Recruiting and Membership
Despite the pandemic not abating, we have been able to safely have some Beginning Paddler training sessions. Five adult athletes came down regularly this Fall on several Saturdays with four gaining enough stability to paddle in our “trainer” sprint kayak and one managing a sprint canoe. Despite cold water, and everyone tipping over practically at each workout, there was a great deal of enthusiasm and interest. Success! With the colder water of Winter now coming, we’ll be holding fewer Beginning Paddler sessions but hope to get this group of four to become members and gain enough skills to join the club paddling sessions by March of 2022. Assuming our Covid numbers continue to drop here in the Ventura area, we hope to return to recruiting youth athletes ages 12 and above, too.
Winter Training Camps and 2022 Nationals and Team Trails
The Sprint Coaches Association — a group of coaches from every club in the country — are working together to offer Winter training camps. There will be at least four camps running at the end of December and into the New Year; a women’s canoe camp in San Diego, California, a men’s kayak camp in Petaluma, California, a women’s kayak camp in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a camp for athletes training for the Olympic Hopes and Junior Worlds likely to be held in the Seattle, Washington area. There is also a training for sprint coaches that will be held in Newport, California on December 10th which Drew will be attending.
Our 2022 Team Trials for World and Junior Worlds are not finalized but look likely to be held at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, California in April. The American Canoe Association website will have details when the location and dates are finalized as well as the selection criteria for these races. It is not yet determined if the Olympic Hopes team will be selected at these Team Trials, although team boat combinations will likely be considered. Our US Nationals will be held the first week of August just outside of Cincinnati, in Clermont, Ohio.
Donations
One of our club members has been on an extended road trip this Fall and has been able to pick up a donated K1 and wing paddle in Colorado. This donation has been planned for several years but logistics were always an issue. Huge thanks to Howard Henderson for the generous donation of equipment and we’re grateful that Erik Edwards had room on his racks for a boat, too! Very much a win-win moment.
We’ve had several other financial donations, too. We renewed our insurance and our membership as a Paddle America Club with the American Canoe Association. Our monthly rental fees for the storage of our boats and trailer are covered for a year or more.
We do need some more canoe paddles! Jim Terrell of QuickBlade Paddles is making an excellent sprint canoe paddle now. If possible, we’ll work on getting three or four of these by Spring and hopefully with adjustable shafts.