PFD’s
are to be worn by ALL Atoms. Life Belts to be worn by PeeWee
and Bantam paddlers. Midgets must have their parents’ written permission
to be excused from wearing life belts during practice and at regattas.
Before beginning in the competitive program, paddlers must achieve the Red
Cross Swim Kids 4 or equivalent. All paddlers, regardless of swimming
badge, must pass the club swim test before being allowed to go beyond the
swim dock. Price of paddling does not include CCA fee. Each paddling level
will paddle two- 1hr. 15 minute sessions/day. One session will consist of
small boats (canoe, kayak) and the second session will be war canoe. There
is also a fitness element to CCA paddling. Each level will also compete in
two regattas throughout the summer. Times are to be determined.
Regatta-dates
and places TBA by ADCKC at a later date.
War Canoe Only (Midget/Juvenile)
This program allows Midget and Juvenile paddlers to stay in the sport. It
does not come with any membership privileges; therefore, there is no
membership fee ($100 + $50 CCA fees). 1 hour per day Mon-Fri usually late
afternoon.
Open Boating
This is a fun way for all members to enjoy the club. Bring your family or
come by yourself. Available during the times posted above.
Red Cross Swim Kids
Swim lessons are available starting at age three. Times to be determined.
Length of class is determined by what level swimming the child is
registered for. If you are unsure as to what level your child should be
in, please consult with a swim instructor. A qualified swim instructor
will be available on registration day.
Bronze Medallion & Bronze Cross
Bronze Medallion is offered for a 4 week period during the month of July.
Bronze Cross is offered for a 4 week period during the month of August.
You must be at least 12 years old or have completed Red Cross Swim Kids
level 10 or equivalent.
Memberships
|
Family Membership
(A family is defined as a mother and/or father and dependent children
20 years of age and under living in the same household) |
A family membership entitles all members of the household to visit the
club and use the facilities. This fee does not include any programs.
Use of the beach, recreational swimming (when no lessons are being
held) and the use of the canoes in the evening, weekends and holidays. |
|
Single Membership
( must be 12 years of age or older) |
This membership is open to those who are 12 years of age and older.
This gives single swimmer/paddlers an opportunity to continue
involvement in Abenaki when the rest of the family have other
interests. |
Paddlers Information
Our programs are set up so that participants will have a positive
experience in this sport. We emphasize on teaching proper techniques and
on how to achieve an overall better level of fitness in order to
participate effectively in regattas held throughout the summer.
The Sport
The sport is
competed in canoes and kayaks which are specifically designed for racing
in flat water. Participants will compete in singles, doubles, four-person
and war canoe (15 person). The canoes and kayaks used are built for speed
and as a result there is a definite trade off in stability. The races are
held on lakes with lane markings and for the most part races are 500 or
1000 meters in length depending on age classification. A brief description
of the boats follows below along with the terminology commonly used to
describe them.
K-1:
Single person kayak. This is a single seat craft with a steering
mechanism operated by the toes of the participant. A double bladed paddle
is used to propel the craft with racing distances of 500 or 1000m.
K-2:
Two person
kayak. This is a two seat craft with the person in the front doing the
steering with the same mechanism as the K-1, a rudder stick between the
feet. In order to be successful the two paddlers should be closely matched
in terms of both conditioning and similarity of paddling technique.
K-4:
Four person kayak. This is a four seat craft with the front person
doing the steering. The steering mechanism can either be a rudder stick or
in some older models the footboard has a top section which has to be
pushed in the direction the person wants the boat to go. It is important
for the four people racing this boat to have similar techniques and
conditioning levels.
C-1:
The
designation C-1 normally refers to a single canoe. The “C” actually stands
for Canadian with the international racing bodies and came about as the
sport was introduced to the Olympics in 1956 by Canada. C-1 and C2 were
the only boats raced that year and thus the “Canadian” designation. The
craft is propelled by a single person kneeling in the boat (on a bun) so
that their weight is balanced between front and back. The person steers
the craft using what is called a “J” stroke where at the end of the stroke
the paddle is turned to force water away from the side to compensate for
the tendency of the boat to move to the side opposite of the side the
paddler paddles on.
C-2:
This is a
two person canoe. In it both paddlers are kneeling (on a bun) and using
single bladed paddles. It is common in this craft to have two competitors
who paddle on opposite sides of the boat. They are placed in the boat one
forward of the other. The one in the back of the boat has the most
leverage and is called upon to keep the boat straight. In drastic
circumstances the person in front can be called upon to help; however,
this is usually kept to a minimum. In order to achieve maximum boat speed,
it is important that the two paddle as a single unit with timing and power
being important for success.
C-4:
This is a strictly Canadian craft and only raced in the form shown in
Canada. In international competition the boats used resemble that of a K-4
with the top deck removed. The design used for this race in Canada has not
changed substantially from the turn of the century; however, there have
been some marginal improvements in both construction and speed. They are
propelled by four single bladed paddlers in the kneeling position (on a
bun) spaced evenly from the front to the back of the boat. The person in
back is charged with keeping the boat straight with help usually coming
from the person in the third position. It is one of the greatest
challenges in the sport to keep one of these boats straight during a race.
War Canoe
(C-15):
The most
exciting race in any given regatta would be the War Canoe races. The canoe
is around 30 feet in length and carries 14 paddlers and one coxswain who
steers the boat with a single blade paddle. The paddlers are divided into
seven on the left side and seven on the right side. They paddle in a
kneeling position (on a bun) and must paddle in complete unison in order
to be successful.
Age Classification Program Outlines
Atom (ages 9 &
10)
Instruction is
focused on the fundamentals of the sport. These include balance, proper
stroke technique, steering and boat control, general fitness and
introduction to small boats. The Atlantic division of the CCA holds 2 Atom
regattas for this age group with one being at Abenaki and the other
normally held at Orenda in Lake Echo. This age group is normally striving
for the bronze certification in the Canoe Kids Program.
There is a
fitness component to this program which regularly consists of running and
other dry land exercises. It is important that participants come to the
club with running shoes and a life jacket and a change of clothes (Abenaki
t-shirt and a bun is also required). There are two 1 hour and 15 minute
sessions for this group each day. One session is for small boats while the
other is devoted to War Canoe.
Peewee (ages 11
& 12)
Instruction at
this level is geared toward refining the skills learned in the Atom
program and teaching these skills to those who are just starting the sport
at this age. Participants at this level will be training to acquire
fitness and to refine stroke technique. The Atlantic Division of the CCA
holds 3 regattas for this age group; one in Windsor, one on Lake Banook,
and the end of the year Peewee-Bantam Championships also on Lake Banook.
The equipment
requirements for this age group include a bun and a singlet as well as
running shoes and a dry change of clothes. One may consider the purchase
of their own paddle at this time; however, this is normally done when a
child stops growing. Life jackets are not required for practices and races
however are recommended for beginners or weak swimmers. Participants are
required to wear a life belt for both practices and races. There are two 1
hour and 15 minutes sessions per day for each participant.
Bantam (ages 13 & 14) – Midget (ages 15 & 16)
Instruction at
this level includes a more intense practice schedule as workouts will be
designed to prepare the paddler for higher level competitions. Races at
this age group are 1000m except for War Canoe, C-4, and K-4. Training is
geared to increase the aerobic fitness of the participant with an emphasis
on distance training. There is also a dry land fitness component which
includes running as well as other exercises to increase strength and
fitness.
There are three
regattas for this group as well. All three are held on Lake Banook with
the final one being the Peewee Bantam Championships. Again, equipment
which is essential would be running shoes, singlet for racing, bun,
lifebelt and a dry change of clothes. This group also trains with two
sessions per day. One for small boats and one for War Canoe. Each session
is to last 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Club Rules and Equipment Damage Policy
Participants
are advised that the equipment used is very expensive to both purchase and
repair. Club rules are posted and have been devised to limit the abuse
that these boats and paddles can suffer. Strict adherence to these rules
shall be followed at all times and those who show deliberate mistreatment
of equipment will be dealt with by club management.
Regatta Entries
Entries for
regattas are determined by the coach responsible for each group. Crew
selections will be made using the following criteria.
Policy for Crew Selection for Regattas and Championship Regattas
Coaches when
entering names in the draws for preliminary regattas will try to enter as
many Abenaki paddlers as possible given the skill level of the athlete as
well as the logistical limits of the regatta draw itself.
Coaches will use the following criteria for selecting crews for
championship regattas (and may use the same criteria for preliminary
regattas as well):
Skill level
Similarities of
Technique
- Coaches may select paddlers based on a similarity of style
Physical
fitness
– coaches will evaluate paddlers based on observation in training (i.e.
run times, swim times etc.) and previous regatta results
Dedication
–
attendance and practicing what is being taught.
Work ethic
– paddlers that work the hardest will be selected over other paddlers who
do not work as hard. This could mean that a paddler at a lower level of
fitness and talent could be selected over a paddler who doesn’t make a
satisfactory effort.
Team spirit and
helpfulness
– paddlers that create a positive atmosphere and are helpful to their
coach and team-mates will be selected in the place of paddlers who create
problems for their coach and team-mates.
If the above
criteria are similar, then a coach can, but is not obligated to have
race-offs to decide team boats. Coaches are not to be pressured in any way
on their crew selections. Coach’s decisions are final. All complaints
should be directed to the Paddling Chair, Head Coach, & Manager.
Guest Guidelines
A single membership may sign in one guest per summer. The parent/guardian
of the member must be the one to physically sign the guest in at the
canteen. Members under the age of 18 will not be allowed to sign in
guests. The guest can be signed in no more than two times in a summer (by
seperate members), any time after that we request they purchase a
membership in order to return to the club.
Family membership may sign in three guest(s) per summer. These can be full
families or singles. A member who is part of a family membership will
follow the rules of a single when signing in guests, and it will be used
towards the total of three per season.
Supervision
As stated in the HRM by-laws, children must be 12 years old on or before
July 1st in order to be at the club, at any time during club hours, on
their own. Stressing that they cannot be unsupervised for any length of
time. If their of age sibling is watching them during the day but out on
the water for their own lesson, the younger child must be the
responsiblility of another child over the age of 12.
Behavior
First offense: warning
Second offense: phone call home
Third offense: suspension from the club.
There is a strict zero tolerance rule for bullying. We want Abenaki to be
a safe and happy place for all members to spend their summer!!
For more
information, please visit the Atlantic Division CKC at the following web
address:
www.akckc.ca
