If you and your child have taken the plunge into motorsport already, then this article may not be so relevant. I should probably have written it as the first article on JuniorMoto.com, but it ended up differently. This matter is still close to my heart though – and I want to share why I feel it’s important to start early in motorsport and how incredibly rewarding it is to have these experiences together with your child.
Start the kids at an earlier time.
I am convinced that we should start the children at an earlier stage in our sport, than we might normally have been inclined to. It normal to interduce children to motorsport when they are 6+ years, and it also has its benefits. It is easier to train children when they are a bit older, and you can train the children in groups instead of one on one.
However, I think there are several advantages to starting a lot earlier, down to 2-3 years of age.
Do not worry – although it may have advantages to start earlier, you can NEVER start too late!
First and foremost – it allows us to interduce the child into a life of motorsport before other interests are gets their attention.
It’s hard and but true. The one that comes first wins their hearts. If the child has already found other interests, it will be harder to introduce a new sport.
It’s also important to teach the child about balance and motor skills early on, and to practice skills that will make them ready for a life on motorcycles.
We do this by starting the children out on pushbikes, and then migrate them to a motorcycle when they manage it.
It’s only natural that you want to start your child early if you want them to really excel at motorsport. Nevertheless, this has never been the driving force for us. The idea is not to create the next Elite riders, but for us to have an interest together.
It will not be easy – but it is rewarding.
It would be totally wrong to think that it is super easy to start teaching your child how to ride motorcycles. It requires a part of the child – but it requires much bigger part of you as a parent.
It is for you to train the child. Therefore, it’s important that you allocate the time and the resources needed for the task.
It’s amazing to be a part of the development your child goes through. See the victories they win every time a goal is achieved, or a challenge is overcome. You’re not just a spectator of it, but you’re a participant!
Having said that, I can guarantee that you have a time with your child you cannot compare with anything else. If you invest patience, time and pass on inspiration and learning, you can experience something great with your child
For us it is a journey we are on together. Not only as father and son, but the whole family together. You can probably do that with other sports – we have chosen motorsport.
I might wish for others that they could experience that as well.
Single Track training
