Trigger shy

[Skoontz]

Katie seems to be liking A and AXS hydro much better than J, and we overall have far less issues. Got a question however for those who either have kids, or have coached kids along the way. She seems to be trigger shy, not such a bad thing while learning I guess...Yesterday in practice she turned some good speeds, but I'm not sure how well they would have worked in competition. She would get into a turn, and, just like Kyle and Carl coached her, sweep it, stay on the throttle and stick her chin over the skid fin. Then, the boat straightened out, the load came off motor, full on into the pipe, half way down the straight, she would let off then back on. The motor sounded pretty if I do say so myself!

The wind had died down fully about 4:30, and the water had just a pretty ripple over it. Since she blew over last year, she is still gun shy, and any type of wave over a ripple, (waves that I've seen other A boats flew over) she gets shy.

We spotted a wave or two earlier coming in from a bass boat heading to the ramp so we flagged her to slow down until she spotted the wave, which she did very well. At the times she got off the throttle, she really did not need to, at least from where we were idling in the water.

Are there any suggestions those of you who have been there and know may have to get her over the gun shyness, or, is this just going to be a time will work it out type of thing?

[propnuts]

My experience..

says that this is one of MANY phases you have to look forward to during the maturation process. By maturation I mean both of you, driving will change, expectations will change, results will change, and as the dad you will have to change with them. Sometimes the phases last a long time, sometimes not, sometimes a phase doesn't go away at all. As long as both of you stick together and remember to have fun it will all work out just fine. Tony

[Brian10s]

I agree

This is one of those crossroads in her driving career. And a crossroad for you as a coach. It will take her time to work through it and it is a fine line for the coach between encouragement and critizism. I have seen several "Dad/coaches" that rip into a kid for backing off and sooner or later, that kid wants to do somethign else.
After a big wreck or your first one, every driver has that "What in the **** am I doing, this thing is going to hurt me" thought process. Most work their way through it with boat time, some quickly, others it takes awhile and a few never get past it.

This is her "Days of Thunder" moment. You need to be Robert Duval over the radio saying "I know you can do it. I know it in my heart".

[Skoontz]

Thank you guys! I knew that was sort of what many might say. i always encourage her, and I ask her why she let off, and she replies I did not want to flip! And, my usual response is, well, you see the water in front of you better than anyone else, so, I guess you got it covered. Then I might add something like, look at the other boats around you. If you see them fly through it, you know you can get through it, but you just might need to learn a little more balance, or something like that.

We went through it on the Quarter Midget circuit, and just like drafting while broad sliding a car through a turn on 3 wheels takes skill to use that air to suck you by the lead car, the balance of these boats is something she never had to learn, because each corner of the car is weighed and we would move the seat and or engine where we needed it to be. There is/was no movement of the driver that ever could effect what the car did as there is in the boat.

Thank you! This learning curve will be overcome, I'm sure, she has it, she just needs to see that she has it!

[aojesus]

My son Joey started J hydro this year. When he tested he ran full throttle all the way around the course. At the races it was a different story at first. Joey would follow everyone across the starting line and porpoise around the course. This happened at Lakeland, Jesup, and the first day of Ocoee. Something clicked in his mind the second day at Ocoee and he started with the pack and had a great ride.
We then went to Inverness and he ran K-Pro with an AX setup and looked like he was very comfortable. When Lake Wales came around we pulled the AX plate and he ran as a real K-Pro. He ran wide open all around the course but is still very very cautious. (I am greatful)

I told Joey from day one my expectations for him are to finish every race in 2008 right side up and smiling. It is hard when you are on the shore and they can't hear you, and I understand what you are saying completely.
My theory is that Joey will progress at Joey's pace and all I can do is give him a safe set-up and words of encouragement. Joey got ran into pretty hard when he was passing a boat at Lake Wales but both boats stayed upright. Joey was more mad at the other driver than scared but he learned a bunch from the situation and gained more respect for what can happen.

When they are out there on the water it is just them and their machines. Love the crap out of them and keep on encouraging them, they will progress when they are ready.

Great question!

[spunky64w]

Like everyone else said...

It just takes time. Comfort has a lot to do with it-if she's not comfortable then things can get dangerous, for her and others on the race course. The best remedy is boat time and lots of encouragement. Personally, I don't like to take risks unless I can judge with a high certainty exactly how the boat will react. New classes (or boats) take time. Take it as a sign of precaution and that she's thinking ahead. I know a lot of kids make the jump from J to AXS and think they can drive with the same tactics. Winning isn't everything and I think people forget that with the moment's adrenaline rush. Better to finish mid-pack (or where ever) than to not finish at all, and then be all the more ready to race another day. As she takes risks, she'll learn. The human motor sensory memory is a really amazing thing and once she accomplishes one step, her mind and body will recognize similar situations in the future and react with confidence. Coulda, shoulda, woulda are all parts of learning that just can't be rushed and are best when learned through expirience. Boat racing is as much a race against yourself as it is a race against the others on the course. That's why people can race for 30 or 40+ years and still learn something new every now and again. Good luck!

[Skoontz]

Thanks again everyone.

This is all good stuff and she and I will be going over it after her homework is done tonight.

Sean, if you saw KT backing off over waves, you were there! I thought she was going to loose it coming to the finish on the last heat, but, she let off, the boat went up, and she got passed by 3 others...She brought it in safely, which is more important. Kyle told her to move forward and stay on the throttle, but I'm not saying anything she is the driver and she will figure it out.
The boat she blew over was Kim Ruckers old A hydro, (Love Boat without captain Stubbe) and that thing was squirelier than a a 3 peck billy goat as her grandpa always said.

She also got shoved into a buoy milling for the start at Longbeach, hit it, then did a cartwheel over the deck, swam to the boat and started swearing at rescue when they would not let her back in to restart! I don't know where she ever learned to cuss like that! LOL She came ashore on the slab, mom and dad worried by the ramp, sits up, tells me " daddy, I hit a buoy", in which I replied, "well then you best go tell Ross, because he gives 500 points for every buoy you hit!" She busts a gut and walked off the slab, then the cracker drivers all looking on gave her a standing ovation, she dried off, and got ready for the final.

Anyway, enough of the war stories! You guys give us more help then you will ever know

[bill van steenwyk]

for what it's worth,since you asked

Just made sure she knows that YOU don't expect more out of her than she is able to do with no more experience than she has at this time. She, like most kids is surely competitive or else she would not be out there to start with, but it is important she know that your main objective in giving her the means to have fun, is just that, FUN.

From your descriptions about her behaviour to this point, it doesn't sound like she thinks she is indestructable, and that is probably any parents biggest worry. She just needs laps, laps, and more laps, and those only come with time.

Also as previously mentioned, have her always cognizant of the other boats around her as how they are running/handling, and if she see's somebody getting squirrley, use caution. When both testing and racing, be aware of any other type boat but a race boat on the course. Whenever you see a pleasure type boat, you can be sure several big wakes are there also, and that is a time for caution, even if it is a safety/patrol boat.

Most of all, just be glad she enjoys something you do also. It will only bring the two of you closer, and teach her many lessons she will use all her life. It will gain her a lot of respect from her male peers also, both on and off the race course. I raced from 1955 to the late 90's myself, and I was never more nervous than when my wife Eileen raced in the mid to late 70's. My super 8 movies of her at that time are almost unviewable due to "camera shake" when she was in the boat. Good Luck to "KT"

[Dave M]

Some More Opinion

I agree with a lot of what has been said, with boat time being the most important. Nothing can teach anyone, adult or child more valuable lessons than boat time. While it may see like simply going for a ride testing, the water is in a constant state of change. The boat should handle great in 90% of the conditions. It is that 10% that will bite you. She needs more experience with that 10%.

I also feel that the quality boat time is spent in a race. She will gain more valuable insight on how to react to the water and not the boats around her. This will better prevent an accident due to water conditions. Usually by the time you see the boat right beside you or just in front of you react to a wave, it is to late for yourself to react. So teach her to look ahead a long ways for different patterns on the water, paying particular attention to ripples that seem to be only in one spot, means some gusty wind right there. In addition to all this she needs to develop the instinct of the boats around her. That can only come with experience in races.

So the best opinion I can give is to take her to as many races as possible in addition to as much testing as possible. When testing it would be good to get someone out there with her to sort of push her around. This would need to be a vetran. THis means set some course markers and sort of race around, have them pinch her, crowd her, run within an inch of her down the straights and in the corner. Sometimes a little bump can help with confidence. It can prove that two boats racing can touch without a flip resulting. It happens in a race and it will be less of a suprise should it be practised.

All in all Bill, lots of boat time.

[aojesus]

almost forgot

I almost forgot one other key thing that has really helped Joey tremendously.
His peers! Joel Kiddy, Andrew Kiddy, Becky Nichols, and Justin Pinner always talk to Joey before and after each race with tips and words of encouragement. Joey was struggling with timing on the starts so Becky made it a point to get his attention on the course so he could follow her. Joel and Andrew always talk to Joey about his set-up and wind gusts, e.t.c., and Justin tested side by side with Joey to help him get the feel of things.

When we went to Inverness to run K-Pro he was determined to leave the J restrictor in the motor. He spent over half an hour hanging around with Wendy and Amy Eldredge and talking about driving a K-Pro. When I walked up to see how he was doing he asked to get rid of the J restrictor. The Ellison gang also took time to offer encouragement and advice.

These J and K-Pro drivers are fierce competitors, but they are also very good about helping someone along. I have to give these young Men and Ladies a bunch of credit for helping Joey gain confidence in himself and his boat. Young folks often listen closer to their peers than they do their parents. Hopefully your daughter has a great support group of peers, it really helps.

I tip my hat to these young competitors! They are a great bunch!

[Skoontz]

Thanks again, guys. I have been trying to get a club type test date scheduled, yet no one can ever coordinate the time with their schedules, which, is typical in life these days. Angie Rea was crowding KT in San Diego, as was Bob Peebles kid, and she backed off. But, this tactic has been suggested several times. At this point, it will simply be putting the boats together to make it happen. We will be at Oroville, hopefully I have enough diesel fuel made by the time we have to leave, I figure if I can get 75 gallons in my transfer tank, we won't need to stop and drop the big money. The region 11 club offers a great deal more help for KT than our own region, lots more boats being one of the largest contributors. There really are no stock boats in numbers in region 12, and I hope that changes once the new J class is off and running.

Your help is always vital to KT's success. So, back to Hodges we go Sunday. Water gets good about 4PM.