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09 SCX Champs - Youth riders hit the run up for the first time (pic - Andy Wardman)Cycling Mums are the new Hockey Moms - putting too much pressure too young on kids
We’re all familiar with the helicopter parent on the side of the football pitch, screaming on the 11 year old to smash his classmates - and taking the sport altogether too seriously.
That’s a culture that’s now creeping into cycling too, according to coaches and race organisers in North Devon.
“When the alpha-mum chauffeurs from the daily school-run grand prix team up with the weekend warrior cycling dads in the car park, they can provide an entertaining early warning of the potential culprits,” Primal Europe manager James Smith, who organises races, told the North Devon Journal.
Darren Armstrong, head of learner services at Petroc, also complained that “Some kids look worn out even before lining up at the start.”
He says he has seen a mother screaming at an eight year old for not putting up enough of a fight at a circuit race in the pouring rain, and said some parents carry on internet feuds with the organisers after the events. He added that at one casual Go Ride event a mother complained into the microphone at an awards ceremony.
“I can see the comedy in hindsight but they’re not funny at the time,” he said.
“I empathise with the innocent children who I’m sure just want to have fun out there.
“Maybe cycling’s materialism is to blame for these thin but volatile veins of stress?
“Kids are now riding the most expensive bikes, some as young as only seven seen warming up on turbo trainers.
“It should be rock up, have a bash about and go home. If these kids are under pressure to perform now, I dread to imagine the pressure when they are 16.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of ambitious performance bonus clauses written into some children’s pocket-money contracts,” he added.
“If jumpers used to be good enough for football goalposts, the equivalent would now be the finest cashmere to match some family’s ambitions for their cycling.
“The prizes are great and every single one donated by a sponsor is much appreciated, but I wish some parents would step back after the starter’s flag drops and let the children determine their own race outcomes.”
North Devon Wheelers-Southfork coach Pete Morrish said: “British Cycling provides insightful guidance to club coaches about identifying how and when to encourage any serious racing potential through the juvenile and junior ranks towards adulthood.”
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27 comments
BC have today announced a consultation paper for the future of youth circuit racing. http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/zuvvi/media/bc_files/go_ride/BritishCyc...
In BMX racing there are a few parents who equip their kids with incredibly expensive bikes and who shout at their offspring and pressure them to perform. I've seen quite a few come to think of it. I did see one parent losing it at a race official when the parent was told he was too late to register for a race. His confrontational approach was probably part of the reason he was denied the chance to enter his child. The parent responded by throwing the bike down on the ground and swearing, despite the fact that there were kids around.
Luckily though BMX is an inclusive sport and those types are in the minority.
My dad drove me to races up and down the country (Doncaster... Somerset... Leicester etc. etc.) but never watched an of the actual racing.
He would help me get all my stuff together and go with me to sign on, and he would carry my bag sometimes, but he would NEVER carry my wheels.
He hated the dads who stood by the side of the road shouting 'MOVE UP xxxx' holding spare wheels and handing out bottles.
Which is another thing - even on the longest Junior Series RRs, do you really need bottles handing out? 90km like... soft.
A while back at my local road circuit they had a regional youth race, say under 12's, and the quality of bike was amazing, coupled with various sets of wheels (inc deepish carbon rims), rollers to warm up on etc.
TBH I didn't see/hear any stereotypical pushy parents but they all had a lot of disposable income to be able to invest in decent kit for their child's hobby.
It did make me concerned about how inclusive it would be/appear to less well off sections of the community and whether in the future British Cycling would be getting cyclists that had been the most talented kids or the most talented kids with wealthy parents.
I'm glad that BC are concerned but rather than arbitrarily banning a material, I'd think they'd be better off having a single supplier deal with a large retailer and aim to have the bikes cost under a couple of hundred quid bringing them within the reach of every family.
Unworkable - mostly from a legal standpoint since it infringes various trading and competition laws. Also, it's somewhat draconian: it's a bike race, not a Communist regime!
I've been involved in motorsport as well as cycling and this is exactly what's done to keep costs down. U12's bikes could be multi use aluminium framed and also not changed for at least 4 years so there is also a second hand market.
Unworkable - mostly from a legal standpoint since it infringes various trading and competition laws. Also, it's somewhat draconian: it's a bike race, not a Communist regime![/quote]
Not necessarily there are plenty of single chassis engine formulae in motorsport, in the UK and throughout Europe.
I would think if there is a robust enough tender process it should be ok.
We see hints of this at our local Go-Ride series. There's one or two dads who take it all too seriously, but most are content to let them get on with it for the comedy value I think
I can't stop myself shouting at my lads, so I just have to try and make sure it's all positive and also that I shout equally positive things at the other riders. That's not hard as I now know most of them by name.
Eldest (9) has done one proper BC youth road race and I'll admit I was shocked by the hardware in use. I can see a carbon ban being useful - there were deep section rims on show in under 10s and ridiculous carbon saddles (which you really shouldn't see anywhere outside of Weightweenies) in under 12s. I could put carbon rims under my 9 year old - during the race he was most interested in clearing the speed bumps
I try and give all riders a good shout of encouragement, whether they are from the same club as my kids or not. I particularly like giving a big cheer to the riders struggling near the back. Seeing them pick up the pace after hearing some encouraging words is fantastic.
My daughter rode the U8 National Champs race at Blackpool in 2013, which involved a steep climb up from the prominade every lap. I was stood on the climb and 3rd time up she looked at me and said 'I can't do this!'. Suddenly all the parents on the climb starting cheering her with shouts of 'yes you can!'. She got out of the saddle and danced up the climb. Fantastic support.
I try and point out to my son that deep sections would actually make him slower. He is too light to get them up to the speed, and keep them there, where the aero shape will make a difference. As he only weighs 5.5 stone, he is much better off with light wheels he can spin up to speed quickly out of corners and up climbs.
Nice bunnyhop from your lad!
I love this. Jumping speed bumps is totally what 9 year olds should be concerned about. When I do a 'cross race I love it if there's an oportunity to get the wheels off of the floor; some things never change.
Last year I overheard a guy coaching a young lad on his gate starts on the BMX track. A much younger rider (maybe 6 or 7) rolled up and asked about getting coached on their gates. The response was perfect - just ride your bike and have fun, you're too young to worry about it.
I still hop speed jumps!
Me too - easier on the 20" and a hoot. Try doing several in a row and see how many you can do.
On the flip side of this, I was marshalling at the Winchester Crit in the summer and where I was stood where a group of mums and dads from one young team.
They seemed to have achieved a nice balance of support and respect for their children, with all the kids getting encouragement where ever they finished in the race.
Kids need a positive environment win or lose otherwise they will end up resenting it.
Make them all ride Raleigh Choppers !
I think it's awful kids are subjected to this kind of thing, but wonder whether the kind of performances we expect from athletes on the international stage can actually be produced without it - it would be interesting to see some research. In any sport, I feel uncomfortable when very young athletes appear in competitions such as the Olympics. It makes you wonder what their childhood has been like.
I'm all for sport being about sportsmanship, but that seems an unpopular view these days - it often seems to me to be about winning at all costs. How much are we willing to tolerate in return for lots of gold medals etc?
My daughter had a go at junior triathlon once. We cheered her across the finish line (somewhere towards the rear of the pack,) and gave her big hugs. The girl near her wasn't so lucky... Her dad stood with knuckles on hips, shaking his head.
"Look", he said " there are winners and losers in this world, and let's face it, you didnt win..."
She got an arsehole for a dad in the un-Lucky Dip
Too many kids who have to live up to some fantasy their pathetically insecure parents have. It invariably ruins it for the child.
I'd be happy to see deep/carbon wheels banned, a weight limit (9kg?) and 8 speed gearing for U12s.
Would be nice if people could be prevented from putting too-big bikes under their kids.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see rules like this being introduced. In BC youth track events there is a max rim depth (35mm) and min spoke count for all riders U14 and below. This stops little Johnny in the U10s rocking up with a disc wheel and tri-spoke. As track bikes don't vary hugely (apart from some being more aero than others), the racing becomes more about the riders legs and their brains.
My son and daughter raced the BC National Youth circuit series this year and had a thoroughly good time. To them it is a chance to ride their bikes, race on different circuits and meet up the with the group of friends they have made while racing. As parents we put no pressure on them. The pressure I get from my son about wanting things like deep section carbon wheels, as lots of the other boys in the U10s have them, is incredible though.
in sailing the high level youth events have had to instigate rules to restrict what parents can do. Hardly surprising that cycling would be hit by the same terrible people.
There are rumours that British Cycling are going to bring in technology restrictions to youth circuit races to stop the bike 'arms race' that has started. Often between parents.
U10 riders with deep section carbon wheels? Check. BC might be bringing in a 'no carbon' rule to U10 and below. It would ruffle some feathers but would let the riders focus on riding a bit more.
Man this article is so badly written it's laughable, the original makes sense but this is copy and paste makes me sick in my mouth.
I love the smell of irony.
This did the rounds on social media earlier this month:
Beddau RFC sign.jpg
I was chatting to the BC Commissaire at a race about just this; He was saying that every time he gets his gear measuring stick out you see parents sneaking back to the car to get the legally geared wheels.
How much pressure from the parents before these kids either give up or look for a boost from EPO? I've not yet seen this at a bike race but I have in other sports and it's counter productive. When I was at school I was on the Rugby and Hockey teams and I prefered to cycle the 30 mile round trip to school on a Saturday than have my dad drive me because he was an embarrassment.
It's not just cycling. It's most kid's sport nowadays. We're involved in running our hockey club and the whinging from parents who think their kids are undiscovered prodigies is pretty incredible.
This makes our local Go-ride events seem very tame - people rock up, ride and then go home...we might have a bit of a moan about the handicapping process they used to do something between the parents - other than that, I think it's great (and my kids lose every time, and I'm probably the loudest person shouting from the side lines.)
The "shouting and pushing kids hard" reminds me of a story a friend tells from when they were young in the late 90's - one of the mums at their local junior cross races would bellow "KILL BEN KILL" as the riders went past - it was Ben Swift, he has gone on to bigger and better things.