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Managing a Coaching Team

Mike Ricci of D3 Multisport started out with a goal of getting to 100 athletes. He quickly realized he was going to need to hire more coaches. He describes the mistakes he made early in his career and how he manages his business now.

Coach Mike Ricci coaching triathletes

Mike Ricci, D3 Multisport

As a business owner, Mike Ricci personally interviews prospective athletes so he can match them with the coach who is best-suited to help them reach their goals.

Coaching business non-negotiables

5 Non-Negotiables to Include in a Contract

A good contract positions your coaching business for growth by creating opportunity and defending against unforeseen threats. Use your contracts to clearly define expectations for members of your coaching team.

Coach Mike Ricci training athletes

How to Hire Coaching Staff

Frank Overton and Mike Ricci describe how they go about hiring coaches to join their team. With hindsight on their side, these coaches explain why people and process factor heavily into their hiring decisions.

Coach Kendra Wenzel consulting with her athlete at Cyclocross world championships

Modern Profiles in the Craft of Coaching: Kendra Wenzel

Wenzel Coaching is a Portland-based business co-founded by former pro cyclist Kendra Wenzel. Today she coaches athletes at the highest level of the sport and equips her team of coaches to work with a wide range of clients. Find out more about her winning formula and her commitment to growing the sport of cycling.

Illustrated headshot of Arthur Lydiard

Profiles in Coaching: Arthur Lydiard

Legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard revolutionized the sport with his approach to periodized training. In the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, his athletes rose to prominence, putting his 100-mile training week on the radar of running coaches worldwide.

Process for Goal Setting and Season Planning

Onboarding New Athletes

Goal assessment and season planning are two details you must attend to in taking on a new athlete.

Jim Miller USA Cycling Coach Fast Talk Podcast

What Makes a Good Training Plan?

USA Cycling’s Jim Miller reviews everything a coach must take into account to prepare a training plan that cultivates both performance and longevity for the athlete.

Rear view of a female swimmer looking into a pool

Athlete Profile: Triathlete Leveling Up to Ironman

Mary is in search of building a big aerobic fitness base for Ironman-distance racing. Ultimately, she has wants to qualify for Kona and she believes Alan Couzens is the coach who can help her make that dream a reality.

Lower half of a female triathlete running their bike through a transition area

Coach Alan Couzens’ Onboarding Process

There’s plenty of information to gather when deciding whether to take on a new athlete. Coach Alan Couzens responds to Mary to learn more about her training history and lifestyle.

Coach Alan Couzens teaches a swimmer

Season Plan for Triathlete Leveling Up to Ironman

Athletes often underestimate the amount of fitness that they lose in tapering for, and recovery from, excessively frequent racing. This is especially true in Mary’s case where she is looking to make a significant jump in training load in order to properly prepare for the Ironman distance.

Triathlon Coach Alan Couzens of MAD Scientist Coaching

Coach Alan Couzens

As head coach and founder of MAD Science Coaching, Alan Couzens works primarily with triathletes—amateurs, serious amateurs, and a few pros. More recently, MAD Science Coaching began providing training plans and testing to amateur athletes, leveraging Alan’s experience in the lab, testing pro athletes competing at the highest level of the sport. 

Graphic of vision, mission, and philosophy intertwined with each other

Performance Plan for an Aspiring Olympian

Dr. Andy Kirkland outlines what it will take for an aspiring young triathlete to go pro, illuminating a biopsychosocial approach to season planning.

photo of cycling Coach Andy Kirkland, Ph.D.

Coach Dr. Andy Kirkland

Andy Kirkland is a Lecturer in sports coaching at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He works with coaches from the grassroots to the highest level of sport on the MSc. Performance Coaching Programme.

photo of cyclist in a race

Season Plan for Masters Cyclist Who Wants to Podium

Coach Trevor Connor presents the season plan he created for Cynthia, a female masters athlete based in Colorado. Connor’s plan includes the training detail for the final weeks leading up to Nationals.

Silhouettes of cyclists riding in a group, with one holding their arms overhead

Coach Connor’s Method to Training Recovery

Recovery is at the heart of training adaptation. Without rest the body can’t rebuild and get stronger. This is why recovery is fundamental to how I coach and a focal point for my athletes.