New Team Orientation Clinic
Held:  During April/May on the West Side, MLK Drive
          
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