Bausch & Sparks unite to Empower cyclists

Veteran coaches join forces to provide Olympic-level coaching for athletes of all
abilities uniquely utilizing a methodology that stresses mind & body balance

They’ve raced at the highest level and coached athletes who have competed at the highest level. Now Dotsie Bausch and Andy Sparks have united to form Empower Coaching Systems (www.empowercoachingsystems.com) that will create customized training programs for cyclists of all abilities – from professionals, Olympians, World Champions and National Champions to amateur racers, weekend warriors and newbies. Together the dynamic duo will coach each athlete providing a unique, dualistic fusion of guidance specifically tailored to the individual that will be rooted in fostering the development of mind and body symmetry that can be applied both on the bike and beyond.

Empower Coaching Systems, whose client list includes two-time World Champion and Olympian Sarah Hammer, World Champion and two-time Olympian Jennie Reed and National Champions Jimmy Watkins, Chris DeMarchi and Sonia Ross, will strive to provide the highest quality of service no matter what level the athlete rides in the belief that everyone should have access to Olympic-level coaching to aid in reaching their full potential. Driven to watch their clients achieve their goals, ECS aims to establish the premiere standard of coaching services in the cycling industry. In addition to the innovative physical training regimen they will design as part of each client’s Victory Plan, their methodology includes focusing on sports psychology and meditation. Three levels of Victory Plans – Victory Fitness, Victory Performer and Victory Racer - are available based upon the commitment, goals and budget of the cyclist. Every coaching package provides unlimited access to the coaches via phone and/or email. Although Bausch and Sparks are based in Southern California, they will coach cyclists from all over the globe as they have done successfully in their individual coaching businesses prior to forming their partnership.

Twice named USA Cycling’s Coach of the Year and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track Cycling coach, Sparks said, “The Empower Coaching Systems training methodologies, which emphasize both mental and physical performance, have achieved three World Championships titles in the past three years. As a coach who has developed riders at all levels, I believe that for athletes to fully maximize their ability, they should have Olympic-level coaching and an Olympic-level performance team. That is what we provide at Empower Coaching Systems. We deliver the same level of technology and research, and the same knowledge, intensity and focus that the top privileged athletes in the world receive. In addition, our methodologies have proven to have an enormous impact on the lives of our clients beyond their bicycles. We feel that achieving our clients’ goals begins with building winning attitudes that carry over to all aspects of our athletes’ lives.” Cyclists under Sparks’ guidance have won 15 World Cup medals and a trophy case full of National Championships.

A former National Champion and a Pan Am Championships gold medal winner, Bausch is in her eighth year of racing professionally and has been coaching for five years. She was a member of the U.S. National Team and has competed in the biggest races around the world for professional teams including T-Mobile, Colavita-Sutter Home and Jazz Apple, her present squad. “While our hope is to grow Empower Coaching Systems into a large on-line training facility with multiple coaches offering an array of ideas, innovative thinking and brazenly developed training programs, our coaches will always be committed to providing first-class service of unrivaled quality that will cater to dynamic and diverse individuals who demand the best from their coaches,” declared Bausch. “Andy and I possess a deep love of personal coaching and have experienced great successes with our athletes. We are excited to bring together our shared beliefs and values and approach the athlete/coach dynamic differently than anyone has before. Our approach is cutting-edge and we firmly believe in its genesis and its mission.”

Bausch also hopes that the Empower Coaching Systems’ website will blossom into an “Empower Culture” destination. “I want the site to be a place that people visit regularly and utilize as a helpful and informative resource. We’ll be posting new tips frequently in the Recovery section. Each month, the coaches will select an ‘Athlete of the Month.’ In our blog, we’ll post photos, news and the latest findings from our cutting-edge research. We’d love for the site to be like a coaching café with an abundance of information to help guide and inspire our athletes.”

A New Era in Coaching - Empower Coaching Systems

We are excited to announce a new coaching firm: Empower Coaching Systems.

Check out the website @ www.EmpowerCoachingSystems.com
Twitter @ www.twitter.com/empowercoaching

Providing athletes with the new standard in World-Class coaching!

The Empower Mission:

Our mission is to see you become a champion. We are a coaching firm that believes that there is a vast amount of untapped potential for excellence inside of you. Our commitment is to help you reach your full potential by providing the premier standard in athletic coaching. No matter what your aspirations may be, together we will address your personal goals on an individual basis with a customized plan tailored for your success. With the proclamation that a balanced athlete is a thriving athlete, we emphasize the importance of the mind & body balance in our coaching methodology.

Sarah signs with Hawk Relay Cycling

Sarah is joining forces with the newly established U.C.I. professional cycling team, Hawk Relay Cycling. Since returning from the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Sarah has taken time to reflect, rehab her back injury and plan her attack for the 2012 Olympic Games. At the top of the list is a fortification in team support and infrastructure, both of which Hawk Relay offers.

“This is a great day for the Hawk Relay Cycling Team,” stated team director and owner, Robin Horwitz. “Sarah brings tremendous value to the team. Sponsors and fans like her a lot and she’s shown remarkable results in the past with a history of winning at the World level. I know with the private sector sponsorship and a superior support system for the next 4 years, she’ll be standing on the top of the podium at the London Olympics. I’m excited to be a part of the process!”

Sarah will be joined at Hawk Relay with 2008 Olympic Track Cycling coach, and Sarah’s personal coach, Andy Sparks. Andy will lead a coaching staff that will include Hunter Allen, CEO of Peaks Coaching Group and owner of CyclingPeaks Software and Dr. Marcus Elliott of p3, who will be partnering with the Hawk Relay Cycling Team to focus on cycling-specific scientific methods of strength development.

“I am excited to help build this revolutionary high-performance team as I look to settle some unfinished business in the 2012 Olympic Games,” said Sarah. “I am thrilled to not only have industry experts such as Hunter Allen and Marcus Elliott on board with this project but equally excited to have motivated and talented teammates that share a similar mindset and goal. Together with Hawk Relay in the coming years, I think the three of us will be able to do some great things on and off the bike.”

The first stop on Sarah’s schedule will be the Pan-American Games in May followed by the U.S. National Track Championships in October. Check out the new team at http://www.hawkrelaycycling.com/

Hawk Relay is a telecommunications company whose mission is to provide deaf and hard of hearing people with the necessary tools to achieve full and equal telecommunications access.

2008 Beijing Olympic Recap

To all of our extraordinary supporters and sponsors,

We have good news, but unfortunately Sarah is walking away from the 2008 Olympics with some disappointment and a broken collarbone. With Gold-Medal preparation, this can be a very hard pill to swallow, even for the most optimistic champion.

After a stressful entry to Beijing with regards to the “mask” incident, four track cycling athletes laid the base for what would be called “Maskgate.” Without a strategic plan in place to foresee, or deal with, this incident, a downward tailspin ensued as all four of my athletes were shown little to no support by those who are assigned to protect them. I did my best to absorb and wipe away this stress, but regrettably that became like jumping on a nuclear bomb. Many lessons learned… The newest article on this incident can be seen here: http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-spw-hersh10-2008sep10,0,2833120.story

What I can say is that it was not all bad for Sarah and her teammates. True, the Olympic experience that Sarah and the other athletes had dreamed about from a young age did not resemble this “dream.” But like the great competitors they are though, each one absorbed the local culture and acted as great American and cycling ambassadors. On the track, they gave it their “all” but regrettably came up short.

And in other good news, I am happy to announce that Sarah is doing great, all things considered. She is now resetting and recovering and looking forward to getting a nice and well deserved break after a challenging season. It’s been a long year with her injury and one that has well illustrated the power of extraordinarily strong supporters and sponsors. You have provided the foundation that both Sarah and I have worked upon every day. You have made Sarah’s dream of becoming an Olympian a reality!

Thank you for the support Team!

AWTCF Awards Felt Bicycles!

The American Women’s Track Cycling Fund awards FELT track bicycles to Junior Star Tara Both and DePauw University!!

World Champions Sarah Hammer and Jennie Reed, through the AWTCF, have awarded Felt TK2 track bicycles to Tara Both, an outstanding up and coming California junior cyclist, and to the DePauw University women’s cycling team based in Greencastle, Indiana.

Recently crowned World Champion Jennie Reed was on hand with two-time World Champion Sarah Hammer to present the Felt bike to Tara. After watching Tara beat the US National record for the 500 meter time trial, Hammer noted: “When we saw her record ride, we just knew that her talent deserved and could be enhanced with better equipment. Her new TK2 should be able to help Tara confidently set and pursue new and higher goals.”

Both Hammer and Reed train twice a week with Tara at the ADT Event Center Velodrome in Carson, California. “We were really happy to be able to present Tara with a Felt bike, especially as she was out-growing her old one,” said Reed. “After the Olympic games we will be sitting down and revisiting the mission of the AWTCF to see how we can best help other riders like Tara.”

The American Women’s Track Cycling Fund also donated three Felt TK2 track bikes to the DePauw University women’s cycling team. DePauw, known mostly for academic excellence, has shown a long history of developing cycling talent for young women, placing more women on the start line per capita than any other university in the Midwest. Under the leadership of Coach Kent Menzel, DePauw hit the track for the first time last fall. Said Coach Menzel, “The Felt track bikes are the shot in the arm we need to raise our women’s performance to an even higher level on the track. Because collegiate track competition covers multiple events, the Felt TK2 is particularly good for us as it races well in both mass start and timed events.”

http://www.awtcf.org/
http://www.depauw.edu/student/orgs/bikeclub/index.asp
http://www.feltracing.com/

Sarah makes the 2008 Beijing Olympic Team!

Fresh off her silver medal performance at the recent World Championships in Manchester, England, Sarah has solidified her place on the 2008 Olympic Team. Having taken this crucial first step toward accomplishing her Olympic Gold Medal dream, Sarah can now officially say that she will be representing the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China!

As many know, this fantastic news comes in a year that has been filled with both hardship and triumph for Sarah, who in the last twelve months has shown the highest degree of spirit and courage. May 4th marked the one-year anniversary of her debilitating back injury, where she suffered an annular tear in her L4/L5 disc. With the support of family, friends, sponsors, and supporters, Sarah has not only made the most difficult year in her competitive life a success, but has also shown the championship character that delivered her two World Championship titles and now an Olympic berth.

As Sarah explains: “This year has been both incredibly hard and incredibly educational. There were times in the last twelve months where I seriously questioned if I would be able to come back to top form with the back injury. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my family and supporters, and particularly the OUCH Sports Medical Center, I made it back and I have now accomplished one of my life-long dreams – representing America at the Olympic Games. I couldn’t be happier!”

Sarah now has approximately 2 months to get ready for the ride of her life and the key focus for her 2008 competitive season. Sarah’s main event, the 3 kilometer pursuit, will span over three days with the qualifying round beginning on August 15th. Sarah has also qualified for a further Olympic event, the 20 kilometer Points race, which is another event where she will be a medal favorite. The Points race will be held on August 18th.

More Sarah Olympic news can be found here:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=33/bio/index.html

World Cup #1, #2 and #3 Recap

The Olympic year has brought with it plenty of traveling as Olympic hopefuls must first battle for those valuable Olympic qualification points which will determine who will line up in Beijing and who will stay home. This has made for some incredible racing, and some extraordinary race-watching, as all the current World and Olympic Champions have lined up for each World Cup, battling for those sometimes elusive points.

World Cup #1 - Sydney, Australia. This World Cup would be Sarah’s first race since her World Championship win in Spain last year. Furthermore, coming off a debilitating back injury this summer, the World Cups this year provide Sarah great short-term goals and a great way to race back into shape and get ready for the Olympics in August. Sarah finished a very respectable 5th place in her first competition back. She had “officially” started her Olympic year!

World Cup #2 - Beijing, China. This event also doubled as the Olympic test event. And what an event it was! China is incredible and anyone thinking about making a visit should – there is no place like it. In addition to remarkable people, the track also proved to be astounding. This velodrome, although not proving to be extraordinarily fast at this competition, nevertheless was by all other standards Olympic quality. Sarah finished up by taking the bronze medal. And although she is never quite happy with anything less than Gold, this result puts her squarely on track for her Olympic year!

World Cup #3 - Los Angeles. It is always desirable to not have to travel to go to a World Cup, and the US riders (and staff) always look forward to put on a great show for their families, sponsors and supporters. Sarah was also unveiling her new Olympic bike – the Felt TK1. The L.A. World Cup proved to be one of the best showings by US riders in history. The stands were packed as Sarah’s key sponsor, the OUCH Sports Medical Center, provided free tickets to all Jr. cyclists. Sarah ended up with another bronze medal which now puts her one point out of leading the World Cup overall.

Looking Ahead - Sarah now has 7 weeks to prepare for the World Championships in Manchester, England. And although the Olympics will be the big goal this year, Sarah would of course like to win another World title. All preparations are on schedule and we look forward to using the next 6 months to our full advantage as Sarah will be lining up in Beijing on August 15th, 2008!

As always, we appreciate everyone’s support!

The FELT TK1 has Landed!

As everyone knows, Sarah signed with California based Felt Bicycles last year, prior to winning her second World Championship title in Spain.
Signing with Felt was a no-brainer. The Felt R & D team has developed into a cutting edge, second to none, firm, with quality in manufacturing normally seen only in the highest echelons of aerospace. So who, Sarah thought, would be better equipped to explore the frontier of an Olympic medal winning track bicycle than the Felt crew.

Fast forward to the The L.A. World Cup... As expected, the new Felt peeled back the envelope, ushering in a new era in track bicycles. It came with the title of the TK1.
Utilizing countless hours in the wind tunnel, Jim Felt and his army of innovators have produced something that has never before been seen in the track cycling world. With the aesthetics of an Italian sports car and the engineering of an air-strike missile, the Felt TK1 is designed for one thing – winning!

To get a complete review of the bike check out the recent cyclingnews.com analysis:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2008/probikes/?id=sarah_hammer_felttk108

Sarah’s concise review… “It’s incredible!”