I’ve always seen coaching as a classroom. Every ride, every race, every conversation is a lesson. The trail, the road, the wind, the competitors create our environment. The bike gives us momentum. The rider brings emotions. The data communicates the science. If you pay attention, you learn something every single time.

 

Over the years, this became a coaching philosophy. We call it BATS — Barry Austin Training Systems. It’s not complicated. It’s simply the belief that engagement with ourselves, with our training and racing environment, and with our emotions needs to be in harmony if we want to become better riders.

When you coach through engagement, you build trust, you support development, and performance follows naturally.

 

That’s what matters to me.