1. The scope of work for Motocross Mental Performance Coaches (MMPC)
2. Personal characteristics of successful MMPC’s.
3. Location options for coaching your riders.
4. How much to charge for your work as a MMPC.
My name is Tim Laskis and I grew up racing amateur motocross in the southeast United States. For years, I traveled with my dad to the races. He was my mechanic, primary sponsor, transportation specialist and my biggest fan. It was some of the best times growing up and the lessons learned on the track helped me throughout life.
Once I stopped racing I focused on college. I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Masters degree in psychology at The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) in Fresno, CA and Ph.D. in clinical psychology at CSPP.
However, in 2014 I began working as a mental performance coach with professional and amateur riders who train at ClubMx. It has been a blast and witnessing the riders progress and reach their goals is awesome.
Reconnecting with the sport of motocross after so many years was amazing. Since then, I have worked with top professional factory riders in the 250 and 450 classes. It truly is a dream come true and I love the freedom and flexibility that I have.
Today’s technology has also made it possible to work with athletes from around the world from my home office. Whether it is by phone, Zoom or email, I help riders who live thousands of miles away from me. In fact, my list of clients in Europe has steadily increased over the years. And, the best part is that you can do the same.
Hanging out at ClubMx with 500cc Supercross Champion (74′), Gary Semics.
Georgia Lindsay, former Lucas Oil Motocross NBCSN reporter at Muddy Creek.
Mike Genova, owner of the Smartop/MotoConcepts Race Team at the Daytona Supercross.
If you ever heard of Jeremy McGrath, then you know his championship winning mechanic, Skip Norfolk! He has a ton of industry knowledge and managed the ClubMx/Traders/Redemption Race Team in 2019. Skip said on the PulpMx Show that the greatest riders in the history of motocross are MENTAL GIANTS! Skip knows motocross inside and out!
Brandon Haas, founder of ClubMx. We have worked together since 2014.
Read Tim’s monthly mental performance training articles at RacerX.
He is an honors graduate from Rutgers University.
Since 2007 Tim has been an adjunct faculty member at Webster University.
Go to the Certification page to register. Or, take our FREE intro course.
If you are an established riding coach or trainer, adding a new skillset increases your value and separates you from other trainers without this certification.
Parents of young racers have enjoyed the certification program. It gives you a variety of tools to help your son or daughter become more competitive, especially at big amateur events.
Anyone with a background in racing who wants to help riders strictly as a mental performance coach will enjoy the certification program. It gives you an opportunity to work in the industry you love, part-time or full time. In addition to mental performance skills, you learn marketing and business setup to help you start coaching right away.
The simple answer is no. There are no prerequisites to enroll in the FREE or certificate course. The most important thing is that you have a passion for motocross, are open to learning and want to help riders reach their goals.
The confusion between these two titles is very common. However, there is a difference and it is important to understand that this is not a course to train you to become a sports psychologist. A sports psychologist is a protected title in which only those with a Masters or doctoral degree from an accredited university or college with a license in this field are allowed to use this title. A mental performance coach is also a trained professional however, there is no license or minimum education level to work as a mental performance coach. Mental performance coaches with the right training and skills can be very effective in helping racers or athletes achieve their goals. And, the best part is that you do not have to spend thousands of dollars and years to learn your craft. Universities and colleges around the nation have seen a significant drop in enrollment. The number of students enrolling in college has now dropped for five straight years, according to the National Student Clearing House. Times have changed and public opinion is that they want training that is faster and cheaper than the traditional institutional way.
This is great question! Riders are embracing the mental side of racing at all levels, amateur and professional. They are looking for that extra edge and have found out that one of the biggest factors in their success is mental performance training. Motocross, which is very demanding physically, is also just as demanding mentally. It is extremely stressful for up and coming amateurs and professionals to manage all of the demands placed on them and focus 100% on the race. Those that have superior mental skills hands down outperform those who do not. There is a demand for mental performance coaches to assist motocross racers and you are in the right place to begin your journey.
My wife, Isabel, is from Costa Rica and we have a seven year old son, Landon and a one and half year old son, Carson. Aside from riding, we enjoy traveling to Costa Rica and hanging out fishing in our pond here in South Carolina.
Contact Me: Tim@CoachWherever.com. I personally respond to all emails within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.