Call to Action: Local ACA Paddling Instructors wanted for Club Instruction.
History. In the mid 1980s, Houston Canoe Club (HCC) kicked started quality canoe, kayak, and swiftwater rescue in Texas. Initially, HCC members Larry and Judy Wild invited Bunny Johns from Nantahala Outdoor Center to mentor HCC members using the American Canoe Association (ACA) curricula as a guide. I was one of them.
Club Instruction. Club instruction provided excellent safe and basic instruction at low cost to introduce paddling to our local folks. From there, the clubs offered ongoing paddling/social group that brought in new members Folks enjoyed paddling at their own pace or continued to learn more from HCC’s Southwest Canoe Rendezvous or travel to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) or other commercial venues.
Current Needs. Now that I’m retired from working as faculty and hospital RN, I get a lot of calls to teach paddling. However, one-offs are not sustainable for most. I can offer canoe and kayak instruction but I – as RiverCoast – cannot offer the ongoing paddling trips and social network that a paddling club provides. Instead, I seek out folks who are ready to give back by teaching.
Opportunities. I am working again to earn my ACA Instructor Trainer (IT) that I let go while in graduate school. In the meantime, there’s not much I can do about the costs of bringing in excellent ITs from out-of-state. These ITs need to offset their ongoing continuing education and need to make a living.
So, ACA Instruction is not cheap. But, offering instructor courses locally can help. I have arranged ITs to offer Instructor Candidate Workshops in Texas. Please see https://rivercoast.com/events/ or NOC or other ACA Instructor Candidate Workshops for details.
I look forward to Texas becoming self-sustaining as was true through HCC’s leadership in the past. So far, the Central Texas YMCA and the Girl Scouts are stepping up. Can we again offer club instruction as well? Let me know if I can help.
Lynne
Lynne C. Andrus PhD, RN, DiDMM, CEN(ret), WEMT
ACA Level 3 Instructor - Kayak & Canoe
RiverCoast.com for NDK Kayaks, Northstar Canoes, Bishop Boards
Austin, Texas 78748
https://rivercoast.com/about/
Lynne@RiverCoast.com
(512) 917-0939 cell/text