Racin’ ‘Round: Racing and Families

Keep your kids busy and out of trouble

I get a lot of questions about the amount of kids that are getting involved in racing. It seems to go in spurts when these young people decide to get involved one way or another. Of course there has to be a great deal of participation from the parents or some sort of adult supervision in this endeavor, both from the emotional side and the financial side.
As a race promoter, I have seen parents that have the “little league” syndrome all the way to some of the best attitudes for their kids. The “little league” syndrome is when parents force their kids to do a certain sport, living their dreams through that child, this happens constantly in racing. It also, doesn’t work, if your child doesn’t have the desire to get into a racecar, he or she will not be a success, and may end up injured, as in any sport, there are dangers.
The parent or guardian that encourages their child to get into a sport, and then cultivates that desire will go a long way. A case in point, Kurt and Kyle Busch started the same way that many of the children are starting in the southeast. They race go-carts, Legends or some of the smaller scale cars, they move to a local track that will accommodate the younger children, and then for to Late Models, hoping to be noticed by someone like Jack Rousch or one of the other owners that enjoy bringing the younger drivers up to the fold.
There is no sure fire way to ensure your children will ever reach the Nextel Cup series, it’s the same odds as your child getting to MLB or the NFL.
What the Saturday night tracks do provide for families is stability and a place for children to let off the steam that builds up in our society. Racing families know where their children are on the weekend, and if they are involved in racing, it is imperative that they stay involved during the week as well.
Being involved in any sport is good for our children; it can be rewarding and leaves a great impression in life for not only the child, but the parent as well, if it is used the right way, to benefit the child, and not to re-live our own childhood. Racing goes a step further, because you have to learn how to take care of your own equipment as well as be an athlete. It provides an avenue for children to keep busy, which we all know, takes them out of the trouble cycle so many children fall into.
Till next time, keep turning left.