Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Kaley Engstrom

Kaley Engstrom


Kaley Engstrom is part of a racing family. Her father has owned a kart shop since she was young. When she was little she would be at the track watching her oldest sister race her kart. As soon as her parents decided she was old enough they bought her a kid kart. After her first race she couldn't get enough of it. All 3 of the Engstrom girls have been involved in racing. Her eldest sister Amber was always the intimidating racer, and she was one of the best at our local track. A while after Kaley started racing her older sister Megan decided she wanted to get involved in the family sport and began racing as well. Kaley says,"Megan is the one they're always having to bang sheet metal for, but she's always getting better on the track." Kaley currently races a micro sprint, a 305 sprint, and a midget. Her father still owns his kart shop as well as a track. According to Kaley, "Without racing I don't know what my family would do!"

Recently Kaley had the opportunity to race in one of open wheel racing's most well known races the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. McCreery Motorsports gave her the opportunity to race their midget. She and her teammate were the two best finishing female drivers at the race. "The Chili Bowl was so amazing, and such a humbling experience to be around such great racers. I actually told myself last year at this time that I was going to race the Chili Bowl no matter what, and I made it happen! And my teammate and I were the two best finishing female drivers at the chili bowl, so that was pretty awesome! I couldn't have asked for a better team, McCreery Motorsports has been so helpful and I'm thankful they let me get in and race their midget!" Kaley's dream for her racing career would be to be able to race professionally and make a living doing it. She says her realistic goal would be to own a dirt car team that can travel all over the states.

Kaley is currently a high school senior. She is home schooled so she feels it's pretty easy for her to balance her school work and working on the cars or racing. What is a little more difficult is to balance her social life. Her friends will always ask her to hang out with them on race weekends, or when she's out of town racing. So it makes it hard for her to hang out with her friends and just be a teenager, but she wouldn't change it for anything.

Though she is only 17 years old she is a young entrepreneur. K&K Race Services is a business she started about a year ago. It involves her maintaining peoples cars, going to the races with them on weekends and setting up their cars, she puts on driving schools for younger racers to help them get better on the track. Kaley says, "Its the best feeling watching the kids that I help and taught go out and win on race day!"

Kaley's advice for young racers, "Never give up, you'll always have those off weekends but you just have to work through them because you never know who will be at the track watching you! I've been through the ups and downs in racing and 1 up overcomes 10 downs. And it doesn't matter if your a girl or a boy, if you have the courage and drive you can make it to the top."

Thank you Kaley for sharing your story!! Looking forward to watching you take over the racing world! To follow Kaley's racing career check out her Facebook Page or her Website.


Sunday, January 27, 2013

Adding the "Girly" to the Karts

Adding the "Girly" to the Karts


The girls were hoping to get some "girly" characteristics to their karts. Dad decided painting the frames purple would help. Both girls are extremely excited. Here is one of the kid karts that has been partially completed. Cannot wait to put the final pictures on once they are completed!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Advice For New Racing Parents- Safety #1



Advice For New Racing Parents- Safety #1

Real World Advice From Parents


Advice from Nikki Marks mother of Makala Marks, www.MakalaMarksRacing.org:


My experience in the beginning. First thing that comes to my mind is not taking a cheap way out when it comes to safety. You can cut corners on other things but not protection for your child. Get a top of the line helmet that can handle a hit. MAKE SURE IT FITS PROPERLY. Have it professionally sized and then you, the parent double check to make sure you agree. After my daughter flipped & rolled in her Kart and  her helmet came off in the process, I can't express this enough. I took someone's word, the so called professional, that it was the proper size but we found out the hard way it was not. I picked the helmet up off the ground and I found it was still strapped tightly but had somehow been pulled off her head. My daughter was luckily not injured as badly as we thought from the look of the blood she was losing but it could have been tragic. Luckily a few stitches, a couple black eyes, road rash, some scars on her face, and a pile of medical bills, is all the resulted from her helmet coming off. The Impact helmet did its job and took the initial hit that saved her from a head injury but if only it was the right fit it would have never come off and she would have got up and walked away instead of being rushed to the ER. Make sure you use all the safety devises properly and use them every time your child goes on the track, even if your just out practicing with the track to yourself. I have found not all neck collars, rib vest, helmets, ect.., work together well. You may have to try a couple different styles or brands before you find the proper fit. You don't want anything pushing up on the helmet and you want your child safe and comfortable. 

Advice from Jim Howe, Owner of Jim Howe Motorsports:


One part of karting I liked is the safety aspect. To me, four wheels are safer than two and at least with a kart, you do have some driver protection due to bodywork, bars, etc. Plus, kart drivers wear real safety equipment including the helmet, neck brace, rib protector, and racing suit. I always tell parents to buy used stuff but never to scrimp on the helmet. Always buy a new helmet and get the most you can afford. Karting has a very good safety record and most clubs and tracks have insurance and must meet a fairly stringent set of safety requirements. You never eliminate the risk, however, and I always caution my drivers, their parents, and anybody else than there is danger involved. You have to accept that or racing in any form is just not for you!

Advice from Greg Erb father of Kendahl Erb, www.KendahlRacing.com:


I am a father of a 6 year old 2013 dirt kart racer. The first thing that comes to mind as most parents would is safety. The average parent can go on for a long time about safety gear but I will try to sum it up quickly. I use the gear that works best, not what I read about. Never use the cheap gear. Ask your fellow drivers where they got there gear and how do they like it.

Most crew chiefs and drivers are the "hands on .. need professional " type of person. If the set up works use it. Tweak it later if needed. What I think is most important about safety for my child and racing is her mental status. Kids have to be interested and not forced. It may be bad to say but I will find out (if she wants to continue)after she hits the hay bales if she brushes herself off and gets back behind the wheel. If she has the focus needed to race I feel more comfortable putting her behind the wheel. When I feel more comfortable I can focus on her kart performance and what is needed to address. I boldly push the fact the racing is supposed to be fun.. NOT  a buisness. I personally feel if you kid(s) are pushed too hard. The same thing will happen to your kid as anything you race, slips out of control and nothing good comes out of it, praying nobody gets hurt. Yes racing is a luxury and a sport but school is priority.. Honor roll is a must for my girl if she wants to race. If she cant focus on school performance.. She can't focus on the track performance. My daughter is my world. I dont want her to get hurt. I grew up with bruises and cuts just like everyone else in this world. I understand the seriousness of racing.. I also understand my daughter can break a leg riding her bike or falling out of a tree. It's life.. Enjoy it. Play it safe but don't wrap your kid in bubble wrap and stick them in a glass box.

Advice from Gary Truemner father of Victorya Truemner:


I always reccomend a good helmet and a karting suit. Not a fire suit but something that is skid proof. Most important item other than helmet for young karts is a good chest protector. Victorya wears an armadillo which is not cheap but provides great protection to chest and sides. Neck braces should be wedge style or some of the newer 360 devise. Good safety stuff is not cheap but it's the most important thing you'll ever buy to protect your most important person in the world your child! All of these items we buy from Turk bros racing and American power sports. Our gloves we wear motocross gloves they seem to offer more protection than karting gloves.




Image above from: http://www.go-kart-source.com

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Bella Cosstick


Bella Cosstick 



GirlsRace2: How long have you been racing?


Bella: This April will mark the start of my 3rd racing season.

GirlsRace2: What type of racing have you done/ do you do?


Bella: In my first 2 years of racing I have been cutting my teeth in a grassroots "beginner series" at the Brighton Speedway here in Ontario Canada. It is a one third mile dirt oval, my series is - stock North American, 6 Cylinder, front wheel drive automatics.

GirlsRace2: How did you get your start?


Bella: My family started going to the (local track) Brighton Speedway about 7 years ago. I made a lot of friends at the track that raced in several classes and I learned a lot about their cars and racing from them. Eventually , I got the urge to race so for the next 3 years I constantly pestered my parents to let me race, which came with their resounding "no, not this year" every time. Then on my 17th birthday they finally said yes. It was probably the best decision they ever made in allowing me to mature a little more before letting me jump into this sport. Since I did not even have my driver’s licence yet let alone, had I actually ever been behind the wheel of a car; By holding me back a little while allowed me to grow a little wiser of all aspects of the sport. Gaining more knowledge of the cars, driving on dirt, acquiring sponsorships and keeping a budget. That first year I even parlayed my racing experience into a business project in school. I set up my team just as a NASCAR team, kept track of operating costs and repairs to the car. Since this initiation class is a non-money class I had to fudge place/finish earnings but in the end I had a great first summer of racing and a pretty good mark on that course too. I must also admit that my parents holding the reigns on me a little also caused my passion for racing burn a little hotter.

GirlsRace2: What do you love most about racing?


Bella: I love the close relationships that can develop at the track. My family and I often joke that I have two families: My birth family and my "track family!" It is truly amazing to see how willing most of the other racers are to help you and give you tips. It doesn't matter what class you are in, someone will always be nearby to lend a hand on a jack, loan you a tire or wrench, even provide advice on track conditions, or how to set up going into turn 3 to better carry your speed through turn 4 without smacking the wall and "scaring the crap out of mom."


GirlsRace2: What is your proudest accomplishment in racing?


Bella: I would have to say my proudest accomplishment in racing is this past season. My goal going into last season was 10th place over all. The final race of the season saw me start 12th in the feature and I went on to finish 4th. That was my very first top 5 feature finish and it pushed me up in the points to 9th overall in points out of 22 entries... Personal Goal achieved!


GirlsRace2: What other hobbies do you have or are you involved in?


Bella: I am attending my first year at college where I am enrolled in an Early Childhood Education Program. I play intramural soccer and hang with more new friends I have acquired there. Maybe I can call this my "College family," I also enjoy shooting hoops and country music.


GirlsRace2: What are your goals for your racing career?


Bella: My goals for my racing career are to get some feature wins, “Gotta get the checkers.” I would love to race sprint cars with the World of Outlaws if given the chance. I also hope to be someone that young girls can look up to not only in the world of racing but in life. You can do/be anything you want to but you have to put the effort in to achieve it.

GirlsRace2: Is there anything you want to share with your fans and future fans?


Bella: The one thing I would like to share is Never Give Up! No matter what, keep chasing your dreams. Work hard, it does pay off. My very first race in my first car, I picked up a power steering leak. It got onto the hot exhaust and the car caught on fire. We chased that leaky line for a few weeks before we finally solved the issue. Then, half way through that first season I got T-boned in the driver’s side door and it misaligned my vertebrae so I had to go through months of physiotherapy. Another car was given to me and we finished that first season and started last season with it. A few weeks in it acquired a computer/electronic issue and we though our season was done. We then found my current car a Chrysler Intrepid and we finished the season strong not as pretty but it was a fantastic ride last summer. So, I have gone through 3 different cars some back adjustments, but I cannot begin to explain the rush you feel when all your hard work pays you back with a good finish.


GirlsRace2: Do you have any advice for other girls out there racing or that would like to get involved in the sport of racing?


Bella: Along with never giving up. As much as racing is still very much a male dominated sport especially in the pro ranks, I thought that the girls who raced at the track would want to stick together and help each other out more.This is not always the case. I have always hated bullies and witnessed first-hand at our track, girls whom I believed to be good friends with, prior to my racing seemed to have a change in attitude when I started racing. They would become very nasty in the things they said to me and to others about me. But I kept close to my real family and my real "Track Family" for support, worked hard to put the bullies and their antics behind me and improve in my racing. So what I am trying to say is don't let girls like that get you down because they are jealous that the light may no longer just on them. You are just as much of a big deal and deserve just as much enjoyment in this sport as anyone else. When you are young who knows what your future holds, don't let people like that hold you back. So ... Say NO to DRUGS! Say NO to BULLIESNEVER GIVE UP! ... and ... "Dirt's for racin' - Pavements for gettin' there!"

Follow Bella Cosstick on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Shes_Country_24

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Jessica Dana Racing


Jessica Dana Racing


Jessica Dana 
Vice President of Jessica Dana Racing, LLC 
Attends Tumwater High School
Lives in Olympia, Washington
Born on December 22, 1994 (18 years old)

Started racing at 15 (2010)& defeated NASCAR'S Jeff Gordon, Kenny Wallace, Travis Pastrana & other Natl Kart Champions in Karting Events. My Passion & Determination then drove me into SLM Series, with only 20 speedway races in my career i was asked to attend Nascar's Combine in 2012. 2013 - Starting her 3rd season driving in the NASCAR Super Late Model Series, Jessica Dana’s goal is to compete at at the top level of motorsports in NASCAR.

At Jessica Dana Racing, we strongly believe in Jessica’s abilities as a driver and spokesperson. Her precocious demeanor and positive personality instantly shifts into competitive gear as soon as she dons the helmet; benefiting any sponsor’s activities, as she is fully committed to providing her sponsors all of the time and resources necessary for a successful relationship. With your support, Jessica can continue breaking track records  and being an inspiration to young women.

Key Message:

Jessica Dana is an inspiration and a role model for young women. The campaign will reflect a young woman with values that generates positive energy for the Motorsport Industry and the Community that surrounds her.

Objective:

Jessica Dana’s first objective  is to be part of a NASCAR National Racing team as a Development Driver.

Story:

I began racing competitively three years ago, and defeated NASCAR’S Jeff Gordon, Kenny Wallace, Travis Pastrana & National Kart Champions, within my first year. My Passion and Determination then pushed me to step up into NASCAR Super Late Models, and with only 20 speedway races in my career, I have proven to be NASCAR’s next superstar. I’m ready to take the next big jump for my family, team & sponsors by competing in NASCAR K&N Series. “I don’t want to beat the best girl – I want to beat the best GUY in the Sport! Racing is My Life and as long as I continue to learn from mistakes and push for perfection – I Have the Potential to Be First!”

Jessica has many of her friends on her team supporting her. One of them is Kayla Waldron. Kayla started her own marketing Company and help with all the PR & Designs for team JDR. Her business name is CitrisDesigns.com

JDR Links: 
http://jessicadanaracing.com/
https://twitter.com/jessdanaracing
http://www.facebook.com/JessicaDanaRacing12
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCME3Cdgnjslmo7jNMMpfsAA?feature=watch


VOTE for Jess's "Not Just One of the Guys" Champion Video! 


Friday, January 11, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Shannon Mudro


Shannon Mudro

Before she got her start in racing she was just your avid race fan. By the time she was 15 she had been to numerous NASCAR, NHRA, and IndyCar races, but surprisingly she had never been to her local dirt track. In 2009 towards the end of her sophomore year in high school,  her mom brought her down to the local dirt track to watch a few friends. Between being caught up in the fast paced atmosphere, Shannon’s mother jokingly said, "Hey Shannon, we should get you one of those 4cyl cars." That's when it all started. After one month of begging and pleading, there was an early 80's Mustang in the shop and another month later she was racing her first race at LaSalle Speedway.

Her first race wasn’t until nearly half of the race season was already over. Shannon finished out the 2009 season in her UMP Sport Compact and proceeded to race that for two more years. She then moved up to a UMP Modified in 2012. She ran a very limited schedule this passed race season with numerous unfortunate events on the home front.

There are many aspects of racing that she loves. "The adrenaline rush is probably my most favorite. When I'm waiting on pit road I become suffocated with anxiety and butterflies. When I pull on the track the adrenaline kicks into high gear and that's when I realize how much I truly love this sport.”

She is still waiting for her first feature win, however she feels her last full season in the UMP Sport Compact in 2011 was her biggest accomplishment. She had a very consistent season with 15 consecutive Top 10's and placing 31st in the Northern National UMP Points after only running 17 races. Those results mean that she ultimately only placed outside of the Top 10 twice that entire year.

Her current racing goal is to become a competitive threat in the UMP Modified class in that she and her team will travel to multiple big shows across the Midwest. "When looking at the bigger picture, I would like to be competitively running in a traveling series like USMTS, or  Lucas Oil and/or the World of Outlaws Late Model Series."

Aside from racing she plays collegiate tennis at the University of St. Francis where she is a full time nursing student. Somehow with her busy schedule she always finds her way on the Dean’s List. She is also a huge Supercross fan. Her Sundays during race season are usually spent riding around on one of her family's stand up jet skis.

Shannon's advice for other females in racing, "Don’t be afraid of two things. Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to be told no."


Shannon is a registered driver with Race4Girls (http://www.race4girls.com/drivers/shannon-mudro/) and she is also an avid blogger for Female Racing News (www.femaleracingnews.com)
Facebook Page
Twitter




Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Sierra Lantz

 

Sierra Lantz

Hometown: Kent City, Michigan
School: Kent City High School (10th grade)
Family: Dad, Mike; mom, Susie; sister, Jordan (17); and sister Asia (10)
Hobbies: Racing, working on my racecars, shopping, and hanging out with friends.

Career Highlights

Berlin Raceway 4cyl Division
- 2012 won 3rd race ever, 6 top 5’s and 9 top 10’s. Currently 8th in points out of 34 racers. In first year of racing have had a lot of hardship and have raced from the back of a 20 car field to 6th place many times.

Ravenna Motor Park
- 2008 Track Champion Spec Blue, 13 feature wins and 27 heat race wins
- 2009 4th in points JR2 Class, 1 feature win and 6 heat race wins
- 2010 Track Champion JR2 LT, 9 feature wins and 15 heat race wins
- 2011 2nd in points JR2, 7 feature wins and 12 heat race wins

Jackson Speedway
- 2009 3 wins in 4 cycle kart class
- 2009 3 top 5’s in 2 cycle kart class

Vestaburg Speedway
- 2009 3 top 5’s in 5 starts
- 2010 2 heat wins and top 5 in feature in 3 starts

Clio Extreme Indoor Karting
- 2010 1 feature win in 1 start.

Farm Track Raceway
- 2010 2 feature wins and 3 top 5’s in 7 starts

Delta Plex Indoor Racing
- 2011 3 wins and 1 feature win in 6 races

BEVRA ( Big Extreme Vintage Racing Association) Vintage snowmobile ice oval
- 2010 raced 3 out of 6 weeks and finished 6th in points out of 20 racers

Midwest Indoor Series
- Flint race, won heat race and feature and in Birch Run a 2nd and 4th

Future Goals: Would like to pursue a career in racing but also plan on attending to college to back up the racing. Would like to race a form of open wheel racecar such as Midget like a USAC Ford Focus Series, Sprint Car like World of Outlaws, Sprints On Dirt or Auto Value Super Sprints, Indy Lite. Ultimately to get in a Indy Car and to be one of the few women to compete in (maybe the one to win) the Indy 500.

Please check out Sierra's Facebook Page


Monday, January 7, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Kendahl Erb



Kendahl Erb


Hello my name is Kendahl  Erb. I am 6 years old. I reside in Norfolk Va and current making honor roll in the 1st grade. 2013 will be my first full year racing at Albemarle Speedway in Elizabeth City N.C. in the Amateur Junior sportsman 1 class. I have 2 non points races already under my belt. Finished 2nd both times!! I am lucky enough to be part of the team Moon-N-Ya racing which consists of 4 other drivers. Taylor Johnson..2012 Amateur jr sportsman 1 champ, Doug Johnson ..Founder of Moon-n-Ya racing and driver, JT Walters 2012 Animal Medium points Champ and Bryan Hyler.. 2012 Clone Modified points Champ. Without those guys and my sponsors I would not be as far as I am today. My goal in 2013 is to finish the year in the top 3 in points, support female based companies and causes, make a bigger name for myself as well as enjoy the spirit of racing.

I currently sponsored by Jungle Golf of Virginia Beach , STUMO parts and accessories of Herford N.C. Dirt Divas Racing of Charlotte N.C.and recently picked up by MYEPXBODY.BIZ.

I am a big fan of hometown racing as well as nationally covered. I have been around different classes of dirt racing my whole life. My father is currently the Race director  at Albemarle Speedway and was the Head Flagmen for the last 4 years. My father says I'm a natural and in order to race I have to continue to make honor roll at school.  My great grandmother even raced powder puff class up in Long Island. I support my fellow driver friends as much as I can by either cleaning their tires,
wearing their shirts or wishing them the best in the pits. My dad is teaching me that the smallest amount of support and help means much more than what it seems.

Rule #1 of racing: Have fun .. That's what we are here to do!



Follow Kendahl Erb's career on her Facebook Page

Sunday, January 6, 2013

What to Read...

What to Read...


I'm not much of a reader, in fact I have a hard time sitting down to commit myself to read magazine articles. In this off season I'd like to learn and give some real effort to reading some racing related books, especially some from a female's perspective.

Here are some that I am considering:




Fast Girl: Don't Brake Until You See the Face of God and Other Good Advice from the Racetrack, By Ingrid Steffensen, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1580054129
 
September 11, 2012

Life in Ingrid Steffensen’s New Jersey suburb was safe, comfortable, and predictable. A college professor, wife, and mother of a preadolescent daughter, her carefully cultivated world was comprised of the usual suspects: family, work, book clubs, yoga classes, and date nights. Then, one day—thinking she’d be a good sport and maybe learn something about what made her car-crazed husband tick—she put a helmet on her head, took her Mini Cooper to the racetrack, and learned how to drive it really, really fast. Soon, what began as a whim became a full-blown obsession—and a freeing journey of self-discovery.

In the eventful, exhilarating year that followed her first lesson, Steffenson dove head-first into high-performance driving. In the process, she discovered the terrifying and addictive thrill of pushing her limits, learning an entirely new set of skills, and tackling danger head-on—and found that doing so liberated her in a way that she hadn’t even known she needed. Fast-paced and fun, Fast Girl is the quirky, real-life chronicle of how one woman stepped outside her comfort zone, shrugged off the shackles of suburban conformity, and changed her entire perspective on life through the unlikeliest of means: racecar driving.



The Art of Racing In The Rain, By Garth Stein, http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.

 
 
Dead Man's Switch, By Kate Rilly, A racing mystery (this one is just for fun and looks interesting!!!) http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Mans-Switch-Reilly-Mystery/dp/1590588819/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1290606789&sr=8-3

Aspiring racecar driver Kate Reilly goes looking for a full-time ride in the American Le Mans Series—and stumbles over a dead driver. When she takes that driver’s job just hours later, she also takes pole position on the list of suspects in his murder. Suddenly she’s in the hot seat with little time to clear her name and get ready to race a Corvette at Lime Rock Park.

Amidst suspicion, Kate buckles down, quickly getting to know the racecar and team, bumping into plenty of suspects who might have committed murder. Clues fly at her as fast as the turns on the track, including a cryptic list of blackmail victims, unexplainable car performance at racing speed, a jealous husband with an adulterous wife, and drivers and crew who are openly happy her predecessor is dead. Kate finds exhilaration and hazards exist on- and off-track as she throttles up both the Corvette’s V8 and a murder investigation.

The green-flag countdown ticks away, and Kate must decide who she can trust to help probe alibis, untangle rumors of team breakups and personal betrayals, and determine whose drive to win also constitutes a willingness to kill. Because what’s at stake in Kate’s race to the truth is her career … only by uncovering a murderer can Kate restore her reputation and prove she belongs in the racing world.

Happy reading!!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Coaching Style

 

 

What is Your Coaching Style?

 
Recently I was involved in a round table discussion on the Heels on Wheels Radio Program about coaching our children. We were talking about the Lifetime television show Dance Moms and the coaching style of Abby Lee Miller of the Abby Lee Dance Company (The show is a guilty pleasure of Kim Ratcliffe, host of the Heels on Wheels Radio Program, and myself.) Abby is very harsh on her students and rules with tough love and an iron fist. Her students win National Championships. I'm not sure if it's her coaching style or her creative choreography that is so successful. That led me to think about the coaching style of my husband and myself with our children and racing.
 
We tend to keep things in perspective, or try to anyways. When Ashlee first started racing our goal was mainly to get her through the practices, heat races and feature. She steadily began to improve. She was really starting to grasp the concepts we were teaching. A few of the hurdles we overcame this year were for her to get a good start, we worked on her lines, got her to stop looking at us when she drove by, and many other small goals along the way. Our goal was to get her to do her personal best, winning or placing high was just a bonus. One thing we did learn is that you cannot expect a young child (6-7 year old in our case) to do their best every time they go out there. It's just not realistic. They are going to have good days and off days as well. After all they are kids not robots.
 
Coaching our daughter has a challenge for both of us. Ashlee does not respond well to criticism. She tends to get defensive quickly and stop listening to what we have to say. We've learned to address issues a little while after the fact and a little more with "kid gloves." She then will process what we've had to say and most of the time try to apply it. We may be parents of 2 girls but the parallels between our two children ends at their gender. We will have to adjust the way we coach Aubree when she starts driving and racing her kart next year. She is more of a sponge and soaks up what is happening around her as things happen. To say the least this next season will be a challenge, a fun challenge though!!
 
What is your coaching style with your child(ren)?