The Tribune

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Education Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Members of the Edukarting Bahamas team were present at the Bahamas Games to display their skills and introduce Family Island visitors to the sport.

Susan Schauff, vice president of the Bahamas Motorsports Association, said the demand for karting and sim racing has increased locally. She added that sim racing provides an opportunity for students to participate remotely and widen their social networks.

She said: “The demand for Karting - real permanent kart track/race track, plus Sim racing, which is now Olympic Sports - grew exponentially. We were invited to participate at the IOC’s E-Sports Olympics with the finals in Singapore for June.

“One could be in Inagua and race against kids in a country they’ve dreamt of like Japan and race in life time against someone there, new friendships could be built, apart from the possibility to participate at the Olympics.”

Ms Schauff noted the Motorsports Association is trying to implement Edukarting into the National Youth Programme and maintained that Edukarting is a team sport that teaches life skills to participants.

She said: “We are still in talks if or how Edukarting can be implemented into the National Youth Programme. We believe that EduKarting which is like the fusion of education and Motorsports can truly make a difference.

“It’s more than just sports as it’s a team sports, it’s always teams of five, everyone gets a job: financial officer, marketing officer, mechanic, driver and team captain, and all learn life skills from road safety, community work, virtual budgeting, marketing, mechanical part, driver skills, team work, and trust.”

Ms Schauff explained that the annual Edukarting Summer Camp has been postponed to October so that it can coincide with the National Championship. She added that the team is still in need of a professional simulator centre but keeps up with practices races and mechanical workshops.

She said: “We will hold the National Championship in October and move our camps to that time instead of August. In the meantime we do practice races, mechanical workshops and will continue our fight for a professional simulator center to enable more to this Olympic sport.

“Since we are an FIA Association, we offer our UB Edukarting Club the participation on certain seminars like I-racing and work on applicants for their international internships.”

Ms Schauff added that although many students may not want to become professional race drivers the skills gained in Edukarting will help them to further their chosen careers. She maintained that the most exciting part of working with the team is watching them discover and develop their talents.

She said: “There are students who in the end want to become professional race drivers, but even more who want to become entrepreneurs, build their own marketing agency one day, become teachers, thinking of their own mechanical workshop, event organisers, media officer, running a race track, simulator centre to name a few.

“It’s always very exciting to watch the students find their own talents, most of them never knew they had, neither did their family or teachers.”