My son is constantly getting injured & breaking his gear!

My son is extremely passionate about mountain biking! Obsessed would be a better word! As a mother I’m always trying to be supportive of my son’s passions. However, I’m getting to the stage where I may need to put an end to his mountain biking to protect him. I’m reluctant to do this as I think it’s horrible to quash someone’s passions but at the same time I have a responsibility to protect him.

My son is 14 years old and has been mountain biking for around 4 years. He has 2 bikes. A full sus bike for trails and jumps, and a dirt jumper for doing jumps also. My son is a daredevil to say the least. He has zero fear and loves going fast and high! He’s never had much fear, even as a toddler and child.

Since beginning he has had many falls resulting in sprains and strains, a few minor breaks (fingers, thumb), two concussions, and the things you would expect. Helmets don’t seem to last him more than a few weeks before they’re cracked (Fox Proframe MIPS full face), and his bikes are constantly being damaged and repaired, I have bought all the safety equipment I can to make it as safe as possible.

However, more recently he’s ended up in the hospital because he was unable to walk after a fall. Suffering pain in his pelvis and hips, last year he ended up being flown to a big city hospital with internal bleeding from a fall, and I’m just getting really scared that he’s going to permanently injure himself or worse.

I have tried MULTIPLE times to have major discussions around safety and better decision making and risk assessment and I’ve researched and shown him examples of his favourite mountain bikers when they’re starting out and how they aren’t pushing themselves beyond their own capabilities. And he agrees and wants to make these changes to keep himself safe. But when he’s on that bike about to hit a trail or jump his excitement and passion and unwavering self belief overtake and he just goes ball to the wall so to speak.

I love how passionate he is and I love his confidence. But man I just feel I need to put an end to this.

I would love advice around this from other parents or MTB riders that had similar experiences growing up? Is this normal to be constantly shelling out for repairs and gear? (He pays for them himself now as I can no longer afford it). And is it normal to be hurt after almost every ride? Literally never rides for more than a few days or a week if we’re lucky before he has to heal up again or repair his gear. He’s even hurt other people with his bad decision making on the jumps. Coaching isn’t an option as I live in a small town and the coaching towns are much too far away.