Whether you are back on the water in the southern hemisphere, hitting the paddle pool in the northern hemisphere, or still paddling in the balmy temperatures of the waters near the equator, you need the relentless focus and concentration to get the most out of your training and help you to finish in front. But how can you develop that mental focus to give you the edge needed to compete at a higher level? Mindfulness is a useful tool in dragon boating that can improve your performance in many ways. Definitions of mindfulness certainly
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are upon us. If you are a paddler, you would likely prefer a new paddle over a new sweater. It’s not always easy for your family to understand this, and most of the time they have no idea where to find the things you’d like most. So, once again I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite things for paddling, along with links to direct your gift-givers to where they can purchase them. You can pass this list on to your
As paddlers, we love to compete, but we also love to have a good time. In case you are looking for some last-minute costume ideas for your dragon boat team, I’ve gathered some fun paddling photos to inspire and entertain you. Kudos to the teams who have the creativity to put together such impressive costumes to paddle in. Personally, my favorite is Noah’s Ark, where each row of paddlers is a pair of animals and the drummer is Noah. Happy Halloween! The superhero theme: The viking theme: The animal theme (including
Do you ever wish you could go back in time and start your dragon boating career over again? Or that you could at least go back and give yourself some advice along the way? When I think back to my first day on the dragon boat, I recall exactly how I felt. The team I joined did an on-water warmup that lasted exactly two and a half minutes. I thought I was going to die. My arms were killing me (because let’s face it, almost no one knows how to
Watching the high level of competition at the Olympics last month started me thinking about how the athletes prepare for their respective events. Not physically, but mentally. The competitors have an amazing ability to focus amidst all the chaos of the crowd and other distractions. What do their coaches tell them right before they go out to the starting block, the ring, the court, on the water, or wherever they will compete? What do they hold in their minds as they go into battle? At our races, Chris L., one of the more experienced
I’m sure you’ve heard it before. It is actually discussed quite often: one team claims that another team “stole” their paddlers. A teammate of mine recently pointed out how laughable this is. Did the other team sneak in at night wearing all black, toss your paddler in a giant sack and run off with him or her? Of course when talking about such “stealing,” people are referring to the active recruitment of paddlers from other teams. Sure, it’s an ethical issue, but the truth of the matter is that each paddler is capable of making his
If you are anything like me, you go through periods in your training where you might feel a bit stuck. No matter how hard you’ve been training nor how focused you are, you feel like you aren’t making progress. It can be frustrating, no doubt. Here are 10 things to keep in mind the next time you are feeling sluggish in your paddling development. 1) Feeling stagnant is a sign that it’s time for a change. Whether it’s a change in your diet, a change in your workout routine, a change in the frequency of
Whether you are new to paddling or a veteran on the boat, if you are serious about the sport of dragon boating you are continuously seeking out ways to elevate your paddling ability. Approach your training as a learning opportunity and focus on each practice session as a chance to develop your skills. Here are three elements of training that every paddler should embrace: Progress Your training is a continuous journey towards a goal (or multiple goals). Depending on your individual progression, you will inevitably have peaks and valleys in your training. But
Coaches are a vital part of every team. The team’s trainer, teacher, mentor, negotiator, problem solver, motivation provider, facilitator, and organizer; a coach is a vital part of the team. Sometimes coaches can be a bit intimidating, especially when you are new to the team. We look up to our coaches, not only because they are selecting the race crew, but also because they hold such in-depth knowledge of the sport. Having a conversation with the coach might not always be easy, but open communication with your coach is essential to your
What’s With the OC1 Time Trials for Dragon Boat Crews? So much time and energy goes into debating the question: “How will we select the best paddlers for the race crew?” I can assure you, your coaches and/or captains lose sleep on this question and realize that you are also losing sleep over this question! That’s partly why there is so much variation in how crews conduct their selection exercises. Some crews run trials where a pair of paddlers must move the whole dragon boat together over a distance; some crews introduce
