Video: 11 Year Old Harry Schofield's Huge Sends from 2021

 Looks like he is already a pro with like seven sponsors.

 @nurseben: eyeroll

 Humble? Have you actually spent time with him?

 Sit down@fastboyslim:

 @sebastian.riopel just turned 10 a few months ago and while he doesn't have Harry's big tricks he's probably even more technical.

 I wonder which sport, MX, DH, BMX or freeride offers the best money and most longevity?

 @mlbaker: No contest - MX.

 @neimbc: for sure. But racing mx probably has the most comp of the three to make it. His skills seem to more beyond his peers on a bicycle.

 @neimbc: I'm sorry to say but in this day and age by 11 he needs to be ranked in europe and probably on a factory team prepping to race in EMX125 to go pro in MX. No doubt he is local rider quick, but he is not MX racer fast, not even close.

 @PinkBikeWhisperer: I think that's a wide generalization. While it's somewhat true, a rider who is naturally gifted with the right support can make it into the top tier.

My wife's got a couple of nephews.

One is pro-MX racer who got his first bike at 10 and started racing in pro-ranks at 15. He has spent a few summers down south but mostly made a nice little career out of it for the last 17 years while supplementing it with carpentry. He made his way up a long time ago, but the pathway is still there.

Another nephew is 16 and races road bikes. He's only been on a bike for 2 years and is already the Atlantic champion (super and sportbike) and got a podium finish at the nationals this year. He's currently racing as an amateur but that won't last long.

 @kiwi-in-ns: The following is not an statement on how fast your nephews are or where their career is going to take them, but the reality on what the fastest 'PRO' motorsports rider/driver that races at the highest level (AMA MX, AMA SX, MXGP, WSBK, MotoGP, F1) experiences.

I love motorsports with all my heart and I have had the pleasure of lining up at the gate (MX - Pro National) and starting line (Road Racing semi-Pro) levels. That said I would never let my kids dream of going pro cause motor sports eats its young and has plenty of people spending insane amounts of money chasing a dream that will never be a reality (worse than any other sport I can think of). There are too many winning insanely talented amateurs that never make it.

#1
Lets define what Pro is in motor sports because you have 3 types of pros. Pros that pull up in their van roll out their bikes/cars and self fund everything. Pros that either through ultra rich parents or sponsors pay huge sums of money for them to get a seat. Lastly pros that get paid by their team to race. All three are fast as hell, but only the last type is making a living (and winning races/championships).

#2
If you take any pinnacle motor sport; F1, SX, MX, WSBK, MotoGP all of the paid riders were on factory teams from 11-13yrs old. AMA factory AMA SX/MX teams are now signing kids racing super mini, MXGP is signing riders on 85s, F1 has adapted soccer academy system, if your not in Europe podiuming in the CEV (with a factory team) your not getting into MotoGP.

#3
The average starting age most of these paid riders/drivers is around 6/7yrs old.

Lets look at an example of a modern day insanely super fast paid pro-kid Danger Boy Deegan, and the amounts of money, specialized coaching and exposure it took to get a factory ride. This is a kid who's dad spent north of $400k on MX (private training compound, coaches, bikes, amateur racing etc). Danger boy isn't even the fastest kid coming out of the amateur ranks right now.

Harry is quick, but lets not kid ourselves here, Harry is not fast enough or specialized enough to be a Paid MX rider. Sure he can be a pro and show up at the gate self funded or maybe a wealthy benefactor can sponsor him, but he is not showing up an beating these kids: tinyurl.com/ycxnwzpk

Its not fair and truth be told mortgaging a kids future at 11 on the hopes of being the next Marc Marquez, JS7, Sir LH, Max V., J. Herlings is ridiculous. But motorsports isn't fair (just ask Toto "Its so not right" - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubVKVfRUWXw) but these are the realities of modern day motorsports.

 @PinkBikeWhisperer: Max Biaggi never touched a motorcycle until he was 16 and he wasn’t exactly shit.

 @jaame: Max Biaggi is a legend, but he is also 50yrs old and last raced MotoGP in 2005 (17yrs ago). There is no one on the current MotoGP grid that raced against him and the oldest rider (Aleix Espargaró) on the current grid started riding when he was 6 and was 15 racing in the CEV when Max Biaggi last raced MotoGP. I am talking about kids that were 2-0yrs old when Max Biaggi last raced WSBK. I also stated multiple times "these are the realities of modern day motorsports", "example of a modern day insanely super fast paid pro-kid".

But I digress I love the sport and would love to be proved wrong, so lets look at all the amateur feeder classes and find a single podium driver from 2021 that doesn't fit my fore-stated mold or who started racing older than 7 (so 8yrs and older)

AMA MX/SX - Loretta Lynn's
F1 - FIM World Karting Championship
MotoGP - FIM CEV Moto3
MXGP - EMX125

I love the sport but when I use to go to the race track and see delusional parents with their 13yr olds, literally refinancing their home to go racing, I shake my head and think its not worth it. Just go out to race have fun and if your kid isn't selected by 13 forget doing national races and run the local circuits. Its so much healthier and the kid gets to be a kid.

 @PinkBikeWhisperer: yes I agree with you, just giving the exception that proves the rule.
I laugh at some of the other dads in my son’s U10 footy team, still pushing on and thinking their kids have a chance of making it and getting signed by Leeds. If it was going to happen, it would have happened. If you’re still messing around playing junior Sunday league footy at 10, you’re not going to make it as a professional. It’s already too late.

 If not, at least a Kool-Aid lid.

 Counting the 104 Saturdays/Sundays + various holidays, a year allows for a lot of riding and filming besides normal school hours.

 Did you?

 I suspect his income will be significant before he reaches graduation age. So maybe the question should be, does he need to go to (conventional) school?
I suspect most people who work ‘normal’ jobs will say he should, but I’d like to hear what those who can ride like him and make careers from their talents think. Would they say 30hrs a week in a classroom was time well spent?
..school is not the only place where people learn…

 Mark Twain: "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"

 @Eland: School is far more than grades and qualifications.

 Any obsession that relies on the body to earn money is one injury away from destitution. Always have enough interests that you have options.

 @Eland: You should probably check the stats on how likely good bikers turn pro, and then how much $$$ they make before you suggest an 11 yr old doesn't need even a primary education as a back-up plan.

 He’s home schooled, which leaves more time for riding.

As an aside, I’m not sure how people on here feel they are qualified to make assertions about his education when they know nothing about him or his background.

JP

 @spl75: indeed, in the UK it’s child care for the masses so the parents can go to work. I ask my kids everyday what they learnt at school that day. The most frequent answer is nothing…

 @PHeller: what jobs don’t require a functioning body? (Especially if you’re self-employed). Why should cycling be any different?
I suspect he’s already got more options than most…it’s not like there are many in his shoes…

 @mi-bike: best quote! You win.

 @plyawn: I’m sorry but I can’t find any stats on how many 11year old’s who have made it as big as Harry at 11 and not gone on to be even bigger. Admittedly I can only think of one other (Jackson Goldstone) who might be comparable.
I’m not saying you are giving bad advice, I just think Harry is already beyond that threshold!

 @Jprestidge: he’s a lucky lad to be in that position (home schooled, with more free time for riding).
He’s definitely making the most of it!
Kudos to his parents for making it happen!

 @Eland: Kelly Slater

 @Eland: many of todays professional bike riders were sending at that age, not everyone had parents that filmed and uploaded every video online

 @Eland: not being funny, but if your kids learned nothing at school a good place for them to start would be to have a good look in a mirror. School is what you make it, and it is far from a daycare facility for those with the desire to learn. If my kids told me they learned nothing at school I would be having stern words with them about food, clothes, TV and the roof over their heads.

 Harry doesn’t ‘go’ to school. He’s home educated.

 @jaame: lol!
FWIW I’m a teacher! (I’ve even won an award!)
I stand by what I say; School is childcare. My kids don’t learn anything at school maybe because I’ve already taught it to them, but more often than not because they’ve looked it up themselves! (They love fact based learning and the internet is full of great resources- I don’t spend that much time teaching them, but I do talk to them a lot.
Have you asked your kids what they learnt at school each day? Can you remember what you learnt at school each day?
School isn’t the best environment to learn for a lot of kids: the one size fits all approach is fine if you fit, but frankly it’s shit if you don’t.
If you check the national curriculum you’ll see it doesn’t take 25hrs a week for most of the year to cover it. The majority of that time is childcare which is essential for the economy.
What do you hope to achieve by having stern words with your kids because they give you an honest answer about school?
Personally, what I can’t stand is parents who expect the teachers to bring up their kids because they’re too busy to do it themselves!

 @Curse-of-the-foot-long-sub: the ability to monetise that kind of content wasn’t as easy 10 or years ago.
Harry has quite successfully built himself as a brand that has value to the industry.
It’s not just his ability to send it, it’s his ability to sell it!
He’s learned something they don’t teach at school.
Good on him and his parents!

 @Eland: thanks for your great reply. I also used to be a teacher! Ha!
I tell my kids that my job is selling toilets and their job is consciously trying their best to learn as much of what they are taught as possible for their own personal betterment and benefit in the future. “It’s a competition and if you want to get paid you need to be either very creative and have a brilliant idea, or get a better job than other people. Your going to school is not for me and not for your teachers. It’s for your future. Always listen, always question. Above all look at it as a string to your bow. One of many, all very important in the grand scheme of things. Don’t neglect any of them.” Something along those lines. And yes, at our sit down family dinner every night I do ask the children to educate me on what they learned at school, almost every day!
You make great points. I confess, I had you down as one of those parents who teaches his kids that school doesn’t matter, school is a waste of time etc. Sorry about that.

 @jaame: high five!

 Get a room already

 @mi-bike: I don’t remember Mark Twain saying that