APPRENTICE COACH

Interested in leading group mountain bike rides for your local school, club or bike shop, but want to know more about how to connect with and keep people safe on the trails? Keen to learn how to work as tail guide and assist a certified coach with their lessons? This course is for you!

1-DAY MTB CERTIFICATION COURSE

  • BECOME A TAIL GUIDE OR ASSISTANT COACH

  • THE PERFECT ENTRY INTO MTB COACHING

  • IMPROVE YOUR OWN RIDING SKILLS!

COURSE OVERVIEW

REGISTER

  • Intermediate riders looking to:

    • Excited to enter the world of mountain bike coaching.

    • Work as an assistant coach, as a ‘tail guide’ with another Level 1 certified coach, or higher.

    • Work as a guide to lead group rides for beginner to novice riders.

    • Prepare for the Intermediate Coach Course and their Level 1 Certification.

    • This course equips you with essential teaching skills and a structured approach to effectively assist Level 1 certified coaches or higher.

    • Discover how to connect with students on a deeper level, using a human-centered approach to guiding and fostering meaningful learning experiences.

    • Learn the guiding, risk management, and class organization techniques needed to lead group rides confidently on beginner to novice terrain.

    • Elevate your own riding skills and boost your confidence with personalized feedback and mentorship from the GSMBC Mentor.

    • Includes GSMBC Reference Guide, Course Booklet and Online Workshop.

    • NOTE: This course does NOT certify coaches to teach independently! However, it is a great stepping stone to the Intermediate Coaching Course and Level 1 Certification.

    • 1 day totalling approximately 8hrs

    • Includes pre-course reading materials and online workshop which constitutes approximately 1-2 hrs.

    • 13 years age minimum

    • Confident riding on intermediate (blue) single track, technical terrain.

    • Passion for mountain biking, for helping other people and being outdoors.

    • Confident with public speaking and taking leadership roles in an outdoor environment.

    • Minimum two years mountain biking experience recommended.

    • Good quality, well maintained mountain bike and helmet, ideally with suspension and disc brakes.

LEARN TO TAIL GUIDE OR ASSIST ANOTHER CERTIFIED COACH WITH THIS 1-DAY COURSE

LEARN TO TAIL GUIDE OR ASSIST ANOTHER CERTIFIED COACH WITH THIS 1-DAY COURSE

Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Course, MTB Certification, Mountain Bike Coach Education, GSMBC

  1. Connect with your community and create memorable biking experiences.

  2. Develop skills to safely tail guide or assist a certified coach.

  3. Enhance your riding abilities while building leadership and confidence.

  4. Enjoy a fun-filled day of biking, learning, and getting stoked!

Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Course, MTB Certification, Mountain Bike Coach Education, GSMBC

ASSISTING CERTiFIED COACHES IS THE PERFECT ENTRY INTO MOUNTAIN BIKE COACHING!

Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Course, MTB Certification, Mountain Bike Coach Education, GSMBC
Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Course, MTB Certification, Mountain Bike Coach Education, GSMBC

Personal video analysis on every coursE WITH THE Sportsense coaching app!

COACHING VIDEO

The Apprentice Coach Course is the perfect program to train new coaches how to work as a tail guide or assistant coach to both adult and kids programs. Check out this video to get an insight into a modern, kids mtb coaching program.

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

    • BIKE: We recommend a modern, well maintained trail or enduro bike with 5 - 6 inches (125-150mm) of front and rear suspension with good quality disc brakes and tires, is ideal for this course. A good quality hardtail mountain bike can be suitable, also. It doesn’t need to be the latest and greatest, just well maintained and appropriate for riding advanced, technical terrain. Click here to view an example.

    • Food, water, tools, spare tube and clothing to suit the conditions that day… we ride rain or shine!

    • First aid kit not essential, but recommended.

    • Well maintained, modern mountain bike ideally with suspension and disc brakes

    • Good quality, well fitted mountain bike helmet.

    • Gloves and knee pads are recommend.

  • Every GMCS course aims to finish between 4 - 4.30pm, depending on the conditions that day and the specific course location.

  • The Apprentice Coach Course is for riders and coaches of all ages but the minimum participant age is 13 years old. We want to encourage young shredders to join the amazing career of mountain bike coaching by getting involved as tail guides or assistant coaches to support their local community programs.

  • Coaches must be able to show fairly consistent technique when riding at trail speed on green and blue single track terrain. Some technical examples include:

    • Dynamic Positioning: able to control their own body mass to ensure a strong, yet mobile position on the bike when climbing and descending off road.

    • Speed Control: able to use the brakes on loose surfaces to slow down or maintain speed, without skidding.

    • Flow: able to scan varied terrain and choose the appropriate lines to ride safely, efficiently and smoothly.

    • Corners: able to connect or disconnect from the bike to control its direction at varied speeds, on a variety of corners.

    • Bumps: Able to use their body as suspension to control bumps and rollers in technical terrain.

  • No. You can take the Intermediate Coaching Course with taking this course. This course is great for volunteers or newer riders that want to help clubs, shops or high schools with their mountain bike programs, but who aren’t ready to commit to becoming a certified coach.

  • Yes! Your GSMBC Mentor will work with you to develop your bike set up and technical riding skills.

  • No. This course trains new coaches to assist as a tail guide or an assistant coach to another Level 1 Certified Coach.

    However, it does prepare you to lead (guide only) beginner group riders in green terrain, in a program with multiple coaches. Check out the FAQ’s below for more info on the course standards.

  • Coaches must first connect with students so they can effectively assist as a tail guide, while helping to ensure a smooth, fun, safe lesson. :

    • Connecting with students to promote socially safe, fun learning environments.

    • Prioritizing safety and risk management at all times.

    • Assisting certified coaches and groups with confidence in inherently risky mountain bike terrain,

    • Using the GSMBC Coaching Models to support safe, effective lessons that inspire and progress the students.

    • More standards are outlined in detail in the GSMBC Course materials, following registration.

REGISTER

Course Includes GSMBC Coach Reference Guide, Course Booklet & Online Workshop

Don’t forget to grab yourself some GSMBC Merch from our custom store!

COURSE REQUESTS?

If you or your team, friends or community are looking to book a course at a new location or during a time that is currently offered, please reach out to us via our course request form, available here:

GSMBC COURSE REQUEST FORM