Why We Go Nuts on Kids' Sports

[@woodysrockspyro6436]

Don't burn em out. Build a happy person and good athlete. You are raising good productive adults.. not children. Let em learn and develop gradually. If they are athletes it will show with time.

[@leewaken5059]

As a father of two, thirty-something kids, a grandfather of 2 with another coming, and a husband of 40 years... Being a father is a full time, over time on weekends and holidays investment. Nice work Jason.

[@goinhot9133]

30 something lol

[@dhdyrjfmenrydka]

U got 30 kids dam thas crazy

[@FRCMoto]

Well said, Jason.

[@joshgutknecht529]

You’re an awesome dad. And you have a great family. Keep it up

[@Cvonbreeden]

Weege, my brother is a pro baseball player now and we grew up racing having that same childhood splitting it until about age 12 and 10 when baseball became the focus. Me speaking as an older brother and not a father it all boils down to is what your heart actually desires with the combination of skill and hard work. It is pretty much parallel with motocross all the way up through the ranks. There is tons of snake oil information from people who claim to know “the right way” or “the connections” you just have to always have to be a little untrusting sometimes of coaches and teachers unless they have a proven method or resume. But just like moto, baseball is a crazy mentality taxing sport that requires a short memory. The top players are just like Jett and Hunter with their “Mindset” taking every at bat and pitch one at a time and learning the chess aspect of pitches and the game as a whole. You absolutely have to love the grind and everything about it to be successful, to play the amount of games and days you have to play and practice in a year because it will always be easier to just give up. Even to this day in the offseason right now we are grinding away everyday at the field working, not gloating in what he is doing well but identifying and improving the weaknesses. Lastly just like some moto kids who don’t make it, Me unlike my brother didn’t have the complete skill to take it somewhere partly because I didn’t believe in myself but my heart was more into my music career, so it goes to show mentality and truly wanting it. At your sons age building proper throwing mechanics (using lower half correct, arm snap and wrist) and hitting mechanics is most important. If you think you don’t know baseball just relate to moto and most of the time it relates. Good luck to him and he’s lucky to have a Dad like you weege!

[@scottyboy7462]

Jason. you're the face of professional motocross. you should have received a perfect season trophy 🏆. amazing job all year. I can't believe they put you trackside at the final instead of in the booth. ❤️🇺🇸

[@jerryanker2289]

We all learn from failure first. When we succeed in anything from sports to work it feels so much more rewarding. Trust me we are always installing new and different products or materials and the stress before completion is tough. We learn to solve problems and that in itself is a great teacher. I watch how hard my three daughters work and it makes me proud. Love your son and daughter every day.

[@bobbybishop5662]

I had this same 50 to 60 issue with my son. He did really good on the fifty but the 60 he just didn't want to ride it. We were also involved in little league baseball at that time. He had outgrown the fifty and for a entire year we didn't ride. When he turned 10 he was thru with ball sports. Got him a 80 , after two or three practice days he got the gearbox and clutch down , never looked back . I'm glad I didn't push him about riding the 60.

[@halecj1]

I was that lefty kid that only got to play 1st, pitch or outfield. Its great that in baseball as you move up the ranks lefties get more and more valuable. If he throws left as well you might want to look into some pitching coaching just to see if its something he's interested in, and get him started with good mechanics early.

[@Howard-e9m]

It’s human nature as a parent to go through all those emotions! I have three kids one is out of the house and two are still in the house. You always expect the best out of your blood, as you said we are wired that way

[@bertamusprime618]

Man, that was a good video! A lot said and a lot to think about.

[@tommysimper]

Jason, you can buy a recluse clutch for his 65 and it may help him to adjust quicker. Still has to shift and he can use the clutch as well but he doesn't have to use it. A clutch is pretty easy to swap out so when ready you can put stock back in and sell the recluse.

[@flyinganvilfamily]

Great video weege. The mini dad life can be challenging to navigate but the thing that has always kept me balanced the best is that we are trying to raise good humans first followed by goals in sports. Must raise a good kiddo first. Great perspective

[@mkbrown]

Great insight and perspective. Thank you for sharing.

[@e2U]

After helping raise 33 suicidal children in @RISK Single Parent Families, mostly. It all begins in childhood, and the adults in jail, driving drunk, and worse, all had their emotional foundation never developed. If I get them before about 3, I can absorb the fear of life, reprogram the neurological conflicts, and give them back the love of life so they grow up with a solid emotional foundation to build a great life. Parents should remind themselves that they are coaches and there to guide their children by actions. If you don't have the time, don't have kids: they need your attention, and the parents are so so soooo crucial to a child. Not money, not stuff, but the time you spend with them. Great Job, JW, and all you do. You should never hit or punish a child. You should guide them to know what to do at a young age and prepare them for life. Being the best at anything should not be the goal, being. a good human being should be the gaol and to have. a great life. and raise more good humanbeings. One day, our true heroes will be parents who raise great human beings.

[@ramboracing702]

Legend! 🤜💥🤛

[@monteallcock9439]

very good weege ..excellent insight as always

[@az4555]

The kids usually have fun until their parents tell them they’re not. Baseball hitting top tip: put him behind the plate standing in a hitting position..but have him wear his glove and pitch to him. He’ll learn to follow the ball to the plate, then teach him the swing. Keep grinding Wedge🤙

[@brianmcginity]

I am in the middle of all this as well. Most will not and do have the ambition/ability/gift (you name it) to make it even to the collegiate level. I only ask that my kids have fun and put in a good effort--to enjoy the sport. If they want to pursue it, great. If they want to pursue something else--great. My role is to be here and help them find their calling. (BTW, extra practices do help a lot over time.)

[@Alexfeaster66]

man, very wise words is this video. thanks Jason!

[@sarahricecreativellc1399]

Love this!

[@tylerlivesay5868]

I really appreciate this perspective , well worth the watch. See you guys in a couple weeks 💪🏼

[@JKrause616]

I just started watching the video, but a crossover with you guys would be awesome.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

Nice video! Yeah I’d say the reason “Mini Dad’s” are such a meme is because they’re mini DADS. Dad’s know the world is tough. And so is racing, even in the 50cc class. If you’re able to handle what that throws at you, you’ll be set up to handle life’s hardships better than any other kid. That’s my opinion, and that’s also been my experience.

[@dhdyrjfmenrydka]

My dad won’t let me ride unless I give it 100% Glad he gave me that mentality, bro I’ll still go for the holeshot if I’m on my 350, and both Prado and Jett are lined up next to me

[@randyroberts4239]

As the bastard son and father of none, I have zero perspective on your situation. My experience in racing began in 1977 at age 16 on a used bike i bought with my own money. I borrowed my uncles truck, lied to my grandmother, the sign-up lady and, everyone else I spoke to that day,,, and proceeded to mechanical dnf both motos. Life changed. No more organized sports of any other description. I did it until 2005 with a few breaks for brokenness. Physical, mental,,, financial. All that to say this. Early on, I was envious, bitterly, of the guys with dads and multiple new bikes. It absolutely fueled me. One time, I had beaten a supposed friend in a moto. I overheard him saying, "I don't think you should be allowed to race without the proper equipment." At the time, my gear was blue jeans, a red sweatshirt and garden gloves. Over time though, I saw that I was thinking about it wrong. I had been blessed from the start. It was all me. No help but, no pressure...... Nobody screaming if I crashed or got waxed. Nobody mortgaging their home to live vicariously through me. Nobody pushing me to jump something. We've all seen it. I've seen kids crying as dad and grandpa start yelling before they even get their helmet off. Some of these kids are gonna despise motorcycles because of it. Others, I'm sure, have become champions because of it. I'm certain that being a dad can't be an easy endeavor. I figure I would have sucked at it. Two more things. 1-Thank God for grandma. 2-Saw off a broom handle. Get a small cork fishing float and wrap thin cloth tape around it horizontal and vertical. It'll break two feet from 20' and when he can hit it with a stick, a bat will feel like a boat paddle. Teach him to hit from both sides of the plate. When he gets a scholarship, think about me and all the money you're saving!

[@Brian23471-o]

nice work guys. keep it up weege jr.

[@brianmerrill1227]

Jason you are around only the best of the best athlete's in the world's toughest sport. Moto guys a so competitive. So im sure its tough being around the best top athletes' and I'm sure the competitiveness wears off. Just support little man in whatever he desides he wants to do. Your doing great.

[@kevinholder2825]

Love it. You are the best.

[@scottlink1693]

You're doing a good job, weege!

[@mikebishop6095]

My cousin went from his car 70 to a ttr 125 and hated the clutch lol and went on to win multiple regional titles

[@baggszilla]

Weig your the best!

[@adambury193]

Babe, wake up!! Weege dropped a KZbin video!!

[@ryanrobles9404]

Great video 100% honest

[@donnieburger3721]

was that randy's bike stand in the back of that truck lol 🤣🤣🤣

[@drtim649]

Great video. As a parent and mental performance coach at ClubMx since 2014, this video really made me reflect on my own similar experience. I would enjoy the opportunity to talk with you next time you’re at Club. Ask any of the coaches there for my number. Take care.

[@BD225_]

Weege I 100% understand. Your passion isn't always theirs, but enjoy the ride it goes so fast, smx will always be there

[@woodysrockspyro6436]

We been missing some Jason!

[@christopher7935]

why so serious Weedge, let your kid have fun and do what he wants to , he won't even know who he is for 10 more years , support him in what ever he wants, don't worry about what you wanted

[@Jasonrcsd]

you should come out west and ride some single track with your son. I think you'd like it a lot. Maybe hook up with the Beast from the East. I think he lives in Boise now and Idaho has some of the best single track riding around. Your welcome to come to Montana and we will take you guys out on a few single tracks in the mountains.

[@remaro518]

I found the last 10 seconds of the video the most relatable 😅😅😅

[@JamieJohnson-vg4dm]

So cool Jason has his own utb channel.. im sure everyone misses you when there no races.. i hope you're there when Supercross starts

[@garethcrothersmx]

All in.

[@jonathandeemer257]

I thought it was just me that felt that way! 😂

[@TheHypnotstCollector]

"Looking for Bobby Fisher" movie, chess parents are just as whacked at MX parents. that's reassuring

[@colinv8racer134]

JT’s going to be pissed your kids wearing the wrong gear again 😅

[@z50king29]

Baseball silly season podcasts!

[@dylanchurby2093]

The people most critical of mini parents don’t seem to have kids of their own so they haven’t experienced it yet. *cough* Steve *cough*

[@joewahrerMotorcycleMan]

Don't hate on me...but IMO you need to listen to your child. At :41 seconds you said he doesn't want to ride a 65cc, at 4:12 you said he loves and wants to play baseball. Why not let him follow his own heart? If you want him to mature by riding a bigger bike why not take him out trail riding and let him get comfortable on a 65cc bike? Why does he have to go to a training facility (Club MX) and be on a stop watch? IMO, your primal comparison is being used for you to justify what you want, not what he wants. So, what if he strikes out, if he is having fun doing what he wants to do then he is living his best life. You should be glad to get to see him do that! Enjoy it!

[@ygantmedia]

Let me explain. We have to move to 65cc because he's 9 now and huge on a 50, and he's aged out of any 50cc racing class. We weren't on a stop watch at Club or a training program, I went there because they give us the run of the place so we can ride in a field, or on a track by ourselves. It's probably the exact opposite of what you're thinking when you hear ClubMX. We don't do that stopwatch stuff or group training. We just ride over in the corner by ourselves. Note you didn't see any other bikes around in that video, we show up when everyone else is done. I would LOVE to just do some fun trail riding. I can't find a place to do it. I have let him follow his heart for baseball. He probably plays baseball more in a week than he had ridden all year..not joking. We ride less than once a month, he sometimes plays baseball every day. Two days or practice, maybe some games on weekends, and then he's begging me to go play catch in the yard every other day after school. His breakdown of the two sports is probably 97% baseball and 3% dirt bikes riding. As for the striking out in a game, he ended that game sitting in my lap, in tears, because he was so sad he did so badly. I never said a bad word to him, that's just all him getting mad at himself. That's when it gets tough--you're balancing trying to keep it fun, but also trying to help the kid develop and improve so they don't get discouraged and stop trying. It's a Catch-22, always.

[@joewahrerMotorcycleMan]

Wow what an awesome reply...thanks! I guess the only this I would question is does he want to move up to the 65cc Class and if he said no I personally would leave him on his 50cc. I was blessed to raise a foster-care-son and back in the day I took him to get a new bicycle. He test rode two bikes and told the salesperson he didn't want either of them. On the way home I said, Gabe why didn't you want either of those bikes? He said because I like my old one! I learned a lot that day and every night when we would go for a ride it made me smile knowing that he was happy with what he had! His bike was a piece a junk but it took him everywhere he wanted to go. Cheers@@ygantmedia

[@ygantmedia]

@@joewahrerMotorcycleMan I think you have to understand the age range here. Once you turn 9, you pretty much have to leave the 50 behind. He's too big for a 50 and he won't be able to race it anymore. 50 classes are generally aged 4-8. I could have started this move a year ago but I've tried to hold on as long as I could. It's not about getting a "better" dirt bike or bicycle. It's about riding one that actually fits you. Also, learning clutch and gears is part of life. You're gonna have to do it eventually. And when you do, it unlocks a whole world of better things. Trail riding on a 50 doesn't really work. You need gears and a clutch. This will help tremendously. He got on a 65 in March. Rode it twice, very successful, handled the clutch no prob, we were fine and he loved it. Then he got back on his 50 again....and then suddenly decided he hated the 65. So I know he can do it, no problem, because he handled it without an issue 8 months ago. One of the trickiest things is trying to get inside the mind of an 8 or 9 year old and figure out what's an actual physical limitation, and what's just in their head.

[@joewahrerMotorcycleMan]

I don't want to offend you so I'm going to leave this alone. However food for thought...I've helped many a kid up off the MX Track that was sobbing and I told them that I would help them get going again and they said, " I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS " and it kills me that we all know who wants them to do it but we are not allowed to talk about it. Child abuse?@@ygantmedia

[@DanArnets1492]

Kids often love stuff they suck at - Considering he's good on a 50cc, he might be decent on a mountain bike (DH or XC). If he likes to pedal, I'd try to get him to some random race just in case. 🤷🏻‍♂️ PS: both you and your wife aren't exactly athletic, it's fine if Layne's just not good at any sport 😅

[@Fehr270]

The professionalization of youth sports is ruining it for the only fun and exercise crowd.

[@astreet339]

I feel like this was Weege #RaceTechRant

[@alanwesterfield4254]

It sounds weird how your parents were so reluctant to support you in your childhood ambitions..... but maybe that helped push you to succeed at something you fell in love with? Making a career from dirt bikes without having to race them takes major ambition and drive too. I only know you from your offroad roots being involved in GNCC racing so I can only assume you endured a lot to keep climbing the ladder. If your kid sucks at riding and sucks at baseball.... who cares? Maybe he will end up on a great path you or him could never imagine? You can MAKE them do anything but they will never be the best at anything unless they absolutely LOVE it. You can't control that. Just support them when they decide they want it. Nothing wrong with playing baseball or riding dirt bikes because it is FUN. That is what both of those activities should be about anyway. Too much pressure on kids today. I personally think "wanting our kids to have it better than we had it" is the worst thing going for so many... of course I am speaking of people that grew up in reasonably normal households that did not have to live in bad situations. Maybe your kid loves baseball so much that is all he can think about but doesn't have the athletic ability to make it as a pro.... could end up being a coach or anything.

[@MotocrossEditor]

I think our wives are ambitious and we just do what they tell us. 😕

[@ygantmedia]

You are not wrong.....

[@carljames4992]

you have to get off youtube to get him off youtube lol.