A Chat with Aussie Coach Shannon Rademaker

01/10/23 • 82 min

DONUTS & BIKES: The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast

Shannon Rademaker is the maker of RAD things! He is an Australian mountain bike coach who has trained and guided over 5000 riders. Shannon's resume includes work with Gravity OZ, All Terrain Cycles, PMBIA Course Conductor and Level 4 Coach, coaching slopestyle athletes, trail building, and creating the Highline event, (part of the Freeride World Tour). Join us for a RAD conversation including the following topics:

Shannon’s background in BMX, Mountain bikes and racing
The nature of mountain biking in Australia
Mountain bike culture in Australia
Shannon’s background in mountain bike coaching
Perspectives on the evolution of mountain bike coaching
The benefits of skills-based coaching
The state of mountain bike coaching in Australia
Coaching and trail development
Access and availability of coaching
The culture of taking lessons debate
The newest generation of riders
Surfing and other distractions to mountain biking
The importance of being able to “see” mountain biking
Shannon’s work with high-level athlete
Designing slopestyle courses
The creation of the Highline event
Coaching Caroline Buchanan
Shannon’s favorite donut!

DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are solely those of the authors, Kristian Jackson and Paul Howard and their guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the PMBIA, or any other company, person or organization mentioned or included in the podcast. Any content provided by our guests or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.
THIS PODCAST & IT'S AUTHORS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.

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MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions on The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are those of Kristian Jackson, Paul Howard, and guests, and don’t necessarily reflect the views of GSMBC, PMBIA, or others mentioned. Guest content reflects personal opinions and is not intended to offend or misrepresent any person or group.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Shannon’s background in BMX, Mountain bikes and racing
The nature of mountain biking in Australia
Mountain bike culture in Australia
Shannon’s background in mountain bike coaching
Perspectives on the evolution of mountain bike coaching
The benefits of skills-based coaching
The state of mountain bike coaching in Australia
Coaching and trail development
Access and availability of coaching
The culture of taking lessons debate
The newest generation of riders
Surfing and other distractions to mountain biking
The importance of being able to “see” mountain biking
Shannon’s work with high-level athlete
Designing slopestyle courses
The creation of the Highline event
Coaching Caroline Buchanan
Shannon’s favorite donut!

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Previous Episode

The Relationship Between Trail Building & Coaching

Are you a trail builder, passionate about building the best trails possible?
Perhaps you're a coach that wants to learn more about trail building?
Are you are rider that wants to learn more about how to use different trails to progress your riding?

Either way, this episode is for you as we dig into the relationship between building trails and coaching, and why these two things should come together more often to help maximize the value, enjoyment and sustainability of trails, for everyone! Here's the main nuggets of gold in this podcast...

Why is synergy between coaching and trail building needed?
Kristian's history with trail stewardship and as trail boss at Rocky Knob MTB Park
The relationship of trail progression and skill development
Building for “ourselves” vs building for others
Seeing trails through the lens of the rider
State of trails today
The importance of blue trails
Consistency and predictability in trails
Exclusivity vs inclusivity in trails
Inclusive trails as a means of building community support
How labeling trails as “beginner, intermediate, expert” might be a disservice to riders
Trails good for coaching and good for learning
Benefits of fun and safe trails
What can trail builders do to know more about coaching?
What can coaches do to know more about trail building?
Donut of the day

Thanks for listening and please feel free to share... we are now listed on TuneIn and Alexa in addition to Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Amazon Music.
Cheers,
Paul and Kristian
@donutsandbikes
DISCLAIMER
The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by The Mountain Bike Coaching Podcast: Donuts & Bikes are solely those of the authors, Kristian Jackson and Paul Howard and their guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the PMBIA, or any other company, person or organization mentioned or included in the podcast. Any content provided by our guests or authors are of their opinion, and are not intended to malign any religion, ethic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything.
THIS PODCAST & IT'S AUTHORS DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE IN

Support the show

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.

Next Episode

Improve How You Learn and the Fundamentals of Coaching

How does the learning process interact with our work of coaching riders? What are some of the core practices of coaching mountain bikers? In this episode, we begin to unpack answers to these questions. We dig into some of the ways people learn on bikes and shine a light on a few techniques and concepts we use to train riders to become more effective in their efforts. Here we discuss:

The learning culture and debunking the adage “if you’re not crashing you’re not learning.”
The apprenticeship model
Goal setting and a menu in a restaurant?
The role of fun and playfulness in lessons
The idea of minimum terrain maximum technique
Learning is about change
Change isn’t comfortable
How do we build connections as coaches?
Respect and coaching
Divergent approaches to learning – right and wrong vs pros and cons
The role of feedback in the learning process
Feedback as a skill
Remember to have fun!
Jam on your face? A very memorable donut of the day!

Support the show

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM: Get the latest updates, episode drops, and behind-the-scenes content. Follow @donutsandbikes.

MTB COACH EDUCATION: Instructors and coaches—want to grow your skills or get certified? Explore the Global Syndicate of Mountain Bike Coaches at www.gsmbc.pro.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER
This podcast and its authors disclaim all responsibility for any damages resulting from use of or reliance on the content.