Welcome to Paddle Prattle, the NTID Canoeing Newsletter. This newsletter contains

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1 Paddle Prattle The NTID Canoeing Newsletter Welcome to Paddle Prattle, the NTID Canoeing Newsletter. This newsletter contains updates on the current happenings within the NTID Canoeing Program. Feedback or input for the newsletter can be directed to or Regards, Elissa and Sam. NITD Hits the Sydney Northern Beaches NITD have partnered up with the Sydney Northern Beaches Kayak Club to launch a sprint kayak program for junior athletes. NTID conducted testing at five schools to promote the program to local athletes. Thanks to the following schools for their support throughout the testing process: The Pittwater House Schools Pittwater High School The Forest High School St Paul s College Northern Beaches Secondary College (Cromer Campus) An opportunity for athletes to try their hand at paddling involved plenty of (unplanned!) swimming for those athletes new to paddling. Learning to kayak at Sydney Northern Beaches Kayak Club 82 athletes were tested at school visits and 58 keen athletes from an array of sporting backgrounds participated in the subsequent testing days at the Sydney Academy of Sport. Athletes were put through their paces on a range of physical and physiological tests. 1 Paddle Prattle The NTID Canoeing Newsletter N OV E M B E R

2 A squad of athletes has been selected and commenced training on October 26th. The NTID/Sydney Northern Beaches Kayak Club Squad is: First Name Surname Sporting Background Francesca Banks Swimming Riley Cross Gymnastics Taylah Davies Surf/Swimming Mitchell Douglas Surf Life Saving Peter Euers Surf life Saving Joshua Fenley Rugby Union Alex Gold Surf/Kayaking Jacqueline Green Surf Life Saving Cameron Hayle Basketball Mackenzie Labine-Romain Artistic Gymnastics Isaac Lawrence Swimming Bianca Murphy Trampoling Adelaide Nesbitt Netball Kyle Slabbert Cricket Lauren Szewczyk Soccer Josh Talvi Surf Life Saving Jacob Tsagaris Waterpolo Above: Unearthing talent at The Pittwater House School in Sydney 12 times National Junior Team coach/manager, Christine Duff is coaching the squad with assistance from Brendan Buckton. A welcome BBQ was conducted for the new athletes and their families on October 31st and the squad hasn t looked back since. We look forward to seeing them in the upcoming regattas over the Summer. 2

3 NTID Penrith Valley JETS Fire Up Still smiling after all of that testing The NTID Penrith Valley JETS (Junior to Elite Talent Squad) has been designed to identify our next Australian champions in slalom paddling. The JETS Program was launched at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium Open Day on November 1st. Over 40 young athletes were tested on strength, power and endurance tests as well as a fierce game of canoe polo lead by Olympian Robin Bell and World Championship medallist, Jess Fox. Selected athletes are partaking in a diverse training program that will provide them with a taste of several canoeing disciplines to accelerate their skill acquisition. A second testing day will be held in January 2010 to select the final JETS squad. Registrations are currently open for athletes aged years for the January testing session. To register, please visit or visit youtube at watch?v=afkbzfxnwzm to see the athletes in action. Vertical jump testing in Penrith Thanks to Ashleigh Rudd, the AIS canoe slalom staff and athletes who made the testing day such a fun entry into the world of slalom for our new paddlers. Surf & Kayak Partnership Launched life saving and kayaking and has competed at four World Championships and two Olympic Games. The Surf & Kayak Talent Program has been launched as a joint initiative of Surf Life Saving Australia, Australian Canoeing, NTID and the AIS. The Surf & Kayak Talent Program is designed to promote the cross participation and development of surf ski paddlers with the Olympic discipline of sprint kayak racing. Over the next few weeks Lynda will be rolling out the pilot program and you will soon begin to see paddlers identified as potential Olympians tearing up the Gold Coast s canals in the distinctive red and yellow Surf and Kayak Talent Program kayaks. Keep watching the Australian Canoeing, Qld Canoeing, SLSA, SLSQ, and NTID web sites for more information. If you want to know how to get involved as a club, coach, or athlete right away, please contact Lynda directly llehmann@slsa.asn.com.au Coordinator Lynda Lehmann (middle) with Kerri Morley, Denise Cooper, Gayle Mayes and Anna Wood at the Barcelona Olympics There is a long history of national kayak paddlers dominating in surf ski and, conversely, a very large percentage of the Australian kayak team comes from a surf life saving background. This program will build on that history by providing clear opportunities for talented surf life savers to potentially win gold for their surf life saving club and gold for Australia at the Olympic Games. Lynda Lehmann has been appointed as the Coordinator for the program. Lynda has a strong background in competitive sport in swimming, surf 3 Paddle Prattle The NTID Canoeing Newsletter Far left: Surf life savers trying their hand on the flatwater N OV E M B E R

4 Let s Go Victoria To supplement the push for a revitalisation of the once vibrant sprint canoeing scene in Victoria, NTID and Canoeing Victoria have joined forces to establish a NTID/CV Sprint Kayaking Program. Former sprint paddler, Peter Gargiulo has been appointed to the position of NTID/CV Sprint Kayak Program coach to guide the selected athletes on an accelerated pathway to national and international level representation. Congratulations Peter, we look forward to watching the progress of your soon to be selected new squad. A promotional campaign is currently underway in Melbourne high schools and the Victorian canoeing community to seek expressions of interest from athletes who are keen to try out for a spot in the squad. We are looking for athletes with the following characteristics: Male and female, aged years A sporting background in any sport including any discipline of canoeing Strength, endurance, power and speed Commitment to work your way to the top in sprint kayaking No paddling experience required For more information or to register for the program, please visit au/canoe. Testing and come-and-try kayaking sessions will be conducted in January. NTID-CV Sprint kayak coach, Peter Gargiulo in action Slalom National Talent Squad Update Slalom training Now in its third year, the Slalom NTS continues to grow and develop with 24 athletes selected in the squad this year. The paddlers have been working to a busy schedule of camps-based and international touring development opportunities. The most recent camp was a three day trip to Tasmania using the sites of Brady s Lake and the Mersey River slalom course. Workshops were conducted on race preparation, sports psychology, strengthening, stretching, nutrition and training plans. Thanks to Warwick Draper and Peter Eckhardt for leading the coaching and coordination of the NTS squad to deliver valuable learning experiences to the paddlers in the slalom NTS this year. 4

5 Queensland Talent Squad Camps in Full Swing The Queensland Talent Squad (QTS) has been formed for the first time in 2009 to offer up-and-coming junior athletes additional development opportunities in preparation for a smooth and successful transition into the open ranks in the coming years. The QTS is a combined initiative of the Queensland Academy of Sport, NTID and Queensland Canoeing. 14 junior paddlers have been selected for the squad based on their performance at the 2009 National Championships and are taking part in a series of camps-based development opportunities throughout South-East Queensland. QAS head coach, Vince Fehervari is coach of the program with assistance from NTID coach, John Newton. The most recent camp was held on November 14 th at the AIS on the Gold Coast which included a focus on team boat work and a presentation from Matt Ahlberg on sports psychology. Coaches Vince Fehervari, John Newton and the Qld Talent Squad at camp on the Sunshine Coast Athlete in the Spotlight Jordan-Lee Jones The NTID team first met Jordy-Lee when we visited her high school in late 2008 to conduct testing and invite athletes to try out for the NTID kayaking program. Jordy-Lee was a standout performer and from a non-paddling background, stepped up to the challenge to try kayaking by joining Peter Petho s NTID Sunshine Coast program in January Thanks also to Lisa Curry who coached Jordy-Lee and the NTID junior squad in early What is your sporting background? Before kayaking I did surf life saving, and believe it or not I did ballet! What were your first few sessions in a kayak like? At first I wasn t the biggest fan of kayaking, that is because I could not balance properly and I was spending most of my time swimming with the sharks and sting-rays, I could not steer either so I did damage a few boats, but after a few sessions of kayaking I grew to love it and now it s the best thing in my life! What are your favourite aspects of kayaking? The feeling and the determination I get while training with my best friends and having my coach in the boat next to me telling me what I can improve on, but the best aspects of kayaking would be the opportunities I have been given. You have had a very fast rise into the world of kayaking, what is your greatest achievement so far? Making the Olympic Hopes Team for sure! Any embarrassing kayaking moments to date? Definitely! At the try outs (for the Olympic Hopes Team) after I finished my K metres I tried to claim the win but ended up in the freezing cold water. Who are your role models? (My coaches) Peter Petho, Chris Alagich, Rosco (Ross MacDonald) and Shelly Oates-Wilding What keeps you busy when you are not in a kayak? When am I not in a kayak? What are your kayaking goals for the future? My goal is to represent Australia in the Olympics. It s a dream I have had since watching the seniors at training and knowing I could be as good as them one day, but for now my goals are to keep training hard so I can make more Australian teams, because they definitely are the best opportunities that I will remember forever, meeting all my competition around the world and making lifelong friends is definitely something no other sport can give me. Jordy-Lee (right) with teammate Tara McAleenan at the 2009 National Championships Jordy-Lee (seat 3) at the Junior NTID camp in July 5

6 Record Results for the Sprint National Talent Squad The Sprint Kayaking National Talent Squad experienced unprecedented success at this year s Olympic Hopes Regatta in the Czech Republic was the third year in which the National Talent Squad has competed in the Olympic Hopes Regatta with increasing success culminating in the team s best ever results this year. The Australian contingent qualified to compete in 19 finals, finishing in the top eight in the world in 13 of these finals. Bill Bain and Tom Norton recorded the highest placings of 5th in their respective K1 1000s. Far The NTS Team at the Brandenburg Gate ideas for new training techniques that have been brought back to Australia for trialling. The squad even managed to squeeze in some sightseeing at the Brandenburg Gate, Check Point Charlie and a bus tour around London. Shelley and Graham with Aussie gifts for the hosts To come back with bi-lingual skills, great results and the addresses of the entire German team is certainly the sign of an outstanding tour! Thanks and congratulations to Graham Bendeich, Shelley Oates-Wilding, John Newton and Kevin Crisp on coordinating and coaching such a successful trip, and to all the athletes on a great tour. Sightseeing in typical London weather The tour commenced with a training camp held at the Brandenburg Regatta Centre. Next stop was the Keinbaum Sports Centre which proved popular with the athletes who had the chance to utilise some of the state-of-the-art facilities on offer for training and recovery. Exchange of ideas with the German Coaching team saw the Australian coaches acquire Gold Coast Campers Far Team building games on the Gold Coast Camp team boat training John Newton and Graham Bendeich s junior squad joined Peter Petho s junior squad for an NTID development camp on the Gold Coast. A jam-packed schedule saw 38 athletes paddle, run, jump, box, stretch, plan, and EAT their way through three days of team boat training, yoga classes, 6 Paddle Prattle team building activities and workshops on nutrition, sports psychology and injury management. One of the camp highlights was having Olympian, Amanda Rankin, talk with the athletes about the highs and lows of kayaking, inspiring athletes to stick to their goals and continue their hard work until they achieve their dreams. The NTID Canoeing Newsletter N OV E M B E R

7 NTID Slalom Rapid Recruits Recruited Visits to schools proved to be well received with 65 registrations received from interested students. Athletes underwent physical testing in October to assess power, strength, endurance and flexibility as well as onwater skills. Rapid Recruits Coach Warwick Draper in action on the whitewater Capitalising on the success of Australia s most triumphant Olympics in slalom, the NTID Rapid Recruits Program has been launched in Melbourne to identify and develop slalom paddlers to follow in the footsteps of Olympic medallists, Jacqui Lawrence and Robin Bell. Dual Olympian and AIS Scholarship coach, Warwick Draper is heading up the Rapid Recruits program that aims to bring new paddlers into slalom and provide additional opportunities to current paddlers. A squad of 45 athletes has been invited to join Phase 1 of the program which commenced in the first week of November and involves two to three training sessions per week with a focus on technical coaching and mastering basic kayaking skills. Phase 1 will also incorporate training sessions on the Yarra, weekend camps on the Goulburn River, and competition at the Victorian State Titles in December and the National Championships in January At the conclusion of phase 1, athletes will be re-tested and a smaller, phase 2 squad selected for continuation in the program. Perth Athletes - We want YOU! NTID and Canoeing WA have recently established a partnership with support from WAIS head coach, Ramon Andersson, the University of Western Australia and Surf Life Saving WA to create an elite development squad to provide support for the future talent in WA. Coach Julie Jenkinson on the surf ski. Olympian, Rob Jenkinson and his wife, World Championship competitor Julie Jenkinson have been appointed to coach the program and will work closely with Ramon in developing the squad. The NTID/ CWA Program will be an elite development squad aimed at preparing paddlers to feed into the WAIS program. Selected athletes will be involved in regular training, development camps, and have access to sports science monitoring and strength and conditioning coaching. Registrations are now open for athletes interested in trying out for the program. If you are aged between 13 and 30 years and think you have the strength, speed, power and endurance required to be a top sprint kayaker, we want to hear from you! No paddling experience is required however current kayakers and surf ski paddlers are encouraged to apply. Register now at Testing will be conducted on November 28th. Far NTID-CWA sprint kayak coach Rob Jenkinson 7

8 Research Corner NTID athletes participate in Mark McKean s ground-breaking research study NTID Sunshine Coast strength and conditioning coach, Mark McKean has been working with the squad since the program s inception two years ago. Mark formerly provided strength and conditioning coaching to Clint Robinson while he was competing and now delivers strength and conditioning support to the junior and senior NTID Sunshine Coast squad. As a key component of the completion of his PhD, Mark together with Brendan Burkett from the University of the Sunshine Coast has recently had a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. The article s abstract is detailed below. Sunshine Coast NTID Strength and Conditioning Coach, Mark McKean The relationship between joint range of motion, muscular strength, and race time for sub-elite flat water kayakers. By Mark McKean and Brendan Burkett Upper body strength and flexibility are common training activities in elite flat water kayaking yet the relationship between joint range of motion, muscular strength, and race time is unclear. The aim of this research was to firstly quantify the flexibility and strength of sub-elite kayakers and then determine the relationship of this data to performance race times. Twenty-nine national standard kayak paddlers were assessed for shoulder and pelvic flexibility, upper body strength, and performance time. The shoulder internal and external rotation range of movement for kayak paddlers was reduced in comparison to other populations. For the female paddlers significant (p < 0.01) and strong correlations (r > 0.70) were found between shoulder flexion range of movement, shoulder strength, and strength endurance. Strength scores for kayak paddlers are reported for the first time showing the Pull:Push strength ratio for male kayak paddlers was 129%, and for females 147%. The strength ratio was significantly different (p < 0.01) across gender and also different to published ratios from other sports. Several other measures were also significantly different across gender. All paddlers showed significant and strong correlations between the three 8RM shoulder strength exercises, highlighting the importance of maintaining balance of strength for the muscles acting on the shoulder. There was only one measure, the strength endurance Bench-Pull-Max-Power for females that significantly and strongly correlated to the on-water performances; identifying the poor relationship between current dry land training activities and race performance. No single strength or ROM measure correlated strongly with on-water performances for either sex, as a sport kayaking appears to reduce the ROM about the shoulder joint. Adelaide on the Agenda NTID, SASI and Canoe SA will be working together throughout November and December to plan for the new Adelaide-based NTID Sprint Kayak Program. More details to follow. Grants for the Slalom Southern Stars and Perth Slalom Development Programs The canoe slalom development programs in Tasmania and Perth continue to feed talented athletes up into the National system through the National Talent Squad and the Australian Junior and Senior Teams. Highlighted as priority slalom development programs by the AIS and Australian Canoeing, NTID has recently provided development grants to both the Southern Stars (Tasmania) and Perth development programs to facilitate additional development opportunities for the athletes in these programs. Tasmania s Southern Stars Program is using the grant to subsidise two training camps, the first of which will be held on the Goulbourn River in Victoria during November and the second camp will be held at Penrith in April The Perth program is using the grant to access additional high quality coaching for the development athletes through the expertise of Zlatan Ibrahimbegovic. 8

9 Talent Found in The Shire NTID invaded high schools in the Cronulla Sutherland Shire during September to hunt for athletes with the potential to develop into elite level sprint kayakers. Sylvania High School, Port Hacking High School and Menai High School hosted the NTID team for testing and introduction to kayaking sessions. The quality of young talent in The Shire was impressive, making the decision to select a final squad very difficult. Following testing of 114 students in schools and 42 at the final NTID testing day, 28 athletes have been invited to participate in a two month trial before a final squad is named. The NTID Cronulla trial squad will kick off on the 21 st of November with the final squad to be named in January Good luck to Brian, Rod and the new squad as they embark on the two month adventure ahead of them. Chin up testing in Cronulla Former Olympic coach, Brian Trouville is heading up the coaching for this program with Rod Smith filling the assistant coach position. Brian and Rod have taken a strong interest in the selection of the squad through their involvement in the NTID school visits and each stage of the testing process. Coach Rod Smith assisting at the Cronulla NTID comeand-try kayaking session Different Strokes Following a quick rise over the past two years combined with no shortage of hard work, three of Peter Petho s senior NTID athletes have been invited to attend the AIS women s camp in November. NTID senior paddlers Libby (former NTID), Christie, Rachel and Hailey The three athletes come from starkly contrasting backgrounds. Christie Pickup was on a break from kayaking following a strong career as a junior, Hailey McGinty came from a surf life saving background and Rachel Dickinson joined the NTID program at the age of 24 from a softball background with no paddling experience whatsoever. Christie, Hailey and Rachel will join coach Katrin Borchert for the AIS camp in late November. Keep up the great work, paddlers. 9

10 NTID Leader s Ladder NTID squads are tested every four months to track the improvement in their physical and physiological development. Our current top scorers on NTID testing are: Age Group Name Program Result Arm Crank Peak Power Output (Watts) U14M Isaac Lawrence NTID Sydney Juniors 632 U15M Cameron Hayle NTID Sydney Juniors 1311 U16M Charlie Copeland NTID Sunshine Coast 1271 U18M Thomas Geraghty NTID Sunshine Coast 1529 Senior M Glenn Wilkinson NTID Sunshine Coast 1990 U14F Riley Cross NTID Sydney Juniors 445 U16F Coco Howcroft NTID Sunshine Coast 777 U18F Emma Thompson NTID Cronulla 774 Senior F Hailey McGinty NTID Sunshine Coast 847 Rowing Ergometer Peak Power Output (Watts) U14M Ryan Anderson NTID Sunshine Coast 408 U16M Mike Honore NTID Sunshine Coast 529 U18M Dylan Magee NTID Gold Coast 659 U14F Heleena Ethell NTID Gold Coast 253 U16F Remi Francis NTID Gold Coast 363 U18F Heleena Ethell NTID Gold Coast 340 Bench Pull (Repetitions in one minute) U14M Joshua Fenley NTID Sydney Juniors 26 U15M Ryan Anderson NTID Sunshine Coast 66 U16M Charlie Copeland NTID Sunshine Coast 39 U18M Thomas Geraghty NTID Sunshine Coast 59 Senior M James Stretch NTID Sunshine Coast 66 U14F Lara Moses NTID Cronulla 23 U16F Tara McAleenan NTID Sunshine Coast 50 U18F Heleena Ethell NTID Gold Coast 59 Senior F Chantelle Ellis NTID Sunshine Coast 75 Shuttle Run/Beep Test U14M Ryan Anderson NTID Sunshine Coast U16M Ryan Anderson NTID Sunshine Coast U18M Matthew Gilliman NTID Sunshine Coast Senior M James Stretch Glenn Wilkinson NTID Sunshine Coast U14F Lara Moses NTID Cronulla U16F Heleena Ethell NTID Gold Coast U18F Heleena Ethell NTID Gold Coast Senior F Rachel Dickinson NTID Sunshine Coast