Youth and Junior Coaching
Long-term development for young riders.
Progress, not pressure.
Coaching built around a young rider's whole life. School, growth, other sports, the rest of the week. Not just the bike.
A young rider's still growing. Still at school, still trying other sports, still working out what they enjoy. Push too hard too early and you lose them. So the aim isn't this season's result. It's a rider who's still going, and still enjoying it, years from now.
The approach
No early specialisation. Broad athletic foundations first: skills, coordination, strength and bike handling. Specialisation comes later, when the body and the rider are ready.
Technical progression over volume. We build good riders before we build fit ones.
Sustainable planning. Training fits around school terms, exams, growth spurts and other sports. Load is managed, not maximised. Rest is part of the plan.
Gearing done right. Plans and sessions respect British Cycling youth gear limits. Not sure what your rider’s bike should run? Check the gear chart.
No expensive kit needed. No power meter, no smart trainer. We can coach using heart rate, or simply how hard it feels. A bike and somewhere to ride is enough to start.
Working with your club. We work alongside club coaches, not instead of them. Club sessions, races and Go-Ride activities stay in the plan, and we’re happy to talk to your club coach so everyone’s pulling the same way.
Who it’s for
Youth and junior riders from Youth B up, roughly ages 12 to 18. Road, track, whatever they’re drawn to.
New to structured training or already racing, both welcome. Riders from every background, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance.
Youth Coaching is remote, so riders can be based anywhere. Access places are for riders based in London or riding for a London club.
Parents and safeguarding
Parents
Parents are part of the process throughout. You’ll know what your rider is doing and why. Development at this age is a three-way conversation between rider, coach and family. It works best when everyone’s pulling the same way.
Safeguarding
All contact goes through a parent or guardian. Calls happen with a parent present, and messages go to the parent, not directly to the rider.
Before starting, we’ll ask for parental consent, emergency contact details, any relevant medical information, and your preferences on photos and social media. Nothing about your rider is shared without your permission.
Coaching is delivered by Matthew Butt, British Cycling Level 3 coach (Road, Track and TT), DBS checked and insured.
Coaching options
Every rider gets the foundations: goals set together, a season broken into phases, and a personalised plan in TrainingPeaks built around school, growth and the rest of their week. Goals are reviewed each term.
What changes is how closely we work together. Youth Coaching is hands-on, week to week. An Access place is structured month to month, and free for London riders facing cost barriers.
Hands-on coaching week to week for young riders, wherever you're based. Goals set together, a season in phases, and a TrainingPeaks plan adjusted every week around school, growth and races. All contact goes through a parent.
How Access places work
Applying. Fill in a short form about your rider: age, club, what they ride and where they’re at. There’s a space to tell us anything about your situation. You don’t need to prove anything, and everything is kept private.
Hearing back. We’ll reply within a week. If a place is available and it’s a good fit, we’ll arrange a first call with you and your rider to set goals and get started. If places are full, we’ll keep your application on file and let you know when one opens.
How it runs. Each month starts with a 30-minute call with rider and parent. We look back at the last month, then set the plan for the next. In between, your rider follows the plan and leaves a short note after each session.
How many. Places are limited so each rider gets proper attention. They’re reviewed each school term.
What we ask in return. Leave those session notes, turn up to the monthly call, and tell us when something changes: illness, injury, exams. That’s how the plan stays right for your rider. If a rider stops engaging for a long stretch, we’ll talk to you first before offering the place to someone else.
Moving up. If your circumstances change and you’d like weekly coaching, your rider can move to Youth Coaching at any time.
Questions parents ask
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No. Plenty of young riders train for the enjoyment, a club event, or simply to get better. If they want to race later, we’ll build towards it.
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It depends on age, stage and what else they’re doing. For most young riders it’s a few sessions a week alongside school and other sports, not a full training load. We build up gradually and keep rest in the plan.
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Yes, and we encourage it. Other sports build coordination, strength and enjoyment. We plan around them.
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In moderation. Short, varied indoor sessions are useful in winter or when riding outside isn’t safe. But most of a young rider’s development happens outdoors: skills, handling and riding with others.
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Riders move on to adult coaching. Access riders get plenty of notice, and we’ll talk through options together.