Parents and the sport.
Fri, Jun 25, 2010 - 12:58pm
You hear all the time about guys having opinions on Vital etc. and having no clue what they are talking about. The same applies for guys like Watson who have never raised a family yet have strong opinions about removing the parents from their kid's racing lives all together.
Yes parents can be harsh, unreasonable, and down right crazy sometimes. When my boy and I were racing I shook my head at certain parents every weekend. But after the kid's racing career is over who has he got left?
The gap between some parents and some industry people is that they simply do not care to adhere to the political correctness, and the "you must be cool like us" vibe that exists in the pits at the factory level. So they are viewed as old fashioned and out of touch.
If you have never raised your own kid and understood the intense concern for their well being after providing for their every need since birth then you are not qualified to comment. You can still comment. You just aren't qualified. Just sayin.
Mon, Jun 28, 2010 - 7:43pm
#2
I have kids, but they are little so not sure if I'm qualified, but I think it's like everything find a balance, look after your kids well being (and your investment.. if we are honest) and also let the people that operate at the professional level do what the do best. I think parents need to be smart and keep a watchful eye on things, Matthes are there shady people that don't follow through on things in the mx business? I am guessing yes, but there are pros like Roger D./Team Suzuki were you don't have to take apart factory suspension at a local dealership to second guess them. Hmm maybe try communicating with them, tell them what your unhappy with, it's in their best interest to fix it so you can perform, that's what your paid for. Also don't follow the Shaun Perolio's dad model, can't remember his name but he wasn't nice to Shaun when we were 80cc novices.
Perhaps its because they are not parents that they see from another perspective...one a parent cannot or battle to grasp. To me its not the Brady Bunch, its racing. Support your kids with everything you have but everything has its purpose in life. Let the mechanics mechanic, the trainers train and the parents parent.