under pressure
For parents navigating confidence, nerves, pressure, and performance in young motocross riders.
Why Working Hard Isn’t Always Enough in Youth Motocross
Most parents in motocross are not doing too little.
They are doing a lot.
Early mornings.
Long drives.
Double shifts to pay for bikes, fuel, and entry fees.
Weekends given over to the track.
The intention is clear.
Provide opportunity.
Support the dream.
Do the right thing.
And yet, many parents eventually arrive at the same confusing moment.
Practice looks good.
Speed is there.
Effort is unquestionable.
Then race day arrives…
and the rider you expected to see doesn’t show up.
Or they show up inconsistently.
One weekend everything clicks.
The next, it doesn’t.
You see flashes of what they’re capable of,
but you can’t seem to bottle the good days
or reproduce them when it matters.
Confidence fades.
Mistakes appear.
Tension replaces flow.
At that point, most families default to the only lever they know.
More effort.
Train harder.
Race more.
Push through it.
Be tougher.
The problem is not effort.
The problem is that effort is being applied without clarity.
When Effort Replaces Understanding
Confidence does not grow from motivation alone.
It grows when:
• Skills feel familiar
• Execution feels predictable
• The system knows what “good” feels like
When those foundations are missing, effort doesn’t stabilise confidence.
It increases pressure.
Racing more doesn’t fix that.
Talking more doesn’t fix that.
Reassuring doesn’t fix that.
Pressure doesn’t need shouting to exist.
It often arrives quietly, through importance and expectation.
Why Parents Are Left Guessing
Most parents were never taught:
• How confidence is actually built
• When pressure becomes useful versus harmful
• How identity forms in young riders
• Why some children appear comfortable under pressure early, while others don’t
So decisions are made reactively.
Based on results.
Based on comparison.
Based on what others say.
None of that provides real understanding.
I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly — as a coach,
and as someone who lived it from the rider’s side first.
What Under Pressure Is (And Isn’t)
Under Pressure is not:
• A drills guide
• A motivation manual
• A toughness talk
• A checklist
It is a framework for seeing clearly.
It helps parents understand:
• Why confidence fluctuates
• How pressure enters a rider’s system
• When racing supports development and when it undermines it
• How to support progress without forcing outcomes
• How to keep doors open without pretending to know the destination at age nine
It is written for parents who care deeply,
but don’t want to guess anymore.
The Point Most People Miss
This isn’t about deciding whether your child will be a world champion.
It’s about ensuring that if opportunity ever appears later,
key foundations haven’t already been missed.
Nothing is worse than wanting to step forward,
and realising something essential was never built.
Parents don’t need to push harder.
They need clearer understanding.
That is what Under Pressure exists to provide.
Available now as a
