So, You want to turn pro, Let's just take a pause on that for a second....
Take it for what it is, but I'm sharing it because I think more riders who want to go pro, need to hear the real side of things.
Being a Pro athlete can have a ton of perks: gear, travel, rubbing elbows and competing against your idols, and much more.
But I believe that too many coaches romanticize the realities too much, and that can lead to burnout and frustration, thus robbing promising athletes of making it.
This is "Real talk", and is my take on what it takes to REALLY turn pro, and make it to that level- and stay there long enough to make a career and living out of it. Of course it takes good fortune and having a skill set in your sport/position that is desired by teams at that level, but I firmly believe that if you put your mind to it, and reverse-engineer your goal, you CAN achieve it.
Take it or leave it, it's simply where I'm at in my coaching career and experiences at this point in time.
Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
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Athlete:
If I had a chance at pro level it's coming up fast. I'm almost 17
Me: Why are you looking at the pro levels? what cat are you currently racing?
Athlete: 4
Me: ok, so hear me out.
I'm going to be tough for a second. BUT one
that is on your side, and just want you to see the big picture. cool?
Athlete: Go for it. Heard it all before. Your probably just gonna tell me that I
can't do it, but if that's what your gonna say I don't even wanna hear it.
Me: nope.
forget that
Athlete: OK...
Me: I'm
going to tell you how it is, and how it could be
Athlete: Thumbs Up Sign
Me: You're not going to go pro this year, and
probably not next year.
Athlete: Oh I know that
Me: If
you want to have a shot at going pro in the US, you have to attend a Talent ID
camp
Athlete: Ok
Me: You CAN turn pro. X rider I coached did it
as a Domestic Pro- and he started when I started coaching him at age 19. I know
5 euro pro's here right now
Athlete: When I say pro I mean euro pro
Me: and if you want to make it to that level,
you HAVE to LOVE LOVE LOVE riding because when you turn euro pro, shit is hard you
get 3-4 kits a YEAR, and not half the support you think you should. You do your own repairs with what you have available to you, which may be nothing.
Athlete: ?
Me: you sleep in crappy motels that are loud,
with too small beds, and sometime really dirty sheets. you race every week, and
barely get a rest
Athlete: I don't wanna hear of what it's like, I wanna hear what I gotta do to
get there
Me: the
guys who make it to the middle and top levels are not only guys who LOVE the
bike, and all the crap that goes with it just makes it all the more romantic
you have to LOVE riding your bike
and understand how to work hard
and that the tough days will be many
and the great days will have to learn how to
relish and savor them, because they won't come that often, or if they do, they
won't come when you want them to
You want to turn pro?
here are the keys to success:
1. Love your freaking bike. Eat, sleep. breath,
crap everything bike related, but also have another hobby that you can enjoy
2. Train hard. Recover hard.
No good comes from burying yourself day after
day. you need to learn how to ride hard when you need to ride hard, and how to
ride smart, easy, and fast, when you need to recover
3. ride with people better than you, who have
already done it.
X is a domestic Pro, and X was a Euro Pro, these guys are great starts
Ride with guys who will support you on your
dream, and won't fill you with hot air, and bullshit
you want people who will keep your feet on the
ground when you need to hear you did something stupid, or can learn from.
but they yell at you and reprimand you because
they care about you, and want to see you succeed. not because they are jealous
that you're chasing the dream, and getting somewhere
4. take those who always have only positive
things to say to you, with caution. Many an aspiring professional has lost
their opportunity because they surround themselves with people who tell them
how awesome they are, but when someone comes and tells them how it really is,
they ignore them, or get pissed and reject them
5. Learn how to properly care for your body,
and get really in tune with it.
Yoga, meditation, strength training, whatever
it is that does it for you. learn what your body is telling you, and how to
understand what it needs
6. Learn to love the focus and misery of hard
efforts on the bike
7. After learning your body, understand how far
you can push it, but never push it too far.
Limits are made to be pushed, but not always
broken. There is a time and a place for that
8. learn how to recover.
Feet up, eating healthy food, drinking fluids,
and sleeping enough.
9. Cycling is a team sport.
Learn how to work for others, and how to have
others work for you
10. Be a hard, tough, gritty competitor, but
ALWAYS showcase sportsmanship.
It's a lost art, being a sportsman. Everyone
wants to be right, or bitch someone out because they didn't like how they ran
things or did things.
Sportsmen understand that sometimes things
don't go your way, but there is a time, a place, and a proper way, to deal with
these things properly
Honestly, I believe 100% that you can do it.
It won't be easy
Athlete: But?
ME: and it will take a lot of hard work, communication,
team work, and making sure to have fun, but IT IS POSSIBLE.
Athlete: Can you take me there?
Me: Shoot as high as you can, for even if you
miss, you'll land among the stars.
before we jump in- WHY do you want it?
your WHY needs to be big and strong
If your WHY is strong enough, the HOW will
emerge
Athlete: Because it's the only thing I can
think of, and the only thing I can see me doing later on in life.
Me: WHY
Athlete: Why? Because I love it
Its just what I do
Its what I was put on this earth to do.
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This kid's going to go far. How far? We'll find out...
The rest of the conversation was incredibly important as well:
-I told him about learning other skills outside of cycling, and having a trade or career to move to other than cycling once his career is done.
-We talked about making money work for YOU, not the other way around.
-And lastly, I told him about how old style paper books and learning how to properly read them, can allow him to be on the fast track of becoming a top professional in a field other than being a pro athlete, when that time of his life has come.
Train smarter, not harder my friends, and enjoy the crazy ride that is cycling!
