Maverick Myers goes airborne after reaching the top of a hill while practicing at Polka Dots Motorcyle Club on July 21, 2026. (Dan Chalk/Midland Daily News)Maverick Myers has big dreams — and the heart and skills to make them come true. Myers is 7 years old and lives in Sanford. For the past two years, his life has revolved around motocross. From Aug. 3-8, he will take part in the ultimate competition for an amateur motocross racer: the American Motorcyclist Association’s Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. Maverick’s dad, Carter Myers, who raced flat track while growing up, said qualifying for the national championship is the pinnacle of the sport for every young motocross rider. “When they qualify, they get a ticket to go to Loretta’s. That’s like their happiest moment, when they receive that actual ticket. Every kid that races, it’s their dream to get one of those tickets,” Carter explained. Another local person well-versed in racing offered a literary metaphor to convey the significance. “It’s the Willy Wonka moment — the ‘golden ticket,’” said Kevin Seelhoff, the longtime caretaker of Polka Dots Motorcycle Club in southern Midland County, where Maverick spends a lot of time practicing. Climbing the steps to nationals To qualify for nationals, Maverick first had to finish in the top nine at an area qualifier. Once he achieved that, the final step was placing in the top six at a regional — no easy feat and one that involved three attempts. “He was racing kids from all over the United States at the regionals, but he had qualified for three different regionals just to give him a better chance to make it,” Carter said. “The first one was in Michigan, the second one was in Virginia, and the third one was outside St. Louis, Missouri. That’s the one where he qualified, and that was the last weekend in June.” When asked what makes Maverick a talented rider, Seelhoff said, “I don’t know, but he’s got it. I’ve seen a lot of kids come out here and race, and they just stay at the same level. He improves every time he comes out, it seems like. I’m really impressed with him.” Maverick has the most points in his age group this year in American Motorcyclist Association District 14, which covers Michigan. His mom, Alisha Perry, said that even though Carter had done a lot of racing, they did not necessarily think Maverick would follow the same path. “Honestly, we had no intentions of having him race. But his grandma got him a STACYC electric balance bike one year for Christmas, and he just never looked back,” Alisha said. High aspirations and strong support Maverick himself did not have much to say on this particular morning at Polka Dots. But he did indicate that he hopes to someday compete professionally. “I kind of want to do it until I maybe go pro,” he said. But he acknowledged that is “real hard” to do. “Like going from college to the pros, basically,” Seelhoff said. Regardless, all of that is some distance in the future. Right now, Maverick’s parents, two sisters, grandma, great-grandma, aunt and many local business owners are doing what they can to give him as many opportunities as possible. He is homeschooled and sometimes spends part of the winter in Georgia to compete in races. “We all do our part so he can race,” Alisha said. “Carter is more of a stay-at-home dad, and I’m working, so he’s able to travel with him as much as he does. I feel blessed in that situation. “We’ve got a lot of people who are rooting him on and are donating money.” Local businesses that have helped include K2 Motorsports, OGs, Myers Farms, Perry’s Cleaning, All Pro Spray Foam, Sanford Food Center, Dunlop, Mika Metals, DT-1 Filters, Tamer, Engine Ice, Oberlitner Well Drilling, Good Times Recycling, Stylz LLC, Elite Fab, Paint and Repair, SC3, SeatBounce, EZPZ Exteriors, Michigan Water Systems, Sloan’s Septic, WD Window Tinting, Goerbig Racing, Mutscher Property Solutions, Greene Valley Shuttle Service, Beyer Roofing, TCD and Ross Auto. ‘It’s all worth it’ Carter said he cannot begin to calculate how much his family spends on Maverick’s motorcycle, transportation around the country, race registration fees and other expenses. “We’ve got $10,000 invested just into his bike. Each race weekend is about $400 to $600. And going to Loretta’s, we’ll have $4,000 into that trip,” Carter said. “To me, it’s all worth it. It’s not worth it to normal-thinking people, but ...” He laughed without finishing the sentence. Meanwhile, Maverick invests his time and passion in the sport and takes it seriously. He also likes to swim in Sanford Lake and have fun like anyone his age, but, true to his first name, he has an independent spirit. “We’re always out here at Polka Dots practicing. He’s got the natural gift, and he’s willing to put in the time and practice,” Carter said. “We’re all very proud of him that he is so committed to something at such a young age. Most kids are on the iPad or whatever. He doesn’t do any of that. He trains, rides and eats well just for this. He hardly eats any sugar.” Whatever the future holds for Maverick, his dad is thankful for the life lessons his son is learning through motocross. “It’s teaching him a big life lesson that if you put in the work, you’re usually going to get what you deserve. You’re not just going to show up, take shortcuts and be up front, you know. Just like with anything in life,” Carter said.