JUNIOR SPRINT RACING TEAM
2024 Head Coach: Andreea Ghizila
2024 Assistant Coach: Anna McGrory
The Seattle Canoe & Kayak Youth Sprint Team is co-ed, multi-age (grades 6-college), and practices on Green Lake after school and on weekends. The Seattle Canoe & Kayak Club is a member of the American Canoe Association (ACA), and affiliated with the City of Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation. Our program offers a lot of fun, hard work and pay-offs. Year-round membership on the team is a big commitment, but in return it offers physical and mental training, skills and confidence building, socialization, coaching, competition and the opportunity for both team and personal success. As a community, we are learning how important it is to make these opportunities available to our young people.
Completion of the Development Classes and permission of the head coach are required for enrollment. For additional information please contact the club office at 206-684-4074 or come by the Small Crafts Center office at the Green Lake boathouse.
Registration is completed through Seattle Parks and Recreation. Note it IS generally possible to join programs after they start. Please contact the Small Crafts Center office, 206-684-4074 or stop by during the day.
American Canoe Association (ACA) membership is needed for all racing juniors. All of the races we attend are sanctioned and insured by the ACA. Membership can be purchased online at Join as an Individual - ACA (americancanoe.org). Once you have joined, e-mail Tami your membership number and expiration date. There are 2 types of membership:
- Paddle America Club affiliation individual membership (Choose Seattle Canoe & Kayak Club) - $40
- Individual with Competition License - $40 plus $80 (this is only necessary if you are planning to race at US Team Trials, Nationals or internationally.)
Questions?
Registration & everything: Tami Oki
Calendar Overview
The yearly calendar is on our Events Page. In general, the following is what the year looks like for junior racers. You can also see a description of races on the 'Race Calendar' page under the drop-down menu for the Youth Team.
- Spring (Apr-June): When the lake warms up (above 50 deg), the team begins training in earnest. Paddlers who will be going to the US National Team Trials in late May are preparing for this while other team members are getting in shape for Ted Houk. The Slawko Fedechko season opener regatta is in mid-May. Ted Houk, the biggest regatta on the west coast, is in mid-June. During spring, we also have a number of smaller races and regattas: Race for the Cookies (Bothel), Paddler's Cup (Gig Harbor), and the Bellingham Regatta.
- Summer (July-August): As soon as school is out, double practices begin for those who are prepping for Nationals (in August): mornings MTWThFSa and afternoons MWF. Younger team members who are not going to Nationals, do MWF afternoon and Sat AM. The big regatta for these team members is the Pacific Cup in Sept. Team members who made the US National Team will be in Europe at Junior Worlds in July.
- Fall (Sept-Nov): Those who qualify for the Olympic Hopes Regatta (OHR) at Nationals will be training for this. This is held in Sept in Europe. They may be travelling to other nearby clubs to train with their partners in the team events at OHR. The younger paddlers (esp those who did not attend Nationals) will finish off their season at the Pacific Cup---the Canadian Bantam Championships. There are some smaller races during this time too: the Cascade Distance race (Bothell) and the Bellingham Distance race. The season concludes with the Frostbite Camp, a 3-day training camp that brings in high-level coaches from all around the US and Canada and attended by paddlers from all the local clubs (and some from outside the area).
- Winter (Dec-Mar): The team does dryland training and lifts weights in the morning. This tends to be a slower time for the team as many members are on teams at their high schools during this time. The lake is closed when it is cold (below 50 degrees).