Parents & carers
Help your young racer feel heard, handle pressure and keep enjoying their sport.
For families supporting drivers, riders and boat racers—from their first meeting to the next step up.
Start with what is happening for your child. You don’t need the perfect speech. A calm response, a useful question and a real choice can be a good start.
What’s happening for your racer?
Supporting a younger child or an older teen
Match the support to the person
For a younger child, offer simple words and one concrete choice. With a teen, ask before stepping in and agree what help they want. Adjust for communication and sensory needs; age alone does not tell you what will work.
Keep them involved
Let them choose a trusted adult to talk to. Respect their privacy while acting on safety concerns. Explain any steps you need to take, rather than promising to keep everything secret.
You can read together
These are guides for the adult supporting a young racer. No child profile, personal notes or racing equipment details are needed to read them.
Support beyond race day
If feelings are severe, keep returning, or affect school, sleep, relationships or everyday life, speak with a GP, paediatrician or psychologist experienced with young people. A school counsellor can also help start the conversation.
Australia
headspace · young people and familiesKids Helpline · 1800 55 1800Sport safety and reporting resourcesUnited States & elsewhere
Use your local paediatrician, youth mental-health service or sport safeguarding contact.
US crisis support · call or text 988If there is immediate danger or you cannot keep someone safe, call emergency services: 000 in Australia, 911 in the US, or your local emergency number. For a child talking about suicide or self-harm, stay with them and seek urgent professional help.
Educational support for parents and carers. These guides are not therapy, diagnosis or a return-to-racing assessment. Sources reviewed 13 October 2026; no endorsement is implied.