BMX moms

In Chula Vista, I watched races with Tory Nyhaugs mom, Margit. With us there were also Cheryl Post (Alise Post's mom) and Sheryl Bradford (Joey Bradford's mom). I started to think what kind of parents they have been when their kids have grew-up.

In Usa there is not same kind of sport clubs as we have in northern Europe. When you go practice there is no-one coaching. Or those times once someone is coaching they are called clinics. And that's expensive joy. Often parents are coaching their kids. They push their kids to do more, pedal harder.

In Finland we have those "icehockey-dads" who are known by yelling their kids. Now I know that it's not only in icehockey. Some of those parents really go too far. I heard parents pushing their kids to become world champion in age of 5. They are telling them how much money they have used for BMX (quite often the kids haven't ask that). Everytime on track you hear someone yelling to their child. After losing race, parent pulling kid from helmet, is too much for me.

Other basic epistode are parents in restaurant. They are talking about whose kid didn't race fare. Whose kids are practicing well and whose kids are not gonna make it in future. At the same time kids are playing. They couldn't care less. They win or lose, they don't cry for it.

BMX moms told that they have talked about this. Their opinion is that most important thing is to let kids ride their bikes. Let them race BMX if it's fun for them, says Margit. Parents can support kids by buying a bike or taking them to track. Tory, Alise and Joye have been extremely self-motivated and push themselves. Their drive to be the best comes from within and the parents don't need to push them to be better. They have done it on their own. Some parents have not realized, they think they can force their kids to be great, however it doesn't work that way. If the the kid wants it, they will do it. If not, that's ok, just let the kid have fun riding their bike. That's not bad decision eather.

Quite often parents are working for their kids to get something they haven't ever even asked; championships or most expensive bikes. When kid have to pay it back, parents starts to get lose their temper. One parent admit that he has made his kid to do push-ups until kid throw-up, because kid had stop pedaling during race. He defend that, by telling that sometimes kids doesn't know when they can stop. My personal opinion is that kid would have learn it also by losing the race.

Pictures from new Olympic track in Chula Vista: