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endoh935
6/22/2016 11:50am
6/22/2016 11:50am
http://www.vitalmx.com/videos/member/MX-Nation-Episode-2-Fathers-and-So…
theirs been a few like this before for different riders..but certainly puts things in perspective for AC.
theirs been a few like this before for different riders..but certainly puts things in perspective for AC.
AC smokes his competition in his younger years and his dad tells him it's not good enough? Sound advice that was!
The Shop
its like some parents don't know how to lose and have too much expectation when they turn pro.
I could never be like that to my kid.
Some of you will bag on me for this. That's fine, I just think thats a terrible approach.
Watching the struggle between AC and his father is difficult.
His mom shaking her head in disgust at her phone....assuming she is looking at lap times.....
I feel bad for Adam. Must be fun being told that you suck all the time. Being beat down without ever being built back up will wear anyone down.
You can tell there is some real animosity on race day between Adam and his Dad. Kinda sad to see. Yes, this is a business, but you should enjoy what you do. Adam doesn't have that joy anymore. You can see it on his face. It's nothing but pressure, loss of confidence, burnout, fear of disappointing every one around him including his own mom and dad. Sad to see. Still plenty of time to regain that love back of riding and racing dirt bikes. But he definitely needs a change in scenery and attitude from everyone around him.
For those saying that what works for one rider may not work for another. That is bullshit. We are talking about building confidence. I don't know of anyone who enjoys and reacts positively to constantly being torn down. If you agree with tearing someone down constantly and think you are going to get the desired results you want then you are insane.
These particular kids are growing up and becoming men is an ungodly pressure cooker. I didn't see anything wrong with how either of these dads are handling it. It's not always pretty, but they didn't seem to want it more than their kids did, and that's the key metric. They are both being introspective and seem to be considering how to both help their kids achieve their dreams while being cognizant of the fact that they don't want to damage their relationship with their kids. I say kudos to both of them and respect the effort.
He's almost where Bubba is at with his career only he's got to this point much sooner. Send him over here on his own for a year of GP's to get him some independence and make his own decisions and then see where that gets him.
If I had to race in the situation that Adam is in, I wouldn't race. He must have enough money to not need his dad around.
People on the Internet (not you) are quick to judge, but overall, these appear to be two caring dads, and that is more rare than you would think.
Think about this...... when a basketball player misses a free throw everyone on the team still walks up to him a high 5 or pat on the back. Why is that? Maybe they should get in his face and tell him how bad he sucks at shooting free throws...
Watching this video makes me pull for Adam even more now. He is dealing with some major adversity on and OFF the track.
Pit Row
Sucks to see Adam and his dad openly admit to the dysfunction of their relationship, but there is no judgement from me. They are doing the best they can.
Forkner's family isn't feeling any pressure yet because they've been granted the "rookie no expectation speech" from their sponsor. Give it a season or two.
I have an 8 year old that has been racing for a couple years now. Started him on a crf50 in the B class on the PW track. Ended up winning the overall and multiple moto wins his first couple years. A wall full of trophies and he LOVES to compete. I always said I wouldn't buy him a bigger bike until he ASKS for a bigger bike as I watched parent after parent move their kid to the next fastest bike the minute their kid shows any ability...and ruin them.
This year he's on a Cobra and racing in the A class. Through three races (six motos) this summer he's got a 3rd overall, 1st OA, and 1st OA out of some big gates. He's leading the points and he loves to race.
The problem I have is he hates to practice. Allen Iverson. "Practice??!!" He doesn't ever ask to ride...and I won't force him cause I want it to be 'fun.' But I get caught up in the moment and I get pissed. I don't call him a pussy and I don't beat him, but I try to get him to understand that showing up on race day and winning having not touched your bike the previous week or two will only last so long, not to mention the fact I feel like it's dangerous to not practice when I know he's going to show up and haul ass cause he doesn't like to lose. I tell him "look how good you are with no time spent? Imagine what you'd be able to do if you practiced!"
The fine line there is how do you address that as a parent? How do you teach your kid that success is a result of hard work and effort and motivation without getting the blood pressure up??? At 8 or at 18. I always swore I wouldn't be 'that dad,' but it's proving to be tough when he's laid back and can't quite see it yet. Adam's dad has said in previous videos that Adam chose to do this....and if he wants to be the best he needs to put the time in. Do you tell a kid he did a good job when he didn't?
We all want the best for our kids, but super tough when you see more in them than they see in themselves. Parenting is a talent, no doubt. But what you're seeing in the video is a riding coach that just so happens to be his dad. Real fine line.
Also, be prepared for him to lose interest in racing as he gets older. He may want to take up more traditional sports. And that's okay to.
He is a kid, let him have fun. Don't push him to practice if he doesn't want to. If he starts losing, he may start wanting to practice, or he may lose interest completely and want to do something else (football, soccer, etc). Realize that there is a very slim chance he will race dirt bikes as a career, so why push him. Life is too short, live it to have fun.
Anyway, didn't mean to hijack the thread. Just feel for that father/son relationship in the vid when a dad wants the best for his kids, but the kids want it too.
To you, sir, I say just keep on trying. And as always, if your son is driving the activity, and you are there to help and support, then you are doing your job. When you feel like you are pushing, back off and remember it's more important to subscribe to the philosophy of 'do no harm' than it is to make him understand the big picture as you do. He will get it in time. In the mean time, know that most of us have great respect for the dad's that try to get it right, and recognize that you can't get it right at every moment in time. Keep the big picture of the dad/son relationship in mind just as you are trying to get your son to see the big picture of effort and results.
Respect.
Post a reply to: WoW! to this video..