Coaching
Kody Lostroh has hired a coach to help him with his mental game. His decision is not getting the “negative” attention that Adriano got in New York (January 2007) when he said on TV that he was seeking help from a sports psychologist. Back them, some of the bull riders made fun of Adriano (on TV) for seeking help.
Adriano started talking about coaching right before he did what no one thought he could do, fighting the “mental game” to overcome the pain and adversity of his 36 yr old body and win his 3rd World Title. Adriano was ahead of his time in his thinking and yet was not afraid to be made fun of for doing whatever it takes to stay competitive in a young man’s sport. As a champion, he knows if there is a weakness it has to be dealt with in order to keep the confidence level high enough to ride the rank bulls of the PBR. He knows the value of seeking guidance to remain competitive and he is humble enough to do so.
Adriano was one of the first bull riders to see the value of being in the gym and using a sports trainer to keep his mind and body connected and as fit as possible. Now, look how many riders are doing the same and admitting it as well.
Adriano believes a rider can not rely only on his talent or the strength of youth. With the help of a coach not only can a rider get better but his riding can also be more consistent. He can prevent and correct the mistakes right way with the help of a coach’s knowledge who is looking from the outside in.
On the other hand, a coach should adapt his approach based on the athlete’s skills, necessities and personalities, being a good teacher and a careful observer. Adriano believes to be able to reach your full potential not only as a bull rider but as a person, you need to be balanced in all 3 aspects of your life: Mental, Physical and Spiritual. For Adriano a good coach would be able to help propel you into all areas of success.
What do you think about coaching in the sport of bull riding?
Comment!
| E-Mail this post | Hits for this post: 521
2 Responses to “ Coaching ”
Leave a Reply
Coaching is the way to go. So many bull riders just need to have someone to help them even in small ways that the bull rider does not realize is happening in the ride.
Adriano was the first to mention coaching and everyone hesitated in agreeing with him.
Training, mental attitude, physical and spiritual attitude is very important if the rider wants to have a long and successful career.
The bull rider really does not have that many years for his body to stay in top shape and injuries wear down the mental thinking so much. Why not have a coach to handle these situations during their career to keep the mind and body going in the right direction.
Now, is the time because so much is changing in the PBR and so much more money is being offered to all of the bull riders especially the bull riders at the top of their game.
I couldnt agree more! It’s funny, but my husband (Bud)and I attended a meet & greet in Winston-Salem last w/e and I took a picture of Bud “coaching” Sean Willingham. He’d noticed a flaw in Sean’s approach and told him about it. Sean was receptive and kept nodding his head. He agreed that the flaw Bud had seen was indeed a problem and he thought he could fix it! I’ve heard other riders say that someone, usually a good friend or mentor, helped them to correct this problem or that.
You’re right, Adriano! I wasn’t one of those people laughing when you got a coach, but I was one of those cheering when you won your third world championship!