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Instructor's Corner #5
10/19/2001
By G. Tave Lamperez
lamperez@netscape.net
630-584-6931
24 Roosevelt Street
St. Charles, IL 60174
The USCA canoeing program began in 1999. Since that first offering we have grown to a team of 31 instructors across the U.S.A. In 2001 students started being certified in our "Basic Canoeing Course" by that team of instructors.
Thanks to Bob Pierson, Jan Whitaker, Earl Brimeyer, John Ponticorvo, Tave Lamperez, Don Mueggenborg, and Mary Ellen Waterson for teaching classes using the USCA program in 2002. (More are actually planned for 2002…) We have trained over 30 students so far this year. Those are only the ones I know about.
There might be more of our instructors out there spreading knowledge without "officially" getting credit for the classes they teach. Go ahead and fill out a course completion record and send it to me. I will return completion cards for your students. I have lots of cards and want to use them all up.
Do you need some "Welcome Paddler" pamphlets for your classes? Again, call me or send me email and I will ship some to you, for your students.
Remember that your instructor's manual has all the forms for requesting insurance and for reporting students that complete the class. It also provides suggestions for the course fees.
I hope to use this column as a way to keeping in touch with instructors in our program.
I am still waiting for a few instructors to provide their proof of CPR and First Aid certification. I will be sending you a follow up email or a letter.
For those that do not know the USCA provides training on how to canoe, I want to remind members about this program that promotes the "USCA style" of paddling. This program updates the techniques that we learned as scouts or at summer camp and includes switching sides to steer the canoe, emphasizes just a few key strokes, stressing the proper balancing of the canoe, the use of seats and foot braces, basic safety and rescue skills, as well as proper use of a life jacket. Our goal is to spend a few hours of instruction with a video and time on the water to quickly get students on their way. This program is designed for paddling on quiet water (water rated no greater than class I and class II).
We will be holding our 2002 instructor training classes during the Nationals week at Hanover, New Hampshire. That will be Wednesday, August 7, 2002 from 8:00 AM till 6:00 PM. More details will be available on the USCA website and in future issues of this magazine.
Spread the word about USCA Paddling…..
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