Lets talk about Amatuers to Pros....

So mike and Ryan Aren't making it as pros? I am confused.

I think it has alot to do with who they're around when they turn pro. Alessi had Tony yelling in his ear and trying to "guide" him, when he was just as new to the game as Mikey. Poto on the other hand had Mitch in his corner. Mitch Payton>Tony Alessi.

In amateurs, Alessi was the dominant rider over Villopoto. Once they turned pro and til' this day, Villopoto has made Alessi his bitch.

confidence can be a big thing too. when you have someone that wins everything in the ams,like mike, then he goes pro and has a deeper field of competition, it could mess with you. but then you have ryan who was normally brides maid to alessi and he kills it in the pros and never looked back.

I believe with some people it has to do with how easy they had it as amateurs. I am just using Alessi and Villopoto as an example, I don't know their real situation.

I believe Alessi pretty much won everything pretty easily as an amateur and was not pushed all that much. Villopoto on the other hand had to push his hardest all the time trying to catch Alessi.

When they turned pro, and had to race top competition, nothing changed for Villopoto. He had to race as hard as he could the whole moto, like he always had to do. Alessi, however, had not been in the situation where he was not the best.

You have to look at the big picture.



When an amateur rider is a "star," who was that rider really racing? Also keep in mind that team managers move riders around to get the most out of them, so they put rider X in one class because he doesn't want him racing rider Z

There's a bit of manipulation of the sign up to ensure the team secures the most championships.



Then, once the amateur moves into pros, a lot depends on their initial support, and by support I do not mean just equipment, but also physical and psychological support. Mitch Payton demands a lot of his team, but at the same time he is very supportive, and he makes everyone (everyone willing to work) BELIEVE that they're on the best equipment, on the best team and that they are there BECAUSE they are the best.

If you believe you are the best, on the best with the best, you have more than half the battle won.

RV is a prime example. RV had a successful amateur career, but not super stellar if compared to JS, RC, DM18 or Alessi....but Mitch molded RV mentally and physically into a strong confident champion, who believes he is the very best.

This is what RD and RC did with Dungey



There's a lot more to taking a 16/17 yr old kid out of the amateurs and handing them a bike.

They really do need to be taught the ways of the world and how to deal with the pressures, the wins and the losses, all while keeping an even keel and a confident attitude



Look at the situations top amateurs step into and how they perform, and that'll give you some answer



and by the way, while Blake Baggett had a good year last year, wait until you see him this year on PC

That will give you a good idea as well

Why is this a surprise? The chances of a top-notch college football quarterback making it in the NFL? pretty slim, Mark Sanchez's are rare. Same for any sport really.

Tracks/Competition/Races are longer.

Tracks: Longer, tougher, rougher. Totally different than an amateur track. Nothing compares to a national, the whole enviroment is a lot more pressure.

Competition: Mike Alessi came into the pro ranks convinced that everyone else sucks and he's the next Ricky Carmichael, until he turned pro and relized that 1st-40th are fast, mentally ruins him, he just works his butt off thattt much harder and still doesnt win? Confidence is ruined, it will be incredibly tough for him to get back to winning even though he is capable.

Races are longer: Simple, its mentally exausting going 30 minutes +2, rather than 6 laps at most at an amateur national. You can practice 30 minutes everyday of the week but its way different racing at 30 minutes hard with 39 other riders your speed.

Injuries have to play in. After a bunch of cumulative minor injuries (6 week bone breaks, sprains etc.) and a major injury or two, this has to have a mental aspect to it. Once a rider starts riding tentative to avoid injuries, he might tighten up and get injured more.

Both Allessi and Vilapoto have taken some scarey hits. I give them both credit for being out there. Especially when the money has shrunk. They treat these guys like product on a meat wagon.

Itshas to do with the work ethic instilled by their parents and the guidance and quality of the team and bikes. Look at how many top riders today are still under the wing of their parents!!

6 or 7 years ago i did witness villopoto catch and pass alessi for the win on the yz85 at ponca.

So you don't think smashing your kneecap or getting run over like Allessi, or having bones stick out of your leg like Vilopoto would screw with your head?

I often wonder how many riders see a sports therapist to help with the mental side of it.

Not enough

Mike Alessi has dislocated his shoulder so many times that its nearly impossible for him to pound supercross whoops without having it pop out.