Team Practices

IMPORTANT: WAIVERS MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE ATTENDING PRACTICES.

Please note that parking is very limited at the RCC during the upcoming festival practice period (starting June 1st). Please park at the Hog's Back parking lot, car pool or cycle. If you have any questions regarding the clinics or practices please contact Scott at dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca.

 

Who runs the practices? A group of certified coaches from the Rideau Canoe Club (RCC) organize and run all practices.

How many practices are included with the festival registration? Your registration fee includes two complimentary practices with a regular coach (see coaching level link below). These practices must take place between June 1st - 17th, 2011.

When can practices be booked? Practices for the 2011 season may be booked starting in early January, 2011. When you are ready to book practices please send an email to dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca indicating your team name, your requested coaching level and your team number. Your information will be entered into their online registration system and you will be sent a password so that you can login to book all of your practices.

The online booking system can be found at: http://www.eventsalive.com/dit/jsp/Login.jsp.

Current practice availabilities can be found at: http://www.eventsalive.com/dit/jsp/availabilities.jsp.

When do practices take place and what are the standard days and times? Festival practices take place between June 1st - June 17th, 2011. The 2010 booking times were: Weekdays - 6am, 7am, 4:45pm, 6pm, 7:05pm, and 8:10pm Weekends - 8am, 9am, 10:10am, 11:15am, and 12:30pm. If you would like a time during the day on week-days or week-ends please send an email to dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca and they will do their best to accommodate your request.

How much do extra practices cost? Practice Fees for 2011 can be found on the RCC Dragon Boat practice fees page.  Please note that if you book practices outside of the festival training period (June 1st- June 17th, 2011) then an insurance fee of either $2 or $7 will be charged to each person in the boat. For more information on insurance please see the insurance section.

The RCC pricing model for this season has changed; teams will now pay for their boat and coach separately. Coaches have been assigned a coaching level based on experience in our dragon boat program. When booking practices you will be asked to select a coaching level and you may request a specific coach. If the requested coach is not at the level selected it will depend on that coaches' availability. Priority for coaches will always be given to teams which have selected the coaching level of the requested coach. Please email dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca if you would like to know the level of a coach.

What is the RCC's practice cancellation policy? A team may cancel a practice without charge if 24 hours notice is given. If less than 24 hours notice is given then the cancellation is subject to a charge of $25.

How do we pay for extra practices? Payments can be made by cash or cheque. Cheque is the preferred method of payment but cash will be accepted. Cheques should be made out to 'Rideau Canoe Club' and sent to the following address:

Rideau Canoe Club

314 Parkin Circle

Ottawa, ON K1T 4G6

After your practices are booked you will receive an invoice by email within a few weeks. Payment for any extra practices must be made before your first practice. If you require a receipt for practices please send an email to dragon@rideaucanoeclub.ca and one will be provided.

How long are practices? Practices are approximately 55 minutes in length. Plan to arrive about 15 minutes before your practice start time so that you are able to get on the water on time. In the case where members of the team are late, the practice will still end at the scheduled time.

Is there a clinic for steerspersons and/or drummers? The Rideau Canoe Club will be hosting steering/drumming clinics where steerspeople and drummers can receive one on one attention from experienced coaches. The RCC will also need paddlers to help out during the clinics (free work-out anyone?). Please check back in the spring for the dates and more details. 

Where do the practices take place? The location of practices is at the Rideau Canoe Club. The RCC's address is 804 Hogs Back Road close to Prince of Wales Drive. It is right beside the Hogs Back locks. You can see a white building as you are driving down Hogs Back Drive.

When should my team arrive at the practice site? Teams should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start time of their practice. Make sure to allow yourself enough time to assemble your team. During the core festival training period from June 1st until June 17th there will be a many dragon boats at the RCC. In order to determine which boat you are practicing in please talk to one of the staff members (identified with festival T-shirts) or check the signs which indicate your corresponding boat number. Once you determine your boat number proceed to the number indicated by signs on the dock. Your coach will meet you there.

What should I wear to practices? When attending practices you should make sure to dress appropriately. You will get wet during these practices so try to choose clothes which are quick to dry. T-shifts and shorts typically work best.

Are there changing facilities on-site? Yes, but access is limited with so many teams practicing at the same time. Please change before arriving, if possible.

Do I need to bring anything to practices? Paddles and life jackets are provided but you may bring your own life jacket if you prefer. Due to the nature of the sport we also recommend teams bring water with them to drink during the practice, particularly on very hot days.

Where do I park for practices? There is limited parking available at the Rideau Canoe Club. Due to the number of people the RCC will not be able to handle all vehicles. Other options for parking include:

Hogs Back Park
Mooney’s Bay
Surrounding side roads

Please pay attention to all markings on the field when parking and do not block exits for parked cars. Some lines will be drawn on the field to indicate where cars should be parked.

Please note that you should allow yourself enough time to get to the practice site after you park. If there has been an extended period of rain the field will be closed for parking so plan ahead to find alternate parking arrangement.

IMPORTANT: There have been instances in the past of break-ins in the RCC parking lot. Please do not leave ANY valuables in your car. Dry bags can be purchased at Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart to allow you to take your keys, wallet, etc onto the boat with you during practice. 

If it is raining are practices cancelled? No, practices are not cancelled if there is rain. The only situation where a practice may be cancelled is in the case of lightning. Typically these decisions are made on site and in the history of the festival only about 5 practices in total have been re-scheduled due to weather. Please note that when there is an extended period of rain the field will be closed for parking.

What are the insurance fees for extra practices? If you choose to book practices outside of the festival period (June 1st - June 17th, 2011) then there are RCC insurance fees applicable to each member who is practicing. The fees are as follows:

3 practices or less = $2/person
4 practices or more = $7/person

The maximum amount you can pay for the season is $7/person. This is a one time fee so if you were to continue training throughout the summer there would be no additional fee.

Do we need a steersperson? Every team must provide a steersperson for the race. Steering is not an easy task and we recommend that you appoint someone who has some canoeing or sailing experience (if possible). Steerspeople will be given instruction during the practice sessions but it is highly recommended that they attend at least one of the steering clinics.

What if we really can't find a steersperson? There are very few volunteer steerspeople available, but contact the festival office to see if anyone is offering their services. If you are finding it difficult to find a steersperson you are able to purchase a steersperson for $20 per practice. During festival weekend teams will have the option to pay the RCC for a steersperson for $25 per race. If you feel that you are going to need a steersperson for the race please contact the RCC in advance.