ICI Podcast #68 Amateur, Hobbyist or Professional … Which are you?

Do you consider yourself an Amateur, Hobbyist or Professional Indoor Cycle Instructor? Listen to this podcast and then post your response here.

In this episode we announce that starting in January, CEC’s are included as part of an ICI/PRO Platinum Membership.

Listen to the Podcast below or subscribe for free using iTunes or Zune.
[audio:http://indoorcycleinstructor.com.s3.amazonaws.com/068_amateur_hobbyist.mp3]

2 Responses to “ICI Podcast #68 Amateur, Hobbyist or Professional … Which are you?”

1. MorroBayChuck says:

   November 6, 2009 at 12:23 pm

   Well, this was a very interesting discussion. You have delineated very well the various ways in which instructor’s approach their teaching. Since I sense that this podcast was based on a previous comment I had made I need to respond.

   Just to get it out of the way, my original question was not based on whether or not I was a professional, it was based simply on whether or not I could dip my hand in my pocket and come out with a $120 bill at the present moment. See my monthly commitment under separate cover. I will upgrade to Platinum at some point.

   Looking at the three categories, I do consider myself a professional. Not because of significant income since I am only teaching one class a week at present. I do take a very professional approach to my cycling coaching. I spend much more time coming up with a good profile than I do looking for just the right song. The music is the easiest part for me. I really care about whether or not my students are going to have a good experience while increasing their fitness.

   That being said, I do struggle with how to do this in a class which is called Begin To Spin. It was set up to introduce indoor cycling (Spinning in my case) to new people. The class has been running for almost a year now, so a typical class may or may not have any brand new people. A typical class may have 1 or 2 newbies.
   The rest have been Spinning, mostly in my class, for several months. These people need an entirely different kind of ride than my newbies. I try to handle this by constantly stressing modify – modify – modify. I try to listen to my students after every class, and I hear comments from newbie’s like “it was harder than I thought it would be” Oh no, am I going to lose them? Comments I hear from some of my ‘old-timers’ seem to be “this is even harder than a 1-hr class” (Begin to Spin is 30 minutes) Oh no, am I making it too intense. As a professional, I am constantly looking for new ways to give everyone in my class what they need, but it is not always easy. Any help you might be able to offer would be much appreciated.

   Thanks for responding so thoughtfully to what you felt was the issue in my last comment. It really made me think about my approach and where I fit in on the spectrum from amateur to professional.
2. KeiferB says:

   November 10, 2009 at 5:35 pm

   Well you two really made me think during that whole show, about what makes an Instructor and where I fit in as a Spinning Instructor, and how I perceive myself and how I ‘want’ my participants to perceive me. One of your best, keep up the great work.