Laurel Green, Associate Coach

Specialties: Road Racing, Junior and Elite Development, Working athletes balancing training, racing and family
 

Home: Windsor, CA (North Bay Area)

Client levels accepted: Individual, SemiCustom, Custom, Consultation

Available to take on all levels of athletes both racing and non-racing

Available for seminars, camps, clinics, and team direction on a contractual basis.

Laurel Green brings 17 years of cycling experience to Wenzel Coaching, including 11 years of coaching. A Level 2 Certified (with distinction) USA Cycling Coach, Laurel also approaches coaching from an educated point of view with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of California at Davis, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Her experience as a Certified Physical Education teacher completes her well rounded background of education and experience with the gift of teaching.

Laurel’s experience beyond cycling is also varied. From 1991-1994 she was an assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Women’s Rowing program. From there, she taught spinning classes, worked as a personal trainer and did one-on-one coaching for teenage athletes. During this time she also did team building workshops for both men’s and women’s rowing teams. From 1999-2002 she helped coach the LaFollette High School Girls’ swim team to the Wisconsin State Championships.

Laurel loves the tactics of bike racing, and the technique involved. Having done hundreds of bike races in her career, she has a knack for teaching bike handling skills ‘at speed.’ “There’s nothing more exciting than to do drills at speed on the wheel of someone who I’ve just taught how to do something, and trust their wheel!” she says. Her teaching experience with all ages of young people makes her an asset for the junior racer.

Though Laurel enjoys the day to day creation and coaching of training programs, she especially enjoys the hands on work of teaching bike handling skills to anyone who rides a bike. She is the director of non-profit organization: Early Bird Women's Developmental Cycling Team, developing and honing racing skills for beginners in their first year of racing. “Triathletes, in particular, always seem grateful for the bike handlings skills they’ve learned, as they ride away. They are a great group to work with. Small changes in their cycling technique can make big changes in their performance.”

As a category 2 racer who follows the US National Racing Calendar circuit, Laurel is enthusiastic about reaching her potential as an athlete, and she shares this same enthusiasm with her clients. In 2010, she started racing on the Track at Hellyer Velodrome and earned a Gold medal at the Northern California Master's State Championships. She specializes in criterium racing, and loves time trials, track racing, and stage racing.

Laurel has a hopeful, friendly, encouraging, manner, and knows how to push her athletes where they need it. She consistently sees where more can be done for one of her athletes to move forward with their development, and she has a way of getting them to do the extra things, without overwhelming them. Her pre-cycling athletic background consists of amateur roller speed skating, high school basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, and women’s rowing at UC-Davis. She started her road racing career in Wisconsin in1994. She raced the National Racing Calendar Circuit for 8 years, and still hopes to dabble in the NRC some before she lets the Pros go on without her. In her spare time she enjoys studying alternative medicine, directing the Early Bird Women, teaching peer counseling and teaching bike safety clinics to elementary school students.

To inquire about working with Laurel Green please click here! >>>

"It has been my pleasure to co-lead the Early Bird Criterium Training Series with Laurel for the past three years. Laurel Green is a teacher, both professionally (elementary school) and passionately. Out on the road as a cycling coach I have nothing but praise for her style. She has a great way of taking the complex into digestible sections. Not only do the cycling students understand the information and skill better, but they want to learn."  ~ Larry Nolan, Team Specialized Director Sportif, USA Cycling West Coast Camp Manager, Early Bird Training Series co-leader

"Laurel has been singlehandedly the strongest influence over my ability to a) get from cat 4 to cat 3 and b) get on the podium (including two wins) a number of times in the past year. She helped me improve my fitness, and more importantly, my confidence. She motivated me with a carrot vs. a stick, which was so integral in helping me fully trust in her abilities as a coach. I owe a hugely successful season to Laurel, and I am looking forward to continuing to work and develop with her." ~ Lisa

"Laurel has such a deep pool of knowledge and experience about women's racing, it's wonderful to train and race with her and to be able to learn from her.  As a coach, she's super-responsive, flexible and encouraging.  I've really been able to take my racing to a new level since I started working with her. Thanks!" ~Karla K

"Laurel definitely goes beyond her call of duty and looks out for me as I learn the ropes.  She definitely knows her stuff. After every lesson I find myself with a new enthusiasm for riding and I feel much more comfortable in a tight pack of riders.  I have been lucky to have her as a coach and friend". ~Ty Olson

"Laurel Green is one of the warmest, most approachable coaches I have ever worked with. She completely transformed my cycling. Her knowledge and skills are amazing and even better, she is able to communicate them. I hope that as many people as possible get a chance to learn from Laurel. I am grateful for having had the opportunity myself." ~ Rebecca Whittaker, Triathlete

"Hi Kathy and Laurel,
Thank you both for your support and encouragement for a great training program leading up to the Wildflower. I was thrilled to have reached my goal of finishing around 3 hours and some seconds 13/88 in my age group. I am super excited to reach my next goal of getting stronger on the bike. I know it will take some hours and pain, but I am ready!!"  Thank you. ~ Kim Helgans