Youngin

Hello,

I'm still in highschool, but my passion is biking. My parents don't see this, they want me to do track and field, I hate track and field, I hate that with a passion. I can't bike except for Fridays and weekends with track, homework, and it gets dark by the time I get home. I found a Junior team, but they keep putting off talking about it, even though the season already started, it's always not now, focus on track. Let me remind you I HATE track. What do you think I can do? I tried convincing them that this is a valid team too, but they turn their backs. I've been nice, but I'm really getting frustrated, they're getting in the way of my dream.

Thanks,

Youngin

Zinn-X

throw a tantrum or something? i did this quite often when i was a teenager and sometimes it worked. sometimes i got my ass grounded tho...

Youngin

Eh, I did that enough to get my bike. I agreed to a get a job to pay for it...

Gusboh

Puts lights on bike - stop using the car or the bus or whatever to get to school. Use your bike.

Fail on the track. Miserably. They might change their tune if you suck at athletics.

Or just go talk to the teacher in charge. Tell them you hate it, and want to change - surely they'll help out.

urbanknight

Are any of your friends' parents physicians or physical therapists? If so, feign a knee injury and have the doc say it's the stress on the knees and that you should do a lower impact sport... like cycling.

SpaceNerd

Have you told them how much you dislike track? Why do they push you towards track so much? Was one of your parents a former track star? Do they think that there is potentially a college scholarship in your future? I would sit down and come up with a list of pros and cons about you joining this team and what it would add to your life. Real legit reasons that are thought out and mature (might want to throw in that you care about it enough to agree to pay off a bike). Then present them with this list and your adult discussion. Basically, surprise them with how mature you're being. If nothing else this should at least get you into a conversation that you can hopefully work your way through from there.

photonick

Get a mohawk, start smoking pot, and go to alot of shows, ditch sports for music and resent your parents, you'll do it sooner or later.

grafsk8er

well look at this. it's not that i'm in the exact same situation but i ride and run track as well. let me put it this way, my track team is going to nat'ls so i know exactly wat kind of dedication you're talking about when your parents want you to run. i just bike afer my runs, it's actually not too hard. it's a great recovery. plus, the running will pump ur cardio up so fast ur biking legs really won't be able to keep up. and ever since i've been running, all my meets have been on saturdays, which leaves me sundays to bike race. the only day i can't ride are tuesdays b/c i have dual meets against other schools. but if you don't really wanna do track, don't make it a priority. yes, ur parents are gonna make you but you who says you have to give it a 100%? if you're good enough where you make a huge impact on the team u might want to reconsider how much effort you put in. but if you're just the average kid doing something to stay productive in the spring i wouldn't worry too terribly much about it. just ride alot, ur parents will realize what you really want and what you really love. they know u hate track b/c you've told them, they just haven't come to grips with it (luckily my parents don't force it upon me). that's about all i have to say.

Oleanshoebox

rock and freakin roll, buddy.

Edonis13

i cant help you man. when i was in highschool my dad wanted me to play tennis, but i wanted to play lacrosse. he said as long as i went to all the practices and worked my ass off he didnt care what sport i was playing.

brianallan

live free or die

tinrobot

The only solution is to get kicked off the track team. Perhaps an errant javelin throw might do the trick.

AssosMan

^^^^ fixed

Psimet2001 

Just ride. Ride whenever you can. Get up at the butt crack of dawn ("hi Dawn...it's been a while") and ride your bike before they are up (get lights). Ride your bike to school. Ride it during lunch if you can. Ride it home. Ride it to track practice.

Constantly ask your track coach what the impact is of whatever you're doing with regards to cycling. Annoy them.

Odds are your parents are falling into one of the following categories:
1. They are scared of you wrecking or getting seriously hurt on the bike - especially in competitive events. Did you rewind and slo-mo every wreck during the last race you watched with them or something?

2. They have seen how expensive cycling is and they are concerned that being on a team will bring a lot of unneeded financial burden. This was the case for me as a kid. I was completely on my own for absolutely everything....because of this. Also you saying something like "I agreed to a get a job to pay for it..." makes me think this has been an argument before as well.

Just think when you get older you get to have the same financial argument over every bike you buy except this time the opposing side won't ground you...they just won't have sex with you - also sometimes not a bad thing.

3. Have some sort of family history with track or believe that something good will happen as a result of your participation.

Identify the category and then you can start formulating a plan.

BTW - some people call this manipulation and resent it. Others realize this is called negotiation and reward it in a business setting. Consider this part of your education.

eb314

Don't forget that almost every school has track scholarships and very few give cycling scholarships.

I did track in highschool, messed up my legs, and then moved to cycling in college because I still wanted to compete but couldn't run track anymore. I wish I would've started earlier. Cycling is much more fun than track, and I actually enjoy training. In track, the only part I enjoyed was two seconds before the gun went off to right when I crossed the finish line. I just love competition, but not running. The only reason I kept doing it was because I was good at it and liked beating people in races.

Treefox

In my era it was long hair, thrift-shop flannel shirt, and a grimy baseball cap (preferably advertising a skateboard company like Stussy or etnies) pulled down low. Then we'd talk about how we'd run away to Seattle and make it big in the grunge scene.

Mohawks were before my time, so are no doubt before this guy's.

I feel like kids' outward signs of rebellion are a bit watered down these days, based on consumption-based business model.

Pablo.

Smoke pot. Get 5-10 girls pregnant.

bassplayinbiker

Sounds to me like its finally time... finally time to pick a fist fight with your dad. The good news is everyone in the world has done it, its like a right of passage for most males. The bad news is that he is gonna kick your ass good, he'll remind you that youre not bigger or stronger than him just yet.

Treefox

For all the messing about, it's worth saying:

Youngin, it's awesome that you're so keen at your age. Keep with it, keep it up, keep on getting in the miles when and where you can. You'll probably be dropping us all before too long.

Bobby Lex

I hope that many of the recommendations from previous posters (like: "throw a tantrum", "feign a knee injury", "start smoking pot", etc.) were tongue-in-cheek.

Honesty is the best approach. Ask your parents to sit down and talk to you about this. Be calm, respectful, and mature. Try something like this:

Mom and Dad, did you turn out to be exactly like your parents, or did you become your own person?

Although I love you both, and I respect you and who you are, I need to become my own person, not who you are, or who you want me to be.

This doesn't mean that I am rejecting you, or your values, or what you stand for. It just means that I have to find my own way in life. I have to experience the things I want to experience--like competitive cycling for example.

When I'm your age, I don't want to look back at my high school experience and regret that I never tried competitive cycling. And I don't want to resent you for unfairly preventing me from following my dreams.

Track is a great sport. But it's not my sport. I don't enjoy it. Forcing me to do a sport that I don't enjoy is like punishing me. I don't understand why you are punishing me or what exactly I am being punished for.

If your parents still don't get it after your talk, you might want to try getting another adult to intervene on your behalf (an uncle, teacher, guidance counsellor, the track coach, etc.). And if that doesn't work, then as a last resort, ask your parents to go to counselling with you. I'm confident that a counsellor would understand your point of view and could help persuade your parents to back off on trying to control you so much.

Good luck. And be sure to follow your dreams.

Bob

Swimjim

Why not ride your bike, early mornings and weekends, do track and get a job. Believe you me, I know your a teenager, but there is life before noon. Besides, riding in the morning will make you more effective during the day as well as helping you with track. You'll be better for it. Personally I started working when I was 11. It was expected of me. I was a certified scuba diver by the time I was 18. I paid for all my own equipment and the scuba classes. The only thing I ever borrowed from my parents was the car. My father told me I could have anything I want in life. I just had to go out and earn it.

Jim

Treefox

Can be rough if he has to be at school at 7:45 and it's dark until 9....

jfmckenna

I think you need to start doing what you want to do. I feel sorry for you to have parents that are either trying to live through you or are forcing track on you for what ever reason. And that's the point you need to find the reason. Perhaps they are worried about you riding a bike on the roads with cars? But you need to identify why it is that your parents are not allowing you to fulfil your goals and then present a good argument. Pretty unfair if you ask me.

Track is probably worse for you then riding is and how many people after high school / college do you see doing track? None. But the sport of cycling will easily take you into your 40's and 50's.

Good luck kid.

Terex

Stay on the team, but switch to the High Jump. When the sprinters do their workout, say "I work out with the distance guys." When the distance guys work out, say "I work out with the sprinters.". Worked for me.

Seriously, I'm guessing that we're not getting the whole story (yes, I have kids...). I'm thinking that there is a desire on the part of your parents to have you evidence a degree of commitment, or some similar dark motive. Also, it could be that they want you to be with the baby sitter (track team) five days a week. That, too, is understandable in many cases.

Good luck getting this sorted.

roadrunner13

Do both. Lance did.