Dale Earnhardt Jr. has often spoken about Nicole, his daughter, and her habit of refusing to take orders from anyone. She carries herself with intense resolve and never backs down. These are traits that make an athlete successful, and for reasons beyond that, Earnhardt Jr. wants her to kick a soccer ball around.
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Sadly, neither Nicole nor his other daughter, Isla, shows much interest in organized athletics. During an episode of Bless Your Heart, the NASCAR Hall of Famer and his wife, Amy, addressed a fan who asked whether they planned to put their daughters into T-ball, volleyball, basketball, dance, or anything similar.
Amy revealed that both their daughters already attend dance classes. Isla has also tried gymnastics and soccer, but doesn’t appear to be quite ready yet. Nicole isn’t showing particular interest in soccer either, but Earnhardt Jr. then explained how if any of his daughters warmed up to the sport, it would be her.
Junior described her as “really physical, tough, mean, gritty. And if anybody’s going to do any kind of sports, it’ll probably be her.”
While he acknowledged the value of athletics for building strength and keeping kids active, he also admitted he has his own selfish hopes mixed in. He said, “I’d love to be a girl dad taking her to games and stuff like that. That’d be awesome. I’m happy and proud of them and dance and all that stuff, but it’s not my cup of tea, obviously. It’s not something I’m going to go sit really, truly get into like Amy might.”
Earnhardt Jr. supports every activity they choose, but he knows where his enthusiasm naturally lies.
That spark from Nicole has already shown itself. In a previous episode, Junior shared a moment from school when she competed in a footrace around an oval and crossed the line first without blinking. Amy added that Nicole embraced the moment fully, wearing a vintage Dale Earnhardt T-shirt and channeling that fierce Earnhardt competitiveness through and through.
Nicole understood that it was a race, understood that something was on the line, and showed up intent on winning. Despite that early glimpse of her edge, Junior keeps his expectations light. He simply hopes she might gravitate toward organized sports someday, even if the path develops at her own pace and in her own stubborn, unmistakably Nicole way.
