Lessons and Reflections | Ft. Robbie Reynard

There are many lessons learned from racing motorcycles. Responsibility, work ethic, determination, and sportsmanship are a few core examples many of us have learned through our years of riding and racing. With Lessons and Reflections, we want to hear from past professional racers and have them reflect on their careers so they can tell us some lessons that impacted them and helped them post-racing careers. These lessons may impact them in business, relationships, personally, or others. In this edition, we talk to one of the most highly-touted riders coming out of amateurs, Robbie Reynard. Robbie won six AMA National titles at Loretta Lynn's, was the youngest rider to win an AMA Pro Motocross race at 16, and now coaches riders at his Reynard Training Complex.

For the full interview, check out the Vital MX podcast right here. If you're interested in the condensed written version, scroll down just a bit further.

Lesson #1

I believe if you have a good work ethic, you will succeed at any goal you set. If you're going to start a business or race motorcycles, you have to put the work in. 

Jamie Guida – Vital MX: I assume you had to learn work ethic even as an amateur when you won six national titles. 

Robbie: Back then, I was just enjoying riding my dirt bike. 

Vital MX: Now, as a coach, you're out there grinding every day, and it's not always fun. 

Robbie: No, but honestly, when training the kids that is one of my big things. You can have a kid with less talent, but if they have that work ethic, it takes them a lot further. I tell them that talent will take you through the amateurs, but once you go pro, it's work ethic if you really want to succeed. Even when they're young, you can see that growth and tell if they want to have that drive and dedication to do it. 

Vital MX: Guys like Ricky Carmichael and Ryan Dungey were clear cases of that. They had talent, but they outworked many of the other guys.

Robbie: 100%. Even Trey Canard is a good example of that. I saw him grow up, and he was a fourth-place local. He had the focus and dedication to do what it took, so he made it to where he did. 

Lesson #2

Vital MX: You mentioned to me you used a sports psychologist. You were incredibly touted and successful as an amateur. Injuries took a large toll on your body, and I'm sure you felt some negativity. Using a sports psychologist in those days was probably uncommon. 

Robbie: I use a sports psychologist in my daily life and training because I believe how you think about things is how they will happen. If you sit and think, "I'm going to crash in that corner," you'll probably crash there.  Those are the things you need to adjust and think about differently. Even with life in general, those negative thoughts will add up over time and destroy you. That helped me so much in many different ways. 

Vital MX: You're married and a father now, so those things would also work at home.  

Robbie: Those things affect your kids regarding what and how you say things. I'll tell you; I'm scared of rollercoasters. I'm not going to tell my kid I'm scared of rollercoasters because then he'll be petrified of rollercoasters for the rest of his life. Little things can affect them growing up with positive thinking and how they process situations. You also need good surroundings to help and support you. Everybody has to have that. You'll never succeed in life by yourself. You have to have good people around you. The top guys always had their group of people around, which made their lives easier and allowed them to do what they needed to to succeed. 

Vital MX: That could be another lesson. Do you feel you had the right people around you?

Robbie: I would say I didn't. That was a learned thing. I needed more people in my corner because I tried to do too much myself. I'm still that way and try to do way too much. With my training, I do track work, train, and water the track, but I must be busy. I enjoy that part. I feel I needed more of a group around me who could have helped me do the things I probably didn't need to do. 

Lesson #3

Lesson three is responsibility. At that young age, I just wanted to ride my dirt bike. I didn't have a lot of things pulling me to the side. I may have needed to take more steps to grow up a bit. From the age of 16 to 18, kids grow and mature. I liked it better when the AMA rule didn't allow the kids to turn pro until 18 because that gap is big with maturity. You have to grow up fast and don't get to do all the fun kids' stuff. You have to be responsible. You have to go to sleep early and be an adult at a young age. Most kids at that age can go play on the weekend and enjoy their lives. The end goal is to hopefully retire young and be more relaxed. Or, be like me and keep working. I'm also big on being on time. I was usually at the track before the mechanics or anybody else. Now that I'm training kids, we start riding at 9 o'clock. I want you to be down there and ready to go at 9 o'clock. If you're late, my rule is to run a lap in your gear after warm-up. I tell them, "If you show up late to work you get fired." You have to be responsible. That also goes back to work ethic. 

Lesson #4

Physical health and recovery. Growing up I thought I was invincible. You would hurt yourself, get going, and not take the time to let the body heal. I pay for that bad now. My body is pretty beat up. Now, I wear an Oura ring because I like to see the data with my sleep schedule and things like that. I'm not doing much working out, but I still like knowing I got the proper sleep and feel healthy. Thanks to my wife, I probably eat healthier now than when I raced. That's something else I tell the kids I'm coaching. Take your time and let things settle so you don't end up back on the ground like we did back in the day. We would get back on the bike for a day and then go to a race and have heat stroke or something. 

Bonus Questions

Vital MX: Let's do a couple of extra questions. What is your favorite memory from your career? 

Robbie: Millville in '95 is what stands out. I won and it was a super-hot day and it seemed easy. Those are the days you usually win. 

Vital MX: Would you consider returning to Loretta's to battle with Mike Brown, Emig, and Keefer? 

Robbie: I returned a few years ago, but I'd need knee replacements before I do that. I rode a little earlier this year and they are so sore. With my twins, I'm sure I'll want to ride more. They are eaten up with moto, so I'll want to be able to spend some of that time with them. I may be doing the +50 class with Brownie five years from now. I'll say Mike Brown is probably better now than he was back when he was professional.