See what it takes to keep junior athletes thriving—not just finishing—in today’s high-pressure youth sport world. Our online course, Advanced Junior Coaching, shows you how to create a safe, positive environment where young riders stay motivated, healthy, and in the sport for the long haul.
This course brings together evidence-based insights from organizations like the Positive Coaching Alliance and sport-parent psychologist Dr. Jennifer Harris to help you navigate parents, culture, gender equity, and nutrition with ease and confidence.
You’ll learn how to:
- Protect a positive team culture, even under pressure. Turn your program’s values into clear mission statements, codes of conduct, and race-day habits so you’re ready when a parent starts crossing the line.
- Align the coach-athlete-parent triangle around the child’s needs. Use Dr. Jennifer Harris’s SUPER-P model to explain “the parent job” in simple language, calm car-ride-home debriefs, and keep everyone working in the same direction.
- Keep girls in the sport long term. Learn girl-centered strategies—like girl-focused sessions, comfortable uniform choices, recruiting women coaches, and family outreach—that directly address the reasons many girls quietly drop out.
- Spot how culture shapes communication, feedback, and trust; adjust your tone, body language, and teaching examples so every athlete feels seen, respected, and safe—especially those from underrepresented communities.
- Guide sports nutrition for juniors based on current best practices. Recognize low energy availability, anchor breakfast and smart snacks into busy school days, explain when gels and sport drinks are appropriate, and steer juniors away from adult fad diets and supplement-heavy habits.
If you coach juniors who are juggling schoolwork, selection pressure, and growing bodies, this course helps you see the whole picture. You’ll walk away with ready-to-use frameworks and tools that make tough situations feel simpler. You’ll help you protect the joy of sport and give your young riders the best chance to stay healthy, happy, and fast for years to come.
How to Enroll
All USA Cycling courses are offered exclusively through USA Cycling’s online learning management system at learn.usacycling.org.
Questions? Contact Suzy Sanchez, Director of DEI and Membership Programs, at ssanchez@usacycling.org.
