The word challenge may be an understatement on my part. All the young ladies of the WMA are faced with many obstacles as they go about their jobs as professional racers. Not only are they fighting for track position but for their place off the track also. You see in motocross, as in other sports, there are constant adjustments and improvements that must be made. Take for instance the women’s pro’s pits; at Hangtown they were ¼ mile away form the men’s pro pits. You would think that they would all be in the same area, not true. The outdoor nationals have been in existence for many years and comparatively speaking the WMA is relatively new to the tour and space is at a premium. Why you ask? Because motocross as a whole is growing by leaps and bounds every year, and with the addition of new teams it’s getting difficult for the promoters to accommodate everyone’s needs. The AMA and the NPG (National Promoters Group) do the best they can but there is always room for improvement.

The women that comprise the WMA play the hand they are dealt with the utmost efficiency though, 1/4 mile away; you just walk a little farther that’s all. Besides, walking is a cheap training tool. If somebody wants an autograph and they can’t find you what do you do? You move your autograph session to vendor’s row where all the fans have instant access. Let me tell you the fans are hungry for exposure to these ladies too. The Hangtown session was scheduled for an hour and some of the girls ran out of posters within the first 15 minutes and starting signing anything and everything that was put in front of them. It was a pleasure to see the women get their due reward. By far the most impressive thing is that the women never give up.  They always push forward no matter the obstacle put in their way. There is a very important life lesson to be learned here

Things are definitely moving forward and progressing for the WMA. Case in point: last year at ESPN’s XGAMES they introduced a new sport to their lineup, Men’s MotoX. It was such a tremendous hit with the fans that this year they have created a Women’s MotoX class! They have invited the biggest stars of the WMA to compete. Imagine racing in front of a stadium full of fans being televised around the world Live on the ABC network. That’s BIG! Remember the statement I made earlier about untapped resource? ESPN gets it.
 
It is only a matter of time before the powers that be will see the WMA organization for it truly is, and ultimately can be. I know there are some dedicated women racers out there who won’t stop fighting until they get what they want. Bottom line, they don’t want anything special just because they happen to have been born female. They just want to be recognized and respected for their skill and devotion to the sport that they love.

So everybody listen up. If you get the chance to travel to an AMA Outdoor National make the effort to go by the WMA pro pits and meet and greet with the ladies of motocross. I guarantee you will get a return on your investment by the racing action they will provide on the track. This ain’t no powder puff class.