Lessons from NASCAR: Five Tips that will have Your Child Racing to be a Better Team Player

Do the 75 million fans of NASCAR realize that watching their favorite sporting event can be a valuable lesson in teamwork? Appealing to the forty percent of the fans who are women and the forty percent who have children, Craig Elliott of www.RacerBuddies.com shares what NASCAR can teach kids about working together to win.

Los Gatos January 18, 2005 -- Want to put your child on the fast track to the Most Valuable Team Player award? You might be surprised to discover that NASCAR auto racing offers a tank full of insights into turning your kid into a top-notch team player.

Fueled by a fan base of about 75 million, NASCAR is picking up the pace as the fastest growing spectator sports in America; forty percent of those fans are women and forty percent have children under age eighteen.

Kids relate to racing, says Craig Elliott, author of Racer Buddies: Opening Day at Daytona! (Powerband Press, $12.95, www.RacerBuddies.com). NASCAR drivers are more approachable than many other pro athletes and it is also a very family oriented sport.

A father of two boys, ages five and three, Elliott has seen firsthand how the thrills and chills of racing can translate the value of teamwork to a child. A racing enthusiast who has attended both the Bondurant Racing School and Jim Russell Racing School, Elliott has a vintage 1969 Chevron B-16 prototype racer that he takes for an occasional spin. Racer Buddies: Opening Day at Daytona!, is part of a series designed in conjunction with NASCAR and The International Speedway Corporation.

You can accelerate your childs ability to develop award winning teamwork skills by practicing Elliotts wisdom from the racetrack:

1. Accept advice.
Your pit crew (a.k.a. your parents, teachers, and coaches) sees things from a broader perspective and can guide you through potentially dangerous situations.

2. Encourage others.
Boost team spirit by praising teammates when they are doing well and offering words of encouragement when they seem down.

3. Hold your line.
Do your best to stay focused and not let distractions throw you off course.

4. Think about the whole game.
Determine you will do what it takes to not only start strong, but also to finish strong.

5. Have fun.
Enjoy what you are doing. Laugh and have a good time. Remember, winning is not everything!

Teamwork skills will give your child a sharp advantage on any racetrack, ball field or classroom, says Elliott. Later in life, the skills may even help them score a better job.

Get in on the Racer Buddies action at www.RacerBuddies.com.

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