Keagan Brown, age 14, is our youngest Champion at Every Kid Sports. Keagan is an up-and-coming motorcycle racer from Stokesdale, NC, who started racing at seven. He is now competing in national championships against adults, with the goal of racing professionally.
Keagan’s career started in his garage, tinkering with bikes with his dad. “I was struggling in school, and my parents decided that working on motorcycles would help me with academics. Reading the manuals and using math to make repairs helped me gain confidence and helped my schoolwork. I also got really excited about riding at that time, and joined my first race when I was seven.”
The support from his family continued and was critical to Keagan’s success.“My dad did everything he could to help me get where I am today. Getting me to races, getting the gear and coaching I need..I couldn’t have done any of it without my dad.”
“First and foremost, HAVE FUN. The whole reason anyone starts to play a game is for fun.”
Keagan was also influenced by another one of his heroes, Josh Herrin, a professional racer who also started his career at a young age. “My most impactful memory is training with Josh Herrin at the Herrin Compound and having Josh tell me that I had what it takes to go pro. It meant a lot coming from him. He had already won national titles here in the states and raced overseas as well. I was 10 years old and he was one of my heroes.”
As he has progressed in racing, Keagan has learned that there are ups and downs in the journey and that surrounding himself with positive people and keeping things in perspective allows him to persist in the sport and continue to grow.
“This past season, I experienced a real mental crisis after working with a coach that wasn’t right for me. I went into my first-ever professional round with Moto America a real mess. I was overthinking everything and allowed that to negatively affect my performance. I’m happy to say that I recognized the issues and removed myself from that situation and have gone on to a much healthier and happier place mentally. I can’t wait to start the 2022 season!”
His advice to young athletes? “First and foremost, HAVE FUN. The whole reason anyone starts to play a game is for fun. I got involved with racing and riding because it was a blast. Still to this day. Parents and coaches can take the fun away sometimes out of a competitive need to win. You have to make sure that you respect them but help them to remember that it’s just a game and you are there to be with friends, play a game and get some exercise. Finally, if you think you want to go pro someday, then realize that it is a long road. You will hit plateaus, you will fail and struggle at times, but just keep at it. As you grow, so will your understanding of the game, your body, your abilities, and most importantly, your mind. It is a marathon, not a sprint and you can’t be the best in the world overnight. “
Keagan is currently working on securing sponsors for the upcoming season, but also wants to give back by helping other kids have the opportunity to play sports. “Stokesdale is a small rural town and I understand the financial hardships that families face. I have seen what my parents had to do in order to support my racing, and I understand not everyone is able to afford sports. I’d love to help change that.”
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Best of luck to you, Keagan, as you pursue your dreams! We will be cheering you on and are excited to have you on board as a Champion!
– The team at Every Kid Sports