Posts
963
Joined
12/22/2009
Location
una, AZ
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 6:47am
Notes from Sunday's local track practice +training + coaching this weekend:
1) Lil Johnny is a Jr level rider and is not a naturally gifted rider.
2) Lil Johnny's confidence is not high, especially when it comes to jumping.
3) Moto Dad is pushing Lil Johnny to jump the triples - but Lil Johnny is sacred and doesn't want any thing to do with the triples because he knows what his skill level is.
4) Dad keeps pushing....
5) Lil Johnny breaks down crying.
6) Dad looses his tolerance and patience and proceeds to over react and blow up.
7) Lil Johnny spirit is crushed both mentally and physically.
8) Dad shuts down and does the 'passive aggressive act."
I would go on but.... I hope that this situation changes soon - not only for the Lil Johnny that I'm working with but, some of the other and Lil Johnny's.
I have accepted that I can not change Moto Dad (he doesn't want to change) and have to move on...... I'm not looking for advice here, I know how to diplomatically navigate this dilemma - I am just so disappointed to once again cross paths with Moto Dad's that pushes Lil Johnny's too hard.
It would be great if we could take the "High Road" and talk/discus this subject without naming names.
Thanks in advance,
Jack
1) Lil Johnny is a Jr level rider and is not a naturally gifted rider.
2) Lil Johnny's confidence is not high, especially when it comes to jumping.
3) Moto Dad is pushing Lil Johnny to jump the triples - but Lil Johnny is sacred and doesn't want any thing to do with the triples because he knows what his skill level is.
4) Dad keeps pushing....
5) Lil Johnny breaks down crying.
6) Dad looses his tolerance and patience and proceeds to over react and blow up.
7) Lil Johnny spirit is crushed both mentally and physically.
8) Dad shuts down and does the 'passive aggressive act."
I would go on but.... I hope that this situation changes soon - not only for the Lil Johnny that I'm working with but, some of the other and Lil Johnny's.
I have accepted that I can not change Moto Dad (he doesn't want to change) and have to move on...... I'm not looking for advice here, I know how to diplomatically navigate this dilemma - I am just so disappointed to once again cross paths with Moto Dad's that pushes Lil Johnny's too hard.
It would be great if we could take the "High Road" and talk/discus this subject without naming names.
Thanks in advance,
Jack
I never pushed my son but I always told him that if we are going to do this and you want to race you have to give it 100% no matter what.
My son went from a beginer to a fast B rider in less then three years.
At transcal at milestone Stilez Robertson was battling with Carson Mumford and washed out in a rut, the next lap his dad pulls him off the track (during the race) and starts yelling at him pointing at the rut, i couldnt make out words but he was being a total asshole, the next lap he went through the rut pretty fast for being a 8 year old but his dad still wasnt happy, yelling and throwing his arms up in the air. Its pathetic. I know my story is about a 6x LL champion or whatever but its still the same shat.
jleews6: my dad used the "with time, speed will come" technique and in the beginning of 2006 i barely moved out of beginner, by the end of 07 I was battling with some of the fastest socal 85 riders. Without my dad ever yelling at me to do a jump or specific rut.
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I can see you're in a tough spot to be in for sure. Trying to tell a pops how to raise his kid (whether pops is right or very wrong) is a difficult spot. What's weird about most overly aggressive mini dads is they can't ride worth a shit. I say (jokingly) make pops jump all the triples 1st.
I keep telling people to watch "Inside the Outdoors" to see the prototypical psyco mini dad. Dont be Tony Alessi.
I'm almost positive Harry Everts never hit Stefan with a stick or screamed at him if he missed a rut, or said, "WE Need to work harder". Harry Everts was a world Champ, he knew what was up, unlike the wannabe dads abusing their poor kids.
Your kid either has talent or he doesnt. Give him love and encouragement either way.
My dad didn't tell me to do it, i did it my self
It would be a shame to have this tread turn into a character assassination thread.
It would be great if we could take the "High Road" and talk/discus this subject without naming names.
Thanks in advance,
Jack
from a Mom telling a kid "we're going home if you don't do the big double" to Dads getting violent with a kid at the track.
I was pitted next to a character recently in Pa. who spent all day screaming at the kid about his results (on his 65) and generally throwing a hissy fit. They were both freaking miserable. Anybody that gets that bent out of shape about results in the pee-wee class is an idiot.
he also drives a prius...
but his cr250 is titties to ride! (:
I tell my kids all the time : we are very very lucky to be able to do this as a hobby, be thankful and realize you already won, just the simple fact we're here ( at the track racing ) is a win in my book!
as long as they ride safe, my mouth stays shut.
Pit Row
I love the part about Lil Johnny not jumping the triples on the local track. Why the fuck do we need do or die triples on a local track??? Do they realize how many people they drive away with jumps like that? Bridge the gaps, step up/step down style triples and the kids will gain the confidence to go fast. Lil Johnny probably would have went for it and not been injured for coming up short. The fast guys will still triple over the fastest way possible and it keeps the slower riders safer. Best part, more people show up to pay and ride. You should have coached the track owner a little too.
Racing family, good kids, even kinda fast, not that it's an important point. After a moto I see the mini rider of the family riding between vehicles tooling around. I ask him "what's up".. He tells me he's afraid to go back to the trailer because he didn't win.
I found the dad, had a brief discussion relating what I'd heard, and told him if he wanted to give the track a shot my 450 was always open for him. But, he'd better win what ever race he entered.
The dad didn't talk with me much after that, but I never saw that kid afraid to go back after a moto again.
Finally I had seen enough. I went over and started talking to him.
I asked him if ever had ridden and he said yes, and that he had actually raced many, many years ago.
I explained that the sport had chan ged a lot and that it certainly wasn't as easy as it looked.
I went on to point out that I had a yz 250 that ws hardly ever ridden and that if he wanted to see how much it had changed he was welcome to try it sometime and that maybe then he would understand why his son struggled sometimes.
He took my offer.
The next Saturday night he was all swagger until practice started. He was floundering.
In the first practice he went out in he must have fallen 5 times in slow speed 180 turns.
He started smoothing out a bit but that only allowed him to crash going faster.
By the end of the night he was a whipped puppy.
He came up and thanked me for letting him ride.
I never saw him yell again.
A Dad was really railing on his son, on a 65 at the time, to jump this big triple....it was big, and the kid was very apprehensive about jumping it, but the Dad kept pushing him to do it, to the point of the kid getting to tears.
Eventually, the kid not only did it, but did it with ease and then kept doing it over and over.
I later asked the Dad why he pushed him like that if he didn't want to do it, and the Dad replied confidently "Because I know he can and I know his skill and I know his talent, he just doesn't believe, so he needs to be pushed hard sometimes"
The kid became a 2x LL champion, fairly well known pro rider (lower level) and both father and son are still involved in the industry on an influential level.
I didn't agree with his actions (still don't) but understand it, and he did seem to know his son better than the son knew himself
On the other hand, I don't have any kids that ride...so, when I do go to the track, I run around and yell and scream at other peoples kids.
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