I’m at Loudon Motor Speedway. It’s a gorgeous weekend in June, not always a guarantee in NH. I’ve come out to see my son in his first pro motorcycle race as both a proud and terrified mama.
Last April I was here to watch Henry’s Rookie debut in the local circuit. It was a nail-biter for sure. While he has unbelievable talent, Loudon is a place where I’ve seen many crashes. Have watched people I know and care about carted off in ambulances.
It wasn’t about me, but I felt a lot better after watching him. He showed up well but didn’t push himself to win. Was smart about his turns and passes. Even without making the podium, he was still moved up to Intermediate. He was that fast. Within his first two races, he was moved up to Expert.
For him to compete safely, he has to be out on the track with others at his level or better than him. He’s too fast and skilled. It wasn’t the first time he had been booted out of a program or level. He was moved up quickly and kept hearing how talented he was.
That was probably the scariest thing. It’s one thing to be good. It’s another thing for everyone to tell you how good you are.
Talent will only get us so far
Last year, Henry got about as far as he was going to get on the bike he was riding. As he’s improved, he’s had to graduate to bigger bikes. Compete with different people.
In whatever class he’s been in, he’s dominated. The people he used to look up to as mentors became competitors. Those he wanted to be like, he was passing and beating.
He needed a new level. New competitors. This year, he’s found them.
Watching the races this weekend, there are a few people that blow by the kid like he’s standing still. He’s good, but they have more years of experience. More time on their bikes. And, I imagine, more discipline.
At 16 years old, maybe you can get away with staying up late and getting up early. Crappy eating habits. Lack of consistent exercise off-season.
Maybe.
He’s getting to know his bike. Relearning the turns, when to break, and how far he can push himself and the machine. A lot of that comes easy for him, and I can see the different from one race to the next.
And yet.
That innate talent got him here. It won’t shave off seconds to get him a win. Now it’s time for the real work.
That’s true of all of us. If we’re doing amazing and it feels easy, it likely means we’re in the wrong place. If we want to perform at our highest potential, we need to be in an environment with others that will push us to see what we’re capable of.
The struggle is the way
As someone very athletic, sports have come easy. Too easy. Henry didn’t want to practice…he only wanted to come out on game day. If there wasn’t the possibility of a win, he didn’t want to be out there doing the work.
As he matures and looks at an opportunity to compete nationally, showing up on race day and expecting to win won’t be an option.
We’ve talked about the leveling up that he’s doing. That will be required if he really wants to know his true potential. The discipline and the hard work, even when he’s off the track.
He said he’s not ready to get serious. He’s 16 and still wants it to be fun. Next year is soon enough to focus on the mental and physical investments he should be making to perform at his best.
He’s not ready for it to feel like a job and that’s okay. Unless he wants to win at top levels. Then he has to be willing to put in the work every day. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. Suck and improve. Go for the next level and suck again. That’s the path to his best.
That’s the path for all of us. If a new role doesn’t feel hard, we aren’t learning and growing. Our comfort zone feels great, but great things don’t happen there.
Is it time for fun or to get paid?
For now Henry is leaning into talent and enough work that it still feels fun. He accepts he’ll struggle at this level before getting better, but also recognizes the true investment it will take to win as he competes with pros.
This is true in work and in life. In our unpaid hobbies, we can afford to avoid the suck in deference to fun. If we want to get paid – such as Henry getting sponsored and winning cash prizes – that’s a different story. We must be challenged and disciplined to get better. To continue being marketable in whatever arena we’re competing in.
Henry is taking a very different path than I did. There are times when it’s hard to watch, yet I’m proud of the maturity I’m seeing. The recognition he has of the work in front of him and why it’s necessary. What it takes to get better.
What I’m the most excited about is that he’s struggling and pressing through. My biggest worry for him was that talent would keep letting him win in life and one day he’d (figuratively) hit the wall. Better to figure out at 16 that talent isn’t always enough. It helps, but discipline can eat talent for breakfast when talent isn’t disciplined.
I’m looking forward to the day he decides he’s ready for something to feel like work, but I’m not hurrying it along. At 16, there’s still time for fun. Hopefully, he can find a way to make work feel like fun along the way. Adulting is serious enough.
