Effortful Practice

Thought for the season: Becoming an expert paddler probably takes 10 years of EFFORT-FULL PRACTICE. ("Effort" in this context is primarily mental - awareness, concentration, analysis, focus) Congratulations to every one of you for committing yourself to the EFFORT. The passion for the sport is what takes you forward! While "10 years" may seem a lifetime, it just happens.

You may have only months of effort-full practice under your belt (new to the sport), or you've been paddling without this intensity of focus for much longer, or you've been doing effort-full practice in different paddle disciplines for some time and are transitioning to outrigger. Understanding the commitment to self-analysis, concentration and practice is vital to moving forward.

Let me state: there is a place for every one of you in this program if you are committed to the program goals and the above approach! Your commitment to yourself and your teammates is what matters. When we review a season, we discover a bunch of subtle things have happened: people become dedicated to each other and to the program, people surprise us. People surprise themselves! And, we will have new, committed people join us and we will welcome them with open arms.