New Team Orientation Clinic
Held:  During April/May on Outside Patio of Lloyd Hall 
          
Contact: Team Captains should Contact Therese Carter directly to schedule at trayscart@verizon.net.

All teams that are new to the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival are strongly encouraged to attend a New Team Orientation Clinic.  The purpose of this clinic is to give the entire team helpful information regarding logistics around practices and raceday. This is a how to of getting 20 plus individuals on board as a team equipped with all the off water background knowledge needed to get them from registration through their first Festival. As most communication throughout the season is through the captain this clinic was designed to allow the entire team to attend so that everyone is hearing the same information and expectations around their participation in both practices and raceday.   Everyone on the team is encouraged to ask questions/voice any concerns during this time so then they are fully prepared and can use practice time to focus on paddling and not logistics.  Clinics last from 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the teams needs.

Some of the Topics Discussed:

• Dragon Boat equipment/dress
• Safety on the water
• Paddler Seating/Weight Distribution
   
• Practice Protocol
  -  Loading/Unloading of Boats
  -  Equipment Use/Storage
  -  Start and End Times
   
• Raceday
  -  Structure of races (placement/timing)
  -  Tent Setup – Grills/Chairs/Tables/Food
  -  Miscellaneous Survival Tips to be sure you have a Fun Race Day
   
• Quick overview of Dragonboat commands/terms

Drumming Clinic

Held: A two-part training session - choose one date to attend Part 1 then Part 2

Part 1 - on land (2nd floor Lloyd Hall): Wednesdays evenings, 7-8pm  April 17, 24, May 1 and 15

Part 2 - on the river paddling: Wednesday evenings, 7-8pm  May 22, 29, June 5 and 19

Why:  So Drummers can learn how to lead their teams through practices and races.

How:  Drummers learn how to lead their teams through practices and races by learning:

•      The dynamics of the Dragon Boat stroke
•      Drills to increase the team's strength and ability to paddle together
•      Race strategies
•      Rules of the river
•      And more!

Who:  ALL drummers are invited to attend, as well as back-up drummers and/or captains.  Space is limited.  Pre-registration is required.

Contact:

Lindy Rustam, Drumming Coordinator
pidbf.drum@yahoo.com  

Steersperson Training Clinic

Held:  April – Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 PM; May and June from 6 to 7 PM and 7 to 8 PM

All teams are required to have a PIDBF Qualified Steersperson for their summer practices.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  Those teams that currently do not have a PIDBF Qualified Steersperson or have not made arrangements with an already PIDBF Qualified Steersperson, should find a volunteer … preferably a team member or team support person, who will not be paddling during the team’s summer practices.  Once the team finds a volunteer, the team captain should contact the Steersperson Coordinator to setup and schedule the necessary training clinics where the volunteer can train and become a PIDBF Qualified Steersperson.  If there is any question on whether a volunteer is already a PIDBF Qualified Steersperson they should contact the Steersperson Coordinator.

Steersperson Training usually takes place in the spring prior to the summer practices.  Please note that each training session requires a minimum of 10 team paddlers and no more than 16 team paddlers along with the volunteer trainee.  On average, it has taken a volunteer 2 one-hour training sessions to qualify.  Once the volunteer trainee has been determined to be qualified by the PIDBF Steersperson Trainer, that volunteer will be added to the PIDBF Qualified Steersperson List and will be allowed to steer for any team’s summer practices.  Please note that no PIDBF Qualified Steersperson will steer on Festival Day.  Steerspeople for Festival Day are provided by the festival organizers.

Lindy Rustam, Coordinator of Steerspeople
pidbf.steer@yahoo.com

Additional Training

Any team who would like schedule additional on-water training with a PIDF trainer during their scheduled on-water practices please contact Therese at trayscart@verizon.net for further details.  

Please note: Additional practices cannot be scheduled until the three (3) practices that come with registration have been scheduled and will be available on Tuesday, June 4th at 11am.

Any team using outside trainers please submit a $25.00 fee to the PIDF. 

On-Water Training:

If you would like to schedule on-water training with a PIDBF trainer during your three scheduled on-water practices, please contact Therese at trayscart@verizon.net for more information.

Extra paid practices will be available on Tuesday, June 4th at 11am.

The fee for using an outside trainer is $25.00 which must be submitted by check a week before the scheduled practice(s).  Please make the check out to:  Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival and send to P.O. Box 122, Haverford PA 19041.

Captain's Meetings
Returning and New  Captains are strongly encouraged to attend one Captain’s Meeting per the schedule below at Lloyd Hall on the 2nd Floor.  Team members are welcome!