lot of it, all the bike in the world is useless.
When is a good time to get a child to a school?
Essentially, anytime you have a child that can ride a motorcycle, use the
brakes, make it successfully around a track with some ability, it is not too
early to begin classes. If you have a rider that has peaked or hit a plateau, it
is a great time! If you have a rider that needs the mental fitness necessary to
compete, it's also a great time! With a 10-12 student roster I can affect a great deal, even with a beginner, in
two days. When riders plateau there are many reasons to sort through. Many times
it is just the training part of the program. The rider may have simply settled
into a zone that is getting the same results week after week. In conjunction
with the student's riding and training habits I can make adjustments that will
assuredly get the rider to another level, possibly two - from beginner to
intermediate. I have made adjustments to expert "A" level riders' training and
practice programs that took them to another level many times. It just depends on
who it is and what the person is doing. Mental fitness is a critical part of
this sport. It is similar to both boxing and being a world class short stop. You
have to have loads of confidence and be able to ride hard but ride loose. I have
had my own personal battles with this part of racing. If I am not racing a lot,
I ride tight. I am using strength only; I am physically spent by the second lap.
Other times, when confident, racing a lot, I relax, flow, and can race forever.
Racers need to know why they are doing what they are doing. Why one day it all
clicks and the next it falls apart. This is very common for kids and amateur
racers. It takes a 3 step evaluation to simply get back on track and fix timing,
focus, and confidence issues. All the seat time in the world cannot totally fix
your head. Understanding will. Seek first to understand then to be understood!
Can you Coach older kids and big bikes?
Absolutely, it is 10x easier! This is the market
I started in, then as Michaels friends began to
call, I transitioned into “the kidz coach”. The
techniques are essentially the same, but
critical sequencing of weight transfer, braking,
and acceleration make it a different teach.
What have I done in the great sport of motocross?
Where do you get your coaching
ability from?
I have never won a championship. I have never raced at a factory level ever.
Never had the speed to get close to a top 10 in any pro outdoor national. I did
have some good finishes in arena cross and Southern Cal Pro Am Open class events
in the mid 80's after college. I was way too big by then to do well, not to
mention the speeds we were going at times were terrifying... but damn fun too!
By the time I got pretty good at MX I was taken away to play baseball in
college. I had too many pro scouts following me to convince my mom MX was
better. It was my dream to race, not play baseball. If I had a bad game I took it out on my bikes. My dad spent little time with me
as a kid. My bikes were all I had at times. I talked to them more than my
parents. It was that relationship with the bike that helped me learn how to ride
it well. I trusted it.
I have played football and baseball for some of
the best coaches in
America.
Whether at camps, college, summer leagues
whatever. These guys were high paid trainers.
They knew how to peak every skill out of each
athlete. After years of this, I knew what they
look for, how they got it, and where they take
it. I love nothing more than to take those
skills I learned from them and use them in my
schools to make a difference. THAT IS WHY I
GUARANTEE RESULTS: BECAUSE I CAN!!!!
Try my classes, you won't be disappointed.
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