Theory of Athletic Ability in Motocross

The reality is that most motocross racers are to some degree physically fit, but overall un-athletic and people mistakenly associate being fit with being a good athlete. These two do not inherently go together.  It also goes vice versa, you could be amazingly naturally skilled but have horrible fitness. This side though is more easily recognized by individuals. But with sports like motocross it is harder to discern a clear boundary for where the line in the sand is drawn. If you had the fitness of a sit at your desk accountant who worked out twice a week to make themselves feel better but you had the riding skill that Villopoto does, you could accomplish a lot in the sport.  However take someone like Ryan Villopoto off of the bike and put him in a soccer game, basketball game or any other number of sports and it may become more apparent how lacking he could be in certain physical aspects. Why does this happen?

The reality is that parents over specialize in motocross with their kids at such a young age that a vast majority of other movement patterns are not fully developed. These motor patterns are the important ground work for developing the greatest possible athletic potential. Think of them like a computer program; in order for a robot to execute an action like building a car you have to write a computer program. The advantage that programmer has is that he can simply manipulate the code a few times and it all comes together. Human beings have to go through hundreds of repeated trials and then additionally be taught by someone who knows the proper motor patterns.

Many people may argue that you need to get your kids to specialize early now in order to get good enough. On the contrary, research has found opposite. At the Seattle Sounders Sport Science seminar in 2012 an esteemed member of the Ajax Amsterdam youth development academy (the most prestigious youth soccer academy in the world) presented on this topic. Jan Willem Teuniessen is a PhD. candidate and the sport physiology director of their program. Based upon research and their experience they have found that developing their youth’s ability in multiple sports, makes them better overall athletes and better soccer players long run. As Jan said in his presentation, the former idea of early specialization like previously done in Europe, is wrong and the old American model of multiple sport athlete’s is correct. However, in America we’re pushing towards the old European model while they’re over the water saying NO….GO BACK!!!!

Most kids in motocross don’t do other sports and are fairly limited in their other activities outside of motocross. They have fun like any other kid but some of the same movement patterns that would be developed in a kid who played four or five sports when he was young, are not present in many of the kids who only ride. Granted they may be good racers, but it comes without question that these kids could be better. It is impossible to very hard to argue that kids who are very athletic (have good movement patterns and are active and fit) don't have greater potential on the bike than those who just ride. Their body can more efficiently deal with the stresses of riding and additionally, the movement patterns and skills they may learn from other sports and activities may grant them a greater length of capabilities. This can include the ability to withstand SOME injuries and also have a reaction that occurs without thinking for more unknown circumstances that may occur while riding. The more skilled they are at moving period, the more things become effortless and they gain the ability to divert attention to more focused skills that the sport requires.

The plain and simple lesson here is to make sure that your kids are as active as possible in other sporting activities other than just motocross. I understand the time and financial demands of the sport, regardless the best chance you give your kid is to develop the best well rounded athlete that they can be.