Coaching at Sunnyside Paddling Club
Coaches are critical to the success of our athletes, the sport, and the club. Sunnyside Paddling Club is always on the lookout for new coaches to add to our growing team, making our community better both on and off the water. If you're looking for a rewarding leadership role that combines a passion for people and paddling, you've come to the right place!
​
Check out our available coaching opportunities, along with role expectations below.
Dragon Boat Coaches
The sport of dragon boat is the cornerstone of the club and as such, coaching dragon boat teams is immensely important. At Sunnyside Paddling Club, we proudly welcome over 1200 guests who come to the club with the intention of paddling (and having fun!) on a dragon boat.
​
To get a sense of our club's scheduling for teams, please check out our Fee Schedule here. With 2 main launch times on weekday evenings (6:25 PM and 7:40 PM), our hope is to provide coaches with 2 teams per evening to maximize your time at Sunnyside Paddling Club. We fully understand that most of our coaches will be paddling with their own competitive teams at SPC (typically later in the evening) - on those days, we are able to offer coaches an earlier coaching opportunity in the evening (i.e. 6:25 PM), once again maximizing your time here at the club.
​
Available dragon boat coaching roles are provided below:
Community Team Coach
Practices are typically held on Mon-Thurs, once a week, 1 hour sessions.
Season durations include a half season ending at TIDBRF (mid-June), a medium season ending at GWN Sport (early July), or a full season ending at GWN Challenge (early September).
Majority of our SPC teams are at the community level.
Intermediate Team Coach
Practices are typically held twice a week, with a combination of both weekday and weekend sessions. Teams tend to fill out 2 boats.
Season durations tend to last the full summer, with some opportunities to coach off-season/dryland training afterwards.
​
Few teams at our club require intermediate coaches.
Corporate Event Coach
Corporate team building events typically take place between 10 AM to 4 PM (or beyond), with our standard package running for 2.5 hours. This package includes the following format: 30 minutes of safety & technical introduction, 1 hour on-water, 15 minute break, and 45 minutes of race prep and head to head racing. These sessions are staffed with a steer (relay) and a drummer (lead).
Required Certifications and Qualifications
We ask that Sunnyside Paddling Club coaches meet the required certifications and qualifications listed below. Some certification courses, including CPR, can be arranged by the club.
-
Completion of one of the following coaching certifications:
-
DBC Level 1 or 2, and own insurance, attainable through BFL/Dragon Boat Canada
-
CKC Community Level Coaching or higher
-
-
Valid First-Aid and CPR C or CPR A
-
Ability to confidently steer
-
While steering is not a mandatory pre-requisite, not knowing to confidently steer to a certain level will limit opportunities as a dedicated steers will need to be found
-
2k experience is not necessary, but coaches need to know what races the team is doing to ensure a qualified coach is available and can be secured if 2k's are an option
-
-
Attend Club Information Session (via Zoom, selected candidates will be provided registration link)
Small Waves Strong Minds: Youth Camp Coaches
During the months of July and August, Sunnyside Paddling Club is home to Small Waves Strong Minds, a youth camp that introduces kids to paddles sports such as SUP, kayak, outrigger canoe, and dragon boat, promoting staying active and engaged while school's out.
​
Working hours for coaches are from 8 AM to 4 PM. Camp sessions will be hosted Monday-Friday, July 2nd to August 22nd.
​
Coaches will be teaching campers how to use SUPs, kayaks, OC, and dragon boats: if you do not have as much experience in any of the listed crafts, you will be paired with an experienced coach. You are expected to be comfortable on the mentioned crafts (i.e. prior paddling experience helps).
​
​