Posts
1239
Joined
5/29/2009
Location
SE
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 12:34pm
This weekend a young rider was killed in an accident in Sweden racing mx. I feel so sad for his relatives and of course also for the 15yo victim. As a father of a 5yo who is already riding and loving mx, I get scared and worried for his future racing.
I've been around long enough self as a racer and as a journalist, to know that almost everyone gets hurt sooner or later. The difference between those who survive their career with minor injuries (fractures, bad knees etc) and those who get spinal unjuries or headtrauma is most of the times just luck.
So all parents out there, how do we justify for ourselves that it's right to jeopardize or kids health and lifes? If my son started racing when he was an adult by his own choice, than I'm not to blame for whatever happens. If they start earlier than that it's with the help and support of their parents. I'm a diehard motocrossfanatic, and if I look at Go-cart, trail or even enduro it's just not the same but it's at least a little safer. What's your thoughts about all this folks?
I fool myself right now by saing he can keep riding until he gets a little older. But if I am to stop his hobby I better do it quick, otherwise I know it will be 65cc, 85cc, racing locally, regional etc. I know how much he loves riding, I can totally see it in his eyes and I can also see myself at a young age in him. He is probably more talented than I ever was and also I got him started as soon as he was4.
This is the third young racer getting killed in Sweden in just a couple of months, and it has really gotten to my head this time.
I understand this is a really sad and pessimistic post, but I would still like to hear your opinions about your worries, thoughts and experience from a parents point of view.
I've been around long enough self as a racer and as a journalist, to know that almost everyone gets hurt sooner or later. The difference between those who survive their career with minor injuries (fractures, bad knees etc) and those who get spinal unjuries or headtrauma is most of the times just luck.
So all parents out there, how do we justify for ourselves that it's right to jeopardize or kids health and lifes? If my son started racing when he was an adult by his own choice, than I'm not to blame for whatever happens. If they start earlier than that it's with the help and support of their parents. I'm a diehard motocrossfanatic, and if I look at Go-cart, trail or even enduro it's just not the same but it's at least a little safer. What's your thoughts about all this folks?
I fool myself right now by saing he can keep riding until he gets a little older. But if I am to stop his hobby I better do it quick, otherwise I know it will be 65cc, 85cc, racing locally, regional etc. I know how much he loves riding, I can totally see it in his eyes and I can also see myself at a young age in him. He is probably more talented than I ever was and also I got him started as soon as he was4.
This is the third young racer getting killed in Sweden in just a couple of months, and it has really gotten to my head this time.
I understand this is a really sad and pessimistic post, but I would still like to hear your opinions about your worries, thoughts and experience from a parents point of view.
I see to many fat kids nowdays just waiting to have a heart attack when they are older
That kid was faster than me but he also had more and worse injuries than me.
If your kid loves it let him stick with it, give him the best safety gear you can and allow him to enjoy it. Yes its a dangerous sport but its also the most fun. I have already started lookin for a bike for my daughter and she isn't even 2 yet
It's that simple.
Or go ahead, strap a leatt on, launch junior 50 feet thru the air at 50mph, see what happens.
Here in AU there has been a young bloke pass away while playing rugby recently, as well as another teeneger pass away while playing cricket so we have to ask ourselves, do we wrap our kids up in cotton wool or let them live life and have a go at what ever they want and if thats mx then we can buy all the protective gear we can and try to minimise the risks and let them go.
Ill admit that my nearly 4 yr old has only just started on a 50cc quad and I havent experienced the pain of a serious hurt child so my feelings will probably be different but as if right now ill support him and if he doesnt want to do it then fine and we'll move on but the look of pleasure and concentration on his face is priceless and its also something that we as a family can do together.
I hope this hasnt confused anyone but what I wanted to say and write was quite different to what actually come out.
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They have to drive a car and ride a bicycle to be part of the society. They don't have to ride mx, it's my choice to let them or not.
If our kids grow up seeing our huge interest for mx, of course they want to try it too some day. But when we buy them bikes at an early age we made the decision that we wanted them to be part of one of the most dangerous sports there is. It's our guilt to live with if it goes wrong.
I agree the jumps nowadays are huge. I think it's stupid. We don't need them to provide good racing.
In the latest accident the kid was ran over right after the start so it wasn't a jumps fault, but anyway they are too big often.
I think we need to change our sport very much. Either that or admit to ourselfes that luck is the only thing that will keep my child from getting hurt/killed. That's how crazy this fucking sport is to be honest.
I wish I could by him a camera and make him a reporter right away, så we could watch together. But when you're a kid you want to take part not just watch. The worst thing is that he totally loves riding and even seems talented.
My other kid (7yo girl) has her own horse, so I have to worry all the time there too.
I'm not in a good mood today, maybe I see things differently in a while. Thanks for trying to cheer me up and telling me it isn't so bad after all= )
As a kid I wasn't particularly a daredevil, but I can assure you that by the time I was 15 I had done many things which had the potential to have killed or maimed me--all of my own accord, and all of which I knew were dangerous had things gone wrong.
You do what you can to mitigate the risk. You improve technique, practice to increase fitness and skill and gain experience. But you never can totally eliminate all risk of injury or dying from any activity.
Thing is, they're kids.
They don't have the mind, the experience, the reasoning to even drive a car legally.
Why can't a minor not enter into a binding contract?
Because the don't understand the long term effects they bring.
I dunno, 15, maybe 16, one might have seen what can happen, and make the call. But even then, the desire
to please Dad might cloud the issue.
I know one thing. I'd hate to hear from my kid, that can't walk for the rest of his life, "What were you thinking?"
Motorcycles are inherently dangerous. No matter what you do with them. Do we advocate getting rid of all motorcycles for everyone because they are dangerous?
We might then end up riding horses for sport. But those are dangerous too..
We decided early on th shy away from motocross.
I competed at the local pro level and boy was BEGGING for a bike a 2 and a half. He was already riding his bicycle very well (never had training wheels) so we went for it.
He is in the middle of wrapping up his 3rd straight youth championship against kids up to 9 years old.
I say all this because of what a previous poster wrote - "the look of pleasure and concentration is priceless"
Yesterday just the two of went and competed in a local trials event. The youth ride before the rest of the classes to allow parents who also compete to be able to help their kids... My boy LOVES trials, and to watch him try as hard as he does and how proud he is when he accomplishes his goals is indeed priceless.
Yesterday was the first time Mom was not with us, so my boy had to tag along with me (ride 2 up) while i competed in my event (4 hours). We had a the best time ever. I told my wife tonight that after his birth and our marriage, it was the best day of my life.
Basically i found a way to enjoy motorcycles with my boy that I AM comfortable with. Sure there is risk, is less risk in some forms than others, i guess each person needs to decide for themselves... I hope we never have that freedom taken from us...
To be fair, going over the bars at speed, because you hit that kicker, or deep rut, or that guy's bike laying sideways on the track,
you'll never get rid of that. But come on. Some of the stuff out there is nuts.
I feel that as long as there is no pressure on a child to do anything that they are uncomfortable with, motocross is one of the most rewarding activities that a family can indulge in with the child riding. How many parents outside of MX can expect to spend most weekends with their teenage sons (and daughters) sharing mutual respect and fun.
I guess that's how I would decide at this point since you already have him racing.
The racing aspect definitely elevates a chance for acidents, but racing in itself is half the fun. The life lessons are all dictate by the dad coaching their kid. So your a cocky dad, you kid is probably the cocky kid everyone hate or the dad that teaches your kid confidence, winning is not everything, or it should be phrases having fun is winning. As a youngster, we are all definitely less aware of the risk versus reward so at some point, I do feel we have a duty as parents to protect our kids from being put them into situatons that could cause life long body harm or death. I personally live my life still in the action/adventure sports and love it, but have just toned it down to controlable risks. Not to get all Teefus (some of you know what this is) on everyone, but it comes down to basic physics.
Ultimately alot of you are right, it's the speed and big jumps these days.
They knew nothing about the danger of mx compared to what I know today.
Until they know how dangerous it is, it's my responsibility to protect them from themselfes. That's how it works in any other area really. But when it comes to MX people stick their heads in the sand and compare it with getting hurt in everyday situations.
I want to watch other parents kids do dangerous stuff for entertainment, but I would honestly prefere if mine did well in school instead. That didn't come out well but it is still pretty much how I feel to sum it up.
Something happens in the brain when you put a helmet on your head, because I would still try and clear every jump if I got a bike and went riding for a while. I can't however raise my kids with a helmet on my head that makes me stupid and unwilling to see extremely dangerous situations, and push them in that direction with my money and sparetime. What is it with mx that brainwashes us all so we make this choices. I can see why kids, and grown up is fascinated by the challenge and the danger in it, but why do we want to pass on the danger to our kids?? We all know we got lucky a few times on the track right? How can we be sure our kids will face the same luck?
Could you tell your son or daughter " I thought you would have some luck just as I did when i crashed, sorry" when they are in a wheelchair. Everyone at vitalmx knows the risks of racing, so could we look ourselfes in the mirror if somthing went wrong?
It really comes down to what you want to be involved with and if it's worth the risk./money. You will still be involved with or without him.
Unfortunately there's not an easy answer, and you started your own misery here by evoking these thoughts/emotions and no one can make this feel any better for you. If you continue doing this as in him riding, the memory of the fallen Swedish riders will fade and it will all feel better. Sometimes the memory will be evoked, but not a constant fear I suggest. The brain is very good in adapting to the present. But If you still have tragedy of the dead kids on your mind 24/7 in a month or so you need to get rid of the bike, again it's just a stupid hobby.
Either way you have my support.
Every Christmas after that i wanted an Motocross bike but didn't get until i was 16 and had my own money, so we went a bought a YZ400f that we shared!
In the end i would rather pass away riding Motocross then sit on the couch and play Xbox all my life, witch most kid and even people my age(21) do these days
Pit Row
a car is something you need and MX is something you do for fun.
However if you wont let your kids ride MX why would you let them ski, skateboard and so on...?
When i was a kid and didn't have a Motocross bike we would run inlines behind mopeds, have 5 people jumping a trampoline at the same time and in the winter we raced small sledges 2 people on every sledge and the passenger tried to push the opponents of their sledges, the first team over a REALLY narrow jump would win.
With no helmets and so on i think that is just as dangerous as MX
I think all of this new "protect your kids against everything" i BS, if you go back in time when parents let their kids be kids, they grow up just fine. However these days more kids die just because they don't exercise
im not trying to be johnny raincloud here- but i always imagined how awesome it would be if my little guy was the next RC; until that day at monster mountain. he can get smart and rich that way. id be much happier and a lot less nervous.
I dont say protect your kids from everything. i think just about the complete opposite of all that liberal shit. wimpy fathers with faggot sons is all that equals. but you dont have to race motocross to "be a kid" see my point? there is lots of other stuff kids will do. they dont 'need' motocross. if you think riding a sled and racing them is just as dangerous as motocross, you have some bad judgement.
We have seen his friends and riding partners die, paralyzed, suffer brain injuries, limp, and have chronic pain. If you look at the 'team" he was part of two years ago, of the 14 elite kids, one is dead, one paralyzed, several with torn up bodies, one with a career ending brain injury, and those are the issues I know. Add in the divorce and bankruptcy rate, and you have a lot of kid and family carnage.
What amazes me is how the injuries are justified. It won't happen to me or my kid. That kid tries too hard and got out of shape, he is out of shape, or he exercises "the wrong way," he has bad or the wrong form, etc.
It is a rough sport and either you love it or you don't.
But we have to be honest about this, it's often a question about OUR passion and making our unaware/blank sheet kids part of it, and the pro/cons consequences.
I usually make a pro/cons list, while doing it I often find out what I really want, since I often start argue against my self about the strong points vs the less strong points. Well if you ever do a list you will understand what I mean.
I'm a Dad who expects my son to give 100% effort, after 5 years I know where he's at skill level wise. That 100% effort runs over into everything else he does in life. He is well spoken and very well liked by his teachers and all who interact with him. I can honestly say the day he wants to call it quits I'll be by his side in whatever he wants to do.
I want my kid to walk this earth a confident and responsible person who's had a bunch of great memories growing up.
Essentially, if you sign a waiver today, while the child's a minor, that precludes that now minor from the ability to sue once an adult, is not legally fair to that minor. The intent of the court was to say (paraphrasing) "Your decision today can affect their lives beyond childhood, but into adulthood, stripping away their future opportunities and right to seek compensation"
It took an act by the state legislature to overturn the court and make waivers legal and binding. While I am glad they did this, I also understand the court's position
I have gone to a lot of amateur races, and while I agree with the premise that your child can get hurt walking down the street or a flight of stairs, I think where the problem lies is when the parents get so wound up and blinded by their child's "star potential" and not seeing the forrest for the trees. They believe their kid is going to be greater than they really are. They become blinded. Same as every parent thinks their kid is "cute," while others may think yours is the ugliest baby ever produced. Parents need to be more realistic and come back to earth...little Johnny isn't the next RC4 or AC92...give it up, stop wasting your live savings on a pipe dream. Go to LL's for fun, for a vacation, relax and do a little racing, not as some Las Vegas throw of the dice on a craps table.
You watch enough of these kids and you can tell after a while who does or doesn't have "it"
You can't make "it"
You can't train your kid to develop "it"
Your kid may be fast, may dominate locally, but to get to be RC4, JS7, AC92, KW14, CR22 and so on, you have to have "it"
"It" is that gift from God that people like Kobe, Jordan, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Anderson Silva, Wayne Gretzy have..."it's" just some God given special something...can't buy it or make it...they just have it
Point is, pay more attention and know your kid's limits and keep them within that envelope. Don't push. Don't pressure. Learn to have fun in MX, because your kid ain't the next RC...I'm telling you now, he's not....give it up
Have fun, keep your kid within the envelope, within his comfort zone and stop trying to "make" him the next RC
Let the disagreeing, fighting and arguing begin
You are confusing two issues. The first, and what this initial post was about, was injuries. The second is goldilocks parenting, or just pushing your kid "hard enough." My point is that your kid is subject to injury regardless of his skill set or how hard mommy or daddy ride his ass.
Kids get hurt in this sport. When a kid races, he is pushing at his skill set. If he is so good that he isn't pushing or challenged, most real racers will look for the next level. You used AC92 as an example. How often does Adam just race a local race? How exciting is it for him to run 1 minute in front of second place? That is why he raced a supermini in schoolboy on and off this year. To his credit, he wanted a challenge.
I will pick another example, and you can fill in the name. My kid grew up practicing with one of the most focused, hard working kids I have ever met. When my kid was eight or nine, we would go to his house and watch him shoot 50 perfect, consistent starts. As a 14 year old, thanks to some incredible training by one of your florida natives, his technical skills were the match of some of the best pros. His career ended during sx practice this year.
When your kid is competing, he is not only finding his limits, he is subject to 40 other kids pushing to find their limit as well.
Rest in peace Johan Remmelg.
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The accident occurred during the start (right after the first turn) of the first MX2 heat of the Swedish National Championships. It was a mudder, apparently he high-sided and was ran over. A very talented young boy taken away by this sport that at times feels absolutely disgusting and unforgivingly brutal.
People will keep pretending that this truly has nothing to do with MX being the kind of sport that it is, obviously. Any other kind of thinking would make just about everyone end their active participation. People endear the sport too much to let go of it, for good and bad.
Take care out there, be safe.
My point is that kids will always find dangerous stuff to do,
so maybe its not that bad for them to race (or maybe just practice?) Motocross instead, with the right instructions, gear and a track that's not made for pros, i think Motocross will do your kids good.
And of-course there are other sports but as many here know Motocross is the only one that is fun
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