When you have your team camp or first team meeting, make sure you take the time to talk and listen to each of your teammates.
By Ruth Winder, ALP Cycles Coaching
As the road racing season approaches (and has started for the lucky ones that got to race in Australia - me!) it’s important to remember the importance of teamwork.
Everyone has their own goals going into a new year. When you have your team camp or first team meeting, make sure you take the time to talk and listen to each of your teammates. Try by talking about who really loves which races. Who wants to win what. Who’s been thinking about the same race since it happened last year. This will really help you out when it comes to race day.
It’s cheesy but I really believe in
T - together
E - everyone
A - achieves
M - more
Once you understand this and fully commit to the goal racing will be so much more fun and rewarding! You’ll be using everyone’s strength and weaknesses for the same common goal. This gives you so many more opportunities for a more tactful race. You’ll learn more every time you race as well!
If you don’t all commit, the atmosphere within a team can go really wrong. It sends off bad vibes and resentment throughout the team. No one likes a sabotaged plan that leaves everyone else looking at each other wondering whats happened. Don’t be that person!
Working with a team might mean that you don’t get to try to win every race yourself. I’m convinced once you feel the satisfaction of knowing you did everything you could to help pull the win off for a teammate you won’t ever question the benefit of being on a team. The win will also feel like your win too!