When I was in high school, my tennis coach and mentor Mike Noel introduced me to mountain biking. At the time, I loved chasing Mike’s wheel. I had no bike skills but did my best to zip around the nature preserves and state parks of Dallas, Texas. At the time, I remember thinking how fun it was to glide through the forest and find that meditative flow. Little did I know…the seed was planted. It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado many years later post college that the awe and adventure of mountain biking started to consume me.
After each ski season, my friends and I would make the pilgrimage to Moab, Utah to camp and bike for weeks. We bonded as friends, jumped in swimming holes, explored new trails, slept under the stars… we were truly free. These experiences etched something inside my soul that I needed to share.
Mountain biking is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle built on adventure, community, and personal growth. It can fill a space for young students where traditional sports often fall short. If you find yourself agreeing or intrigued, you might be on the road to joining me as a mountain bike coach.
At Wheel Fun, we believe youth programs are one of the best ways to start coaching. Coaching kids gives you real world experience in communication, group safety, skill progressions, and leadership. Practices are often messy, loud, and hilarious with analogies to “herding cats” or “organized chaos”. For the brave souls that want to make an impact and share their passion, there are many benefits to becoming a coach. Everything you learn as a youth coach transfers directly to your own riding and your ability to teach adults in the future.
If you’re curious about becoming a coach, or you’re ready to take the leap, this guide will walk you through how to get started, why youth coaching is a powerful pathway, and where to get certified as you grow.
Why Become A Coach?
Many new coaches assume they need advanced skills, race experience, or years of riding to become “qualified.” But the truth is, good coaching is less about showing off your riding and more about helping someone else feel safe, supported, and successful.
When you coach kids, you learn the fundamentals of great coaching faster than almost anywhere else. Here’s why:
You Learn How to Explain Skills Clearly
If you can explain braking, cornering, body position, and trail awareness to a 5th grader then you can explain it to anyone. Youth coaching forces you to simplify, break skills down, and communicate in ways that actually stick.
You Build Leadership and Confidence
Kids don’t just learn to ride, they learn to problem solve, persist through challenges, support teammates, and take pride in progress. As a coach, you become the person who encourages them when they doubt themselves.
You Improve Your Own Riding
Coaching makes you better. When you teach the basics with intention, you gain deeper awareness of technique. You’ll notice things like:
Your own body position
Your braking habits
Your cornering mechanics
…and you’ll start riding with more control and efficiency.
You Learn Safety and Risk Management
Youth coaching teaches you how to set up a safe environment:
How to manage groups
How to choose appropriate terrain
How to scan a trail for hazards
How to keep kids engaged without pushing beyond their comfort level
Coaching kids is not “easier.” It’s real coaching and it builds a strong foundation for everything that comes next.
The Best Way to Get Started Coaching
Step 1: Volunteer with a Youth Program
Start by assisting a school bike club, local team, or community group. At Wheel Fun, many coaches begin as assistant coaches and grow into leadership roles.
Step 2: Coaching: Keep It Simple And Consistent
Keep it simple with: What, Why, and How to do a skill.
Focus on effort, not results
Always consider safety
Create fun, welcoming rides
Always explain AND physically demonstrate what you are teaching for audio and visual learning.
Step 3: Get Basic Certifications
Most programs recommend or require basic medical preparedness. A great starting point:
First Aid and CPR
Wilderness First Aid (especially helpful for rural programs)
Ready to take it to the next level? You can pursue a mountain bike-specific professional certification.
Time To Get Certified: Three Great MTB Coaching Organizations
If you’re serious about coaching, or you want to develop your skills and credibility, professional certification is a great next step.
There are several strong options, but three of the most widely known are:
A) BICP – Bike Instructor Certification Program
Instructors and ride leaders who want clear, structured, skills-based training and professional standards. BICP is widely recognized in the U.S. coaching community. We have found BICP to be incredibly relatable, easy to teach and welcoming to newer riders.
Official Website: https://icp.bike/ ICP
B) PMBIA – Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association
Coaches and instructors looking for progressive instructor education and a structured certification pathway. PMBIA has built a strong reputation in the MTB world for consistent, professional training standards. It’s a great choice for riders who want to coach clinics, guide rides, or build a coaching career.
Official Website: https://pmbia.bike/ pmbia
C) GSMBC – Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches
Coaches looking for modern, evolving professional development, mentorship, and certification pathways. GSMBC is a newer global organization focused on coach education, certification, and continued learning through both in-person and online development opportunities.
Official Website: https://www.gsmbc.pro/ gsmbc.pro
Coaching Makes You Part of Something Bigger
When you coach, you become part of a community that changes lives. At Wheel Fun, we see it every week:
Students build confidence.
They learn to take risks safely.
They find friends.
They feel proud of themselves.
And coaches, often without realizing it, become mentors who students remember for years.
If you’ve ever felt like mountain biking gave you something meaningful, coaching is a powerful way to give that gift to someone else.
About the Author:
Evan Puglia is the Executive Director of Wheel Fun and the founder of Sedona Mountain Bike Academy, which he runs with his partner, Amaryth Gass. He is an experienced mountain bike coach and educator with advanced coaching certifications, and is passionate about using biking to create access, confidence, and connection for youth and riders of all ages.
