Anticipation mounts once inside "the Pits", for those not in the know. The Pits are where the riders and mechanics set up shop. Spectators park acros the street or in the pits. There is a mandatory riders meeting prior to each race at 9am followed by practice at 9:30 and racing at 10am. The riders meetings consist of the days practice breakdown, classes that may have been combined or scratched and most importantly, the meaning of each flag and what to do. The Green flag means "Go", checkered flag, the lead rider has finished and the race is over. Yellow="Caution", Black="you did something wrong or there is something wrong with your bike" if you have a black flag, you must leave the track and report to the tower. A red flag means "Stop" the race is temporarily haulted as continuing is unsafe for your and the other riders. This is a flag NOONE wants to see and noone has thus far in the season.
Then it happened the red flag was used not once, but twice during the the second 65cc Novice moto class race. Jeremy races this class, the first flag came up within the first lap. Track conditions were very dry. The brook water is pumped from was very low due to the current drought condition throughout the state, two tanks were hauled in. With water being used sparingly the track was in rough shape. Deep ruts and dust offered nothing but poor visibility and challenges for the racers.
The race track consists of a few jumps, a small hill and a table top at the flagging area. After the hill is a switchback (a sharp U type turn) racers generally shift at the bottom of this hill heading into the switchback to make the turn. This time, the kids didn't make it to the switchback the first rider dropped the bike the next drove over him and the bike and three more dropped like dominoes before hitting the first two. Five kids down, parents scrambling to get them up and out of the way. The red flag drawn, Jeremy haulted at the top of the hill waiting while EMT's cleared all the downed riders to continue.
The race restarted, as the first lap wasn't completed. The riders lined the starting gate and off they went, some with a vengeance others with the same attitude of doing his or her best. Th e race was going well until the third lap, a rider came over the table top his rear tire starting to squirrel under him as the rider attempted to recover the dirt was too much the child was thrown from his bike. When I say thrown I mean tossed like a pancake in the air! My heart skipped as I held my breathe and watched a boy all of 10 or 11 flip through the air 360' bounce, rotate in mid-air landing face down on his stomach. Not a sound was made, not a breathe taken until the sound of crying was heard. The childs father was the first to get to him and pull him off the track. The hurt child was a lead rider other riders were right on his tail landing at the bottom of a table top is not the place you want to be,
As EMS tended to the boy the red flag was again displayed with vigor. A parent asked an official why the race was stopped the official explained what I think was obvious....hello, there is a child hurt on the track. The parent didn't want to hear that, the situation was off the track and he saw his child lose points in the overall. I'm sorry people but I think some people need to reevaluate the priorities. Moto-X like all sports not jsut extreme are dangerous people, as dangerous as walking across a street or driving my car 30 minutes each way to work everyday.
The boy hasn't returned to the track since the crash, I spoke to a relative and he is allright. He was VERY bruised when he came off the track that day but other then bruising he is practicing but the powers that be a/k/a Mom doesn't want him racing. I have mixed feelings about this, the boy wants to race, his mother didn't attend the race that day (the guilt of not being there), so she didn't see the crash only heard snippits I'm sure. I saw the race and the crash and I still let both my boys ride and Liam still races. I see it as something I signed up for, he LOVES riding he LOVES all things associated with riding, he sleeps with toy dirtbikes, he walks around my house in new dirtbike boots so he can "break them in".
They don't call the sport an extreme sport because the risk factor is at a zero. Let your kids do what they love and don't let them see you worry.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
lessons learned............thus far
Do I worry, of course I worry. I don't know is how I've made it this far without completely losing control. Wait, yes I do. I didn't think about what could happen, I just watched and enjoyed the experience. I just reacted when I needed to, like all mom's do. When a situation arises and you have to put the Super Mom cape on.
You know, the cape that disguises all things gross, nasty and scary into smaller manageable problems? This special cape transforms you into a person you never dreamed in a million years you would be.
The situation of the first race helped me with my fears about the whole ordeal. Because Sean was battling a kidney stone and recovering from foot surgery it helped....a lot! For starters, I was the one pushing the bike to the track, it was me who had to give that always so important pep talk. which I was later told by Sean it was "The worst pep talk known to man". Of course I thought is was pretty good, "Remember buddy, be careful and have fun". What's wrong with that? A little encouragement and caution rolled up in a nice little package, for a frantic Mom it's all I could come up with. I guess I could've gone with, "Let's just go out for ice cream, don't you think that will be more fun?". Something tells me if I had chosen those words I would've been shot down faster then Beemer on the Audibon
I learned that all rules are meant to be broken especially when it's Mom whose breaking them. Once at the starting gate, the seconds countdown and the gate drops. When he fell off or stalled the bike, I ran across the track to make sure he was fine, which you are instructed NOT to do. (really? did they think I was going to follow that rule?) When I got to him all I saw were big frustrated hazel eyes, the "eye of the tiger" look, full of determination to catch up with the other riders. He wanted back on that track to finish his race. I put the bike in second gear and he took right off.
I have learned that lessons I teach to my children are not ignored. His concern for others extend on the race track. If he falls over or off his bike while racing, as the other riders pass him he gives them a thumbs up. What does this thumbs up mean? It actually means a couple of things 1. He's ok or 2. He is encouraging the other for a great job staying on their bikes. Either way, I'm proud because even though it's a race, a compitition to be the best. He is just having fun and enjoying himself. I never want the innocence of the world to rub off on him. I know I can't stop that from happening but I can instill the qualities in him to allow the harshness of the world to slide off his back and not take it so seriously. He has met some great friends, kids from 6 to teenager. The second race we went to a teenager came up to Liam and gave him a pep talk. Travis told him how he watched his last race and that Liam was doing fantastic, every race getting better and better. The fifth race, Sean and I had to explain to Liam why Travis didn't stop and talk to him very much. Travis is a teenager and the red head holding his hand at the track wanted his attention. In Travis' defense, he did say "Hi" to Liam and "good luck today". Liam has meant other kids (closer to his age), that throughout each race weekend he walks the track with them, they "hang out" and talk dirtbikes. Gunnar and Tyler are among the two closest. Tyler is 7 and likes to hang out with Liam, they go back and forth. Gunnar is 10 and one of the most polite boys I have ever met. He is there when we pull into the pits and offers to help unload the bikes. Liam thinks he is super cool and they have a common interest....Travis Pastrana #199.
As a Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Aunt I never dreamed my life would be this full. I won't lie to you, when I reminice with friends from grammar school. We discuss what we wanted to be when we grew up. The first female astronault, President of the United States, some wanted children. Let's face it, at 7 years old babies just show up and sleep 'til they go to school and meet great friends. As we matriculated to junior high school and then High School, our dreams may have changed and some stayed the same. A group of girls with similar backgrounds. Life may not have turned out the way we planned in first grade but with no regrets and fantastic friends to keep each other sane not to mention the wine. We have full and happy lives. I thank these girls along with my family for supporting and encouraging me to pursue my dreams. I wouldn't be the Moto Mom I am today without you.
When you're faced with a "What's a Mom to do?" situation. Just go with it! If they love it you really don't have a choice but to make it happen for them. Right?!
You know, the cape that disguises all things gross, nasty and scary into smaller manageable problems? This special cape transforms you into a person you never dreamed in a million years you would be.
The situation of the first race helped me with my fears about the whole ordeal. Because Sean was battling a kidney stone and recovering from foot surgery it helped....a lot! For starters, I was the one pushing the bike to the track, it was me who had to give that always so important pep talk. which I was later told by Sean it was "The worst pep talk known to man". Of course I thought is was pretty good, "Remember buddy, be careful and have fun". What's wrong with that? A little encouragement and caution rolled up in a nice little package, for a frantic Mom it's all I could come up with. I guess I could've gone with, "Let's just go out for ice cream, don't you think that will be more fun?". Something tells me if I had chosen those words I would've been shot down faster then Beemer on the Audibon
I learned that all rules are meant to be broken especially when it's Mom whose breaking them. Once at the starting gate, the seconds countdown and the gate drops. When he fell off or stalled the bike, I ran across the track to make sure he was fine, which you are instructed NOT to do. (really? did they think I was going to follow that rule?) When I got to him all I saw were big frustrated hazel eyes, the "eye of the tiger" look, full of determination to catch up with the other riders. He wanted back on that track to finish his race. I put the bike in second gear and he took right off.
I have learned that lessons I teach to my children are not ignored. His concern for others extend on the race track. If he falls over or off his bike while racing, as the other riders pass him he gives them a thumbs up. What does this thumbs up mean? It actually means a couple of things 1. He's ok or 2. He is encouraging the other for a great job staying on their bikes. Either way, I'm proud because even though it's a race, a compitition to be the best. He is just having fun and enjoying himself. I never want the innocence of the world to rub off on him. I know I can't stop that from happening but I can instill the qualities in him to allow the harshness of the world to slide off his back and not take it so seriously. He has met some great friends, kids from 6 to teenager. The second race we went to a teenager came up to Liam and gave him a pep talk. Travis told him how he watched his last race and that Liam was doing fantastic, every race getting better and better. The fifth race, Sean and I had to explain to Liam why Travis didn't stop and talk to him very much. Travis is a teenager and the red head holding his hand at the track wanted his attention. In Travis' defense, he did say "Hi" to Liam and "good luck today". Liam has meant other kids (closer to his age), that throughout each race weekend he walks the track with them, they "hang out" and talk dirtbikes. Gunnar and Tyler are among the two closest. Tyler is 7 and likes to hang out with Liam, they go back and forth. Gunnar is 10 and one of the most polite boys I have ever met. He is there when we pull into the pits and offers to help unload the bikes. Liam thinks he is super cool and they have a common interest....Travis Pastrana #199.
As a Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister and Aunt I never dreamed my life would be this full. I won't lie to you, when I reminice with friends from grammar school. We discuss what we wanted to be when we grew up. The first female astronault, President of the United States, some wanted children. Let's face it, at 7 years old babies just show up and sleep 'til they go to school and meet great friends. As we matriculated to junior high school and then High School, our dreams may have changed and some stayed the same. A group of girls with similar backgrounds. Life may not have turned out the way we planned in first grade but with no regrets and fantastic friends to keep each other sane not to mention the wine. We have full and happy lives. I thank these girls along with my family for supporting and encouraging me to pursue my dreams. I wouldn't be the Moto Mom I am today without you.
When you're faced with a "What's a Mom to do?" situation. Just go with it! If they love it you really don't have a choice but to make it happen for them. Right?!
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