Andy Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 One of the problems when writing a weekly column is that sometimes when I sit down at the computer, I genuinely haven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilco Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 Like me, you will have seen fathers of schoolboys push, cajole, threaten, shout and get angry with their kids over their perceived failure to achieve what dad thinks is possible. Yes that's a real shame that goes on,Im pleased to say my father was never guilty of that,then again it was very rare to see Dad's shouting at there kid's at trial's anyway year's ago.As soon as bike was off trailer i was gone. Im not sure why some dad's follow there kid's about trial's today,the average schoolboy club section's hav'nt got any harder have they. First and foremost Trial's should be a fun dayout for the kid's if they start showing good talent in there riding then the right people will pick up onit,so dad's there's no point shouting around the wood's,if the kid's got it he's got it if the kid ain't got it he ain't got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishy Posted November 26, 2007 Report Share Posted November 26, 2007 I agree, if they are not having fun then prime time with dad is going to be limited. At a trial a couple of weeks ago my 11yr old set off at the same time as I to ride two loops of 15 sections, watched him ride section one, and never saw him again until he caught me at section 13 on his second lap, he won the novice class on four points and picked his own lines and pace, I dare say with dad's 30 years of experience I could of got him to loose more points but left alone to figure it themselves or riding with one of their mates they are more likely to be around longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
army man Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 All True, I dont know how many times I have been to a trial and watched Dad, who could not ride a bike up the garden path, never mind what wee Johnny is trying to do on a bike that is to big and to powerfull. screaming and slapping him on the head. I have been so close to doing something I would regret, but I have managed to restrain myself. My son had a Sherco 50 for the last 2 years, a great little bike, my boy is on the tall side, a bit like his dad and the bike has alway's looked to small for him, has I have been told by so many of those path riders. Well guess what, he won his club, class championship. So to those that are pushing, please let them ENJOY and mature in there own time. If he has it, he won't lose it. Retired Minder (Jarvis and Connor) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cota kid Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 In Brazilian style Football schools parents are banned from training sessions and matches. The emphasis is on the children developing through enjoyment not some parent screaming abuse at them. It annoys me when I see parents shouting at children when they do something wrong. I remember at one trial a disgruntled parent screaming, 'he's ******* stalled it!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted November 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 One of the first Trials I went to outside the SSDT was a Youth A&B at Skyrakes. I was totally disgusted by the attitudes of some of the fathers. "You ******* useless little ****" was one particular phrase of encouragement I heard that sticks in my mind. Fortunately that kind of attitude seemed to be in the minority, but it's still not fair on the kids and only going to make them resent the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cota kid Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Mind you it never did Doug any harm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 (edited) This brings to mind a bit of a story I left out when I related the tale (iridium plugs !) of taking my son to the local riding park and watching him get ssmmookkeedd by a little kid on a cobra race bike ! Although the little one had real talent , his dad was on the infeild of the track SCREAMING at him almost the whole time !!!!! On the ride home that day I decided if my son's are going to get into riding , they will learn TRIALS ! I also just obtained a clean TY80 that they know nothing about . And I can teach them all of the fundimentals in the backyard , after that I can take them to a twinshock event with me and set them loose with the other beginers. I ride with the greatest bunch of folks I've ever met ! I started competing in trials events at 12 or 13 so they should too ... (besides the fact that them constantly redlining the old xr100 I put together for them scares me !!!) They will learn after you get competent at trials , the rest is easy ! then if they want to go fast they can ...?? And besides ,being a single dad the last thing I want to do is yell at my kids anymore than they demand ...!!!!????????? Trials is also a great selfconfidence builder (imho) cause when you do it , good or bad , you can only point a finger at yourself and laugh !!!! Glenn P.S. I'm working on locating a 2nd ty80 , Two boys , 9 and 11 they will be harder on each other than I ever could be ! And my 13 year old daughter is even tougher on them ! and yes she rides the xr too ... and no their not allowed to touch my trusty 240 ! (yet) ... Edited November 28, 2007 by axulsuv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 (edited) One of the problems with introducing kids into sport (trials) at such very young ages, is that by the time they are ready to break into the world of adult trials, roadwork and big sections, many of them have had enough, often having ridden for 12 or 13 years at that point. Like me, you will have seen fathers of schoolboys push, cajole, threaten, shout and get angry with their kids over their perceived failure to achieve what dad thinks is possible. The result can often be that as soon as the youngster is old enough to make his own decisions, he Edited November 28, 2007 by Slapshot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 Don't get me started on this subject Michael!!!!, this one gets me incredibly hot under the collar! I must agree with Slapshot here, I have watched all sorts of "encouragement" from fathers over the years (no names no pack drill) who plainly know absolutely zilch about riding in trials. What they are doing is trying to live their life through their "talented" kids. Quite honestly it basically disgusts me. My old man competed reasonably successfully in trials, in his day, but most of all he enjoyed his trialling, he never ever pushed me into trials, I wanted to ride bikes, Mum wasn't too keen on the idea admittedly, but she was overrulled! In fact the old man took me to trials and invariably observed or stewarded at the event and simply left me to get on with it. He occasionally uttered the words "silly bugger" when I cocked up, but strangely never lost the heid! ... and boy was he prone to loosing the heid on other matters quite regularly, but never at a trial. Yip, I have seen them come and seen them go, full of great ideas as to how trials should be run etc, etc, etc... I'm sure if I live long enough I'll see plenty more interfering fathers! Big John (Rant over) ...I told you Michael, don't get me started! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 One of the things that I feel is important for the kids is not just the riding, but the whole trials ethos. When I got into trials, I was lucky that my father (a RR Engineer) taught me certain engineering principles and methods that have stayed with me to this day. I can remember some of my best father/son moments were spent fettling bikes(cycles & motorbikes). He never saw me ride or was even interested to be honest, but would always help and advise me when working on the bike. I went round the Danby's tonight and was talking with Ross & his Dad Mick and its very much the same with them too as it was with me and my dad and its good to see. I hate it when you see the dads doing all the bike stuff and the kids do nothing but ride. Its the old saying, give a man a fish, and feed him for a day. Show a man how to fish, and feed him for life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted November 28, 2007 Report Share Posted November 28, 2007 (edited) In fact the old man took me to trials and invariably observed or stewarded at the event and simply left me to get on with it. The thick ear when he found you at the sections furthest away from the cars knowing he'd be last away that evening He occasionally uttered the words "silly bugger" when I cocked up, Huh, mine still does and still get the odd thick ear since I started calling him a miserable old scrote , stopped minding them in the last few months mind you biggest compliment I ever got was he asked me to fix his carb...maybe there's something about a certain generation.....not that i'd put myself in Moffat's generation mind Edited November 29, 2007 by Slapshot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubby Posted November 29, 2007 Report Share Posted November 29, 2007 My old man was a hot head and also reasonably successful in his day, so all his mates at the time were saying to him, " When you going to buy the lad a bike?" To which he answered not until he makes my life hell, otherwise he obviously doesn't want it enough. So when I was 13 the bug really bit and he still wouldn't buy me a bike!! So I worked my summer holidays in a hotel, saved up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 Now I'm a very patient person, I have a job where I have to be extremely patient with difficult people, however on this one section the lad, who was 11 at the time, got right to the top of the bank and couldn't make the turn. The bike stalled and he immediately pulled the clutch in. The resulting roll back down the bank left him high up in a bramble bush. No problem, as normal I got off my bike and extracted him from the bush, a few scratches to bike and rider but basically ok. 'Next time that happens,' I said 'leave the clutch out and I will rescue you at the top.' Next lap, right at the top- stall - clutch in - roll back - bramble bush - scratches - same advice. Third lap, top - clutch .... bush - sctratches - advice. Last lap, top - clutch - bush - "FOR GODS SAKE LEAVE THE ******* CLUTCH OUT!!!!" No sooner had I said it, I'd wished that I'd not. The little lad burst into tears and all of the other adults shook their heads at my awfull behaviour infront of a child... who was still stuck in the bush! Naturally he forgave me a lot quicker than I forgave myself and I've never riased my voice at him since, even the time when he.... well that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikespace Posted November 30, 2007 Report Share Posted November 30, 2007 (edited) I think my lads had two blasts of shouting since he started trials 5 years ago. Both for the same reason - throwing his bike down after fiving a section. One of them was almost a bike on the trailer job, but I diodn't want to go home I don't mind too much what he does, but we don't do tantrums especially if it means breaking a bike I'm paying for. Other than that we have fairly good banter and I think it's getting better. Just on Sunday, he'd struggled to get through a rocky section as the bike was perched on a rock and his leg was about 18 inches lower. He slipped about for a while, and I was along side chuckling and muttering "Come on short ar5e". By the time he was out of the section I'd ridden off and was waiting just up the path - He shot past me on the way to the next section and shouted "Come on fat ar5e". I did have a bit of a chuckle I can't take it too seriously. I want him to enjoy it and at the moment he's always asking when the next trial is, so it's a good sign. Edited December 1, 2007 by bikespace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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