Pappy
03-16-2007, 09:33 AM
Why some racers will always be Amateurs
"As much talent as one can possess will never make up for a bad attitude"
This carries over to everyday life, but when applied to the world of racing it's impact can hurt a budding young rider far more then poor finishes. As this sport grows and heads more mainstream, acknowledging how your attitude and your behavior affects your future must be at the forethought of your game plan. This can be for any rider no matter of age or ability, how you conduct yourself at the track, on the track, or even in the sign up line has an impact on you whether you realize it or not. For some, racing is a release, for others it is a way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the sport in a competitive environment. To those folks, your actions and attitudes are every bit as important as those of any pro rider ever to throw a leg over an ATV. How we are perceived not only by those in our sport, but by those making the sport are huge factors to consider, and how your actions affect future sponsorships should be foremost in your thinking long before you become the next champion of the ride home.
For the rider who has dreams and aspirations to excel as far as they possibly can in this sport, your attitude and actions can help you overcome hurdles that may have otherwise been road blocks to failure. A bad attitude starts a downward spiral on how others perceive you that can take longer to reverse then your career will last. A rider that is a spigot of negativity shuns those that may be willing to help financially or in other roles of your growth as your racing career progresses. As this sport and it's financial appetite grow, support from friends, companies and sponsors will be the key to taking some of the burden off your wallet and stress off your already heavy laden brain. This applies to every rider, no matter the skill or experience level and at every moment where you are in the public view, and maybe even as importantly, when you think your out of that view. Many times I have stood quietly in a race registration line and overheard things that turned me off to a rider, no matter how well they do at racing. Sometimes it is the little things that start adding up to you being perceived as a troublemaker, or from a sponsor stand point, a liability. You need look no further then Nascar to see how a bad day at work in front of national television cameras can impact a drivers career. One mistake will follow them to the day they hang up their helmet, the same applies to you and your sponsors. In fact, with sponsorships being ultra competitive these days, you may be being Mr. Negativity or his cousin Bad Attitude in front of someone that would gladly make a call to enlighten one of your sponsors of your demeanor or behavior. In some cases, the sponsor or one of his crew could be the guy you step on being Mr. Big shot with your buddies. It only takes the wrong person at the right place and time to set you back to relying on your piggy bank for the latest gadget to make you Johnny Pro. OK, the Nascar crossover may be far fetched, but then again, maybe it is not. To the owner of a company sinking gobs of his blood, sweat and CASH into this sport and it's riders, he is as big as Nascar in his own mind and he wants his company to be as big as any name ever to grace a cup car!
These bad attitudes transcend to other racers who do their best to promote a positive image, as companies and sponsors will pull in and supply the funds to those few that have a proven track record of being something better then average. From a sponsors stand point, I would much rather support someone who promotes my company and the sport in a positive way then support someone who finishes well but has such a bad way about them that they make those that support them look poorly. How you handle yourself with someone else relying on you to promote them is a big responsibility. No matter how padded your resume' may be, your attitude will help open doors that you did not even know existed. Your actions and attitudes extend into the cyber world as well. The explosive growth of online forum type sites are a proving grounds for who you are. Sponsors regularly surf these sites and when they can define who you are, you can bet they take in everything you post, some going so far as to make attempts to verify your identity! If their view on you is negative based on your attitude, do you think you will rate highly when it is time to offer up next seasons sponsorships? How about your bad attitude affecting your friend who has the talent but thanks to being associated with you and your bad attitude maybe he will be overlooked.
Making the decision to have a better overall attitude can be a life changing experience for some. Negativity has a way of breeding and spreading to a point where you are the guy/gal no one wants to be around. Your credibility suffers, your support suffers, YOU SUFFER! I am sure you can think of at least one guy in your riding group that fit's the Mr. Bad Attitude role. He is the guy you kind of hate seeing show up for practice, or the guy you secretly wish would find another way to get himself and his bad attitude luggage to the races. You work hard to do better, yet you allow him to keep you down and no matter how well you act, his actions dictate who you are to others. Trust me, he wont change until he realizes he is paying for his own fuel to get himself to the track because everyone else had no room for him.
Being positive does not guarantee you fame, fortune and the trophy girl from last weekends race, however I can guarantee you that promoting yourself in a positive way and carrying yourself a bit higher wont harm you a lick! Give it a try and see what your future can be! You may never be a championship rider, but you can have a championship attitude, leave the bad attitude to the amateurs in your life.
"As much talent as one can possess will never make up for a bad attitude"
This carries over to everyday life, but when applied to the world of racing it's impact can hurt a budding young rider far more then poor finishes. As this sport grows and heads more mainstream, acknowledging how your attitude and your behavior affects your future must be at the forethought of your game plan. This can be for any rider no matter of age or ability, how you conduct yourself at the track, on the track, or even in the sign up line has an impact on you whether you realize it or not. For some, racing is a release, for others it is a way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the sport in a competitive environment. To those folks, your actions and attitudes are every bit as important as those of any pro rider ever to throw a leg over an ATV. How we are perceived not only by those in our sport, but by those making the sport are huge factors to consider, and how your actions affect future sponsorships should be foremost in your thinking long before you become the next champion of the ride home.
For the rider who has dreams and aspirations to excel as far as they possibly can in this sport, your attitude and actions can help you overcome hurdles that may have otherwise been road blocks to failure. A bad attitude starts a downward spiral on how others perceive you that can take longer to reverse then your career will last. A rider that is a spigot of negativity shuns those that may be willing to help financially or in other roles of your growth as your racing career progresses. As this sport and it's financial appetite grow, support from friends, companies and sponsors will be the key to taking some of the burden off your wallet and stress off your already heavy laden brain. This applies to every rider, no matter the skill or experience level and at every moment where you are in the public view, and maybe even as importantly, when you think your out of that view. Many times I have stood quietly in a race registration line and overheard things that turned me off to a rider, no matter how well they do at racing. Sometimes it is the little things that start adding up to you being perceived as a troublemaker, or from a sponsor stand point, a liability. You need look no further then Nascar to see how a bad day at work in front of national television cameras can impact a drivers career. One mistake will follow them to the day they hang up their helmet, the same applies to you and your sponsors. In fact, with sponsorships being ultra competitive these days, you may be being Mr. Negativity or his cousin Bad Attitude in front of someone that would gladly make a call to enlighten one of your sponsors of your demeanor or behavior. In some cases, the sponsor or one of his crew could be the guy you step on being Mr. Big shot with your buddies. It only takes the wrong person at the right place and time to set you back to relying on your piggy bank for the latest gadget to make you Johnny Pro. OK, the Nascar crossover may be far fetched, but then again, maybe it is not. To the owner of a company sinking gobs of his blood, sweat and CASH into this sport and it's riders, he is as big as Nascar in his own mind and he wants his company to be as big as any name ever to grace a cup car!
These bad attitudes transcend to other racers who do their best to promote a positive image, as companies and sponsors will pull in and supply the funds to those few that have a proven track record of being something better then average. From a sponsors stand point, I would much rather support someone who promotes my company and the sport in a positive way then support someone who finishes well but has such a bad way about them that they make those that support them look poorly. How you handle yourself with someone else relying on you to promote them is a big responsibility. No matter how padded your resume' may be, your attitude will help open doors that you did not even know existed. Your actions and attitudes extend into the cyber world as well. The explosive growth of online forum type sites are a proving grounds for who you are. Sponsors regularly surf these sites and when they can define who you are, you can bet they take in everything you post, some going so far as to make attempts to verify your identity! If their view on you is negative based on your attitude, do you think you will rate highly when it is time to offer up next seasons sponsorships? How about your bad attitude affecting your friend who has the talent but thanks to being associated with you and your bad attitude maybe he will be overlooked.
Making the decision to have a better overall attitude can be a life changing experience for some. Negativity has a way of breeding and spreading to a point where you are the guy/gal no one wants to be around. Your credibility suffers, your support suffers, YOU SUFFER! I am sure you can think of at least one guy in your riding group that fit's the Mr. Bad Attitude role. He is the guy you kind of hate seeing show up for practice, or the guy you secretly wish would find another way to get himself and his bad attitude luggage to the races. You work hard to do better, yet you allow him to keep you down and no matter how well you act, his actions dictate who you are to others. Trust me, he wont change until he realizes he is paying for his own fuel to get himself to the track because everyone else had no room for him.
Being positive does not guarantee you fame, fortune and the trophy girl from last weekends race, however I can guarantee you that promoting yourself in a positive way and carrying yourself a bit higher wont harm you a lick! Give it a try and see what your future can be! You may never be a championship rider, but you can have a championship attitude, leave the bad attitude to the amateurs in your life.