What is the word on this year's camp? Will the change in ownership effect the camp? Does anyone know who the coaching staff is this year??

Re: GWN camp, April 2007 December 16 2006, 1:46 PM

GWN coaches:
Albert McDonald - NS
Max Tracey - NS
Crystal Cameron - NS
Matt Robert - PQ
Matt Smith - PQ
Don Irvine - BC
Andrea Dillon - BC
Adrian Taylor - ON
Len Minty - ON
Scott Murray - ON
Andrew Fox - ON
Trevor Woodside - ON
Jim Farintosh - ON

Friends of Jim

Looks like half of them are the age of the rest of the Canadian Snowbirds in Florida.

Well, I’m formally back to work next week getting ready for the camp (although it never really ends) and thought I would check the forum to see about camp interest. I see there is a new thread about the staff and I wanted to make a few comments.

The quality of the staff at the camp over the past six years is a major reason for its success, without question. As to the above comment about the coaches being friends of mine, well I am proud to say…absolutely, they are good friends and I am fortunate to know them. We spend three weeks together (it feels like 24/7) putting on a full day program for between 400-500 participants of all ages, abilities, needs and goals. We have complete novices right up to national team members. We have a wonderful mix of nationalities, almost exactly 50% Canadian and 50% American and welcome people from all over North America (12 states and 8 provinces last year). Believe me, it takes a special group of people to make this camp work each year!

The staff (coaching, video support, dryland program) are from all over Canada and represent some of the best programs we have in our country. They bring world championship experience and a legacy of success to our camp. To name a few, Andrea Dillon and Don Irvine are long-time False Creek coaches and paddlers and bring a west-coast perspective to our team. Albert McDonald and Tim Schauss are from the Dartmouth NS Dragon Beasts and are part of the senior national team racing in Oz in September. Matt Robert and Matt Smith represent the best from Quebec, with the Wongs DBC and the Montreal women programs as examples of their expertise.

The main thing about all the coaches, regardless of age or home, is that they are passionate about dragon boat and are excellent communicators and fun to be around. Many are educators and understand the basic needs of the majority of our campers…personal, organized, enthusiastic, technically-sound, motivating coaching support. Some do not have a “resume name”, but have been picked for a reason, the athletes that have been coached by them at the camp know why. Many of the testimonials that I receive each year sing the praises of the lesser known staff and that is what makes the camp work, both on and off the water. Again, I am proud to call them my friends.

If anyone on the forum would like to suggest people that would be good candidates for staff work, please send me an email and I will consider them. We have two new coaches this year and are always changing the staff line-up a bit to give new opportunities to capable people. The fact that all the coaches seem to want to return each year is a good sign, I feel.

Thanks for your interest and think about joining us, we still have a bit of room for April!
Regards,
Jim

Jim, do you plan to run a version of that DBC/NCCP coaching program here in Toronto, or somewhere in the Central Region, for those who can't make it down to Florida for a week?

DBC will be announcing a level one coaching clinic in the GTA area, probably in May.
Watch for it.