At the weekend, I went out for a ride on my motocross bike. I wasn?t racing, I was just at the practice track with a few friends. Whilst I enjoyed my day for the most part, I found myself getting more and more irritated by the bloke parked three of four vans down from us. His son (who was about 10 years old) was riding round on a little 65 at a pace that I thought was fairly respectable, but his dad evidently didn?t. I?d thought these angry ?motocross dads? were a thing of the past, but it would seem they?re not.

Seeing this stupid bloke berating his son every time he came off the track, for not trying hard enough or not going fast enough, reminded me of my childhood, and the weekends spent at the motocross track with my dad. And, I hasten to say, not because my dad behaved in the same way. But because over the years, we both witnessed plenty of other motocross dads bullying their kids. It was horrible to see back then and now I?m (a little bit) grown up, it?s just as bad. And it?s not doing anyone any good at all.
I understand that if you?ve spent a load of time and money taking your kids racing, or to participate in any sport, and they?re not really trying, it might be a little bit frustrating. But if you think effing and jeffing at them, and smacking them on the head is going to make them pull their finger out, you?re an idiot. All that?s going to do is make them resent you. And resent the fact that you?re dragging them all over the country every weekend to rac...