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Message: [QUOTE="markthomps, post: 645241, member: 18626"] Having been in dirt bikes all my life, with no real injuries just bangs and bruises, I'd have to say that this is the best family sport and activity out there. It gives kids a focus and something to attain to (and something that can be taken away if grades or behavior aren't up to snuff); it keeps kids away from drugs and other negative influences; it's a family activity in every way, much more so than the conventional stick-n-ball sports. I've watched racing and bikes in general help provide direction and meaning for dozens of kids and a lot of adults. Yes, injuries happen, but injuries occur in every real sport (golf is a game, not a sport). More important, racing allows a child to learn the lessons that he/she is responsible for his/her own success or failure --- a lesson that's hard to teach or learn with all the focus on team sports. When we go to races, my wife and daughter are my biggest cheerleaders when I'm on the track, and we're our daughter's when she's out there. She's almost 12 now, strong, healthy, smart, athletic in a variety of sports and knows that she has to maintain good grades to participate in dirt bikes, just like her other sports. To deny a child (or an adult) the privilege to take part in this wonderful activity in the name of Divorce Revenge, is unfair and likely to have lasting repercussions for the child. Your wife should consider the ultimate implications of denying your son the freedom to participate in a sport that he obviously loves. [/QUOTE]

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