A Great Way to Strengthen Your ACA Instructor Skills

As part of the annual East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival, the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission is hosting a special course for ACA Instructors. 

The Coaching Process with Todd Johnstone-Wright 
April 8-9, 2014
$150
Register online

This course is designed to expose instructors, instructor trainers, and instructor trainer educators in all disciplines to core coaching competencies and behaviors that enhance long term paddler development by increasing efficiency, student motivation, and an individual's access to learning. 

While the CP course is based on current educational theory and best practice, at its core it's a fun, hands-on, collaborative experience designed to harness the talents of each participant. The CP course will cover the following coaching competencies:

• Differentiated Instruction
• Observation and Analysis 
• Purposeful Practice
• Session Planning
• The Role of Feedback
• Developing Performance Assessments
• Long Term Paddler Development

Prerequisites: This coaching course is appropriate for ACA Level 1-5 Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructor Trainer Educators in any discipline. 

ACA Pro School Spotlight

Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center offers professional ACA-certified instruction and guided trips in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley. The Pro School's outpost sits along Highway 285 between the famous Brown's Canyon Wilderness Area and the towering 14,000 foot peaks of the Sawatch Range.

Activities include kayaking, rafting, inflatable kayaks, standup paddling, and more. At Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center, you're invited to 'Choose Your Own Adventure' in their wonderful outdoor playground.

ACA Pro Schools are some of the best organizations across the country to find top quality ACA certified instruction. Current ACA members also receive discounts on certain Pro School instructional programs. 

To see a full list of ACA Pro Schools, click here. 

Adaptive Paddling Summit

The first-ever ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit is coming to Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 15-17, 2014!

The summit will feature top speakers from the industry, on-water adaptive equipment demonstrations, educational sessions, and so much more. 

Online registration opens in May! Learn more here. 

New ACA Instructor Patches

Becoming an ACA Instructor, Instructor Trainer, or Instructor Trainer Educator is hard work. Wear your certification with pride with one of our all new custom, 3-color ACA patches! 

Order yours from the ACA eStore today.

Announcing a Special Course for ACA Instructors

As part of the annual East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival, the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission is hosting a special course for ACA Instructors. 

The Coaching Process with Todd Johnstone-Wright 
April 8-9, 2014
$150
Register online

This course is designed to expose instructors, instructor trainers, and instructor trainer educators in all disciplines to core coaching competencies and behaviors that enhance long term paddler development by increasing efficiency, student motivation, and an individual's access to learning. 

While the CP course is based on current educational theory and best practice, at its core it's a fun, hands-on, collaborative experience designed to harness the talents of each participant. The CP course will cover the following coaching competencies:

• Differentiated Instruction
• Observation and Analysis 
• Purposeful Practice
• Session Planning
• The Role of Feedback
• Developing Performance Assessments
• Long Term Paddler Development

Prerequisites: This coaching course is appropriate for ACA Level 1-5 Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructor Trainer Educators in any discipline. 

Congratulations to March Kokatat Instructor of the Month, Raphael Kuner!

Raphael is one of the ACA's most active Instructor Trainers and one of the most influential ACA representatives in Europe. Hailing from Grenzach-Wyhlen, Germany, Raff (as his friends call him) began paddling canoes 25 years ago. 

Learn more about Raff's story...

The ACA would like to thank Kokatat for sponsoring the Instructor of the Month program. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized? Submit a nomination here! 

Your Chance to Influence the Future of Paddlesports Education

The National On-Water Standards Team, funded by US Coast Guard grants, is seeking input from recreational paddling and rowing educators across the nation. Do you have a few minutes? Complete this survey and make your voice heard!

This is your opportunity to impact the development of free recreational paddling and rowing (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards, etc) standards/rubrics that can be voluntarily used by educators when developing boating courses. 

Take the survey today! 

For more information, please contact K. Brian Dorval, On-Water Standards Facilitator at 716-994-2842 or brian@thinkfirstserve.com

Influence the Future of Paddlesport Education

The National On-Water Standards Team, funded by US Coast Guard grants, is seeking input from recreational paddling and rowing educators across the nation. Do you have a few minutes? Complete this survey and make your voice heard!

This is your opportunity to impact the development of free recreational paddling and rowing (canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards, etc) standards/rubrics that can be voluntarily used by educators when developing boating courses. 

Take the survey today! 

For more information, please contact K. Brian Dorval, On-Water Standards Facilitator at 716-994-2842 or brian@thinkfirstserve.com

Florida Canoe Symposium

Want to improve your paddling skills? Sign up for the Florida Canoe Symposium scheduled for March 21-24, 2014. 

The FCS offers courses in a range of skill levels, all taught by ACA certified instructors! 

Get your paddle wet before the ice melts. Learn more about the FCS today!

Why Wearing a Life Jacket is a Big Deal

This Maggie Award winning DVD addresses the importance of life jackets in a fresh, entertaining way. The host of Life Jackets Float. Do You? helps viewers discover the many challenges moving water presents - vertical currents, holes, strainers, foot entrapments, cold water. 

As the host so effectively proves, a properly worn life jacket is THE essential tool for having fun on (and in) the water!

Buy your copy of Life Jackets Float. Do you? from the ACA eStore today.

ACA members, don't forget to log in to receive your member discount on your purchase!

Congratulations to February Kokatat Instructor of the Month, Don White!

Don started paddling over 20 years ago but didn't get serious until his wife and partner, Fern, arrived on the scene. Today, the couple lives in Charleston where they are devoted to coaching and instructing, both as a team and as individuals with their own specific areas of interest.

Learn more about Don...

The ACA would like to thank Kokatat for sponsoring the Instructor of the Month program. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized? Submit a nomination here! 

Safe Sea Kayaking - DVD, CD-ROM & Teacher's Guide

Decide to Return: A Strategy for Safe Sea Kayaking explores the conscious decisions and unconscious choices that we make every time we leave the shore. Sometimes these choices mean the difference between a safe outing and disaster.

Kate and Jack experience a gamut of hazards on their brief outing. Some are courtesy of Mother Nature but others they've brought upon themselves. This DVD will give you practical information and food for thought so you'll be prepared for your next sea kayaking adventure.

Follow Kate and Jack as their skill, preparedness and equipment choices shape the day. Will their decisions seal an unpleasant fate or enable a safe return?

Also included is a CD-Rom containing a teacher's guide in PDF format and a Power Point presentation to be used in conjunction with the video. Both answer viewer questions, provide group discussion points and explain in more detail the accident process theory. These invaluable support materials will make Decide to Return a worthy part of any outdoor training program. 

ACA members don't forget to login to your account to receive your member discount on your purchase.

Interested in Presenting at the Inaugural ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit This Year?

The ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 15-17, 2014.

We are currently accepting proposals from individuals, paddling clubs, and organizations who are interested in presenting at this summit. Please submit your proposals through the ACA's convenient online call for presenters form.

Geared toward professionals and enthusiasts working to bring paddlesports into the lives of individuals with disabilities, the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit will include:

• High quality educational sessions
• The latest in adaptive equipment demonstrations
• Opportunities to refine best practices, network, learn, and have fun!

Learn more and mark your calendars. Online registration will be available starting May 1, 2014!

Florida Canoe Symposium

Looking to improve your paddling skills? Sign up for the Florida Canoe Symposium scheduled for March 21-24, 2014. The FCS offers courses in a range of skill levels, all taught by ACA certified instructors. 

Learn more about the Florida Canoe Symposium and reserve your spot today!

Congratulations to January Kokatat Instructor of the Month, Hunter Yarborough!

Hunter is an ACA certified whitewater canoe and whitewater kayaking instructor. He can be seen paddling and instructing all over Western North Carolina, his favorite place to paddle.

Learn more about Hunter...

The ACA would like to thank Kokatat for sponsoring the Instructor of the Month program. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized? Submit a nomination here!

New SUP Award for Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has partnered with the ACA to develop a new Stand Up Paddleboarding Award. The new SUP award was introduced at the BSA's 2013 National Jamboree in West Virginia. Over 9,200 Scouts, Venturers, and adult leaders participated in the nation's fastest growing paddlesport at this event!

The award allows Scouts to learn the basics of SUP on calm water while also developing paddling skills that promote fitness and safe aquatics recreation.

You can read the BSA's Stand Up Paddleboarding Award requirements here, and feel free to check out the 13-page instructional resource for use by instructors and students here. 

The ACA's work with the BSA's National Aquatics Task Force continues to bring safe and fun paddlesport opportunities to youth.

You Helped Make 2013 a Great Year for Paddlesports!

As the end of the year approaches, the ACA would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all of our members, friends, and sponsors. Your support means the world to us. And if our oceans, rivers, and streams could talk, we know they'd be saying thanks, too. 

You're making a big difference by supporting the ACA. Here are just a few of the things we've accomplished with your help in 2013:

• Actively supported public policy to clean up America's waterways and protect paddlers' rights. Most recently, the ACA played a major role in the state of Maryland agreeing to provide more public bridge access to paddlers. We are currently working with other states, encouraging them to follow suit.
• Designed the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit (the first event of its kind), scheduled for September 15-17, 2014. The ACA continues to spearhead new initiatives to bring paddlesports into the lives of those with disabilities.
• Certified 1,800 new ACA instructors, reinforcing the Gold Standard of ACA paddlesport education throughout the U.S. and several foreign countries.
• Created the International Paddlesport Ambassador Program. Read more about Dave Burden's efforts on behalf of paddlesports in the Middle East here. 
• Unveiled a brand new ACA insurance program for paddlesport outfitters, liveries, and guides. 
• Continued to provide safe and enjoyable paddlesports opportunities for youth nationwide. For example, the ACA recently partnered with the Boy Scouts of America to introduce a new Stand Up Paddleboarding Award for scouts. 
• And that's not all. Please visit our website to find out more about the ACA's ongoing initiatives in education, stewardship, competition, recreation, and more.

Do you want to help the ACA continue its important work on behalf of paddlesports? Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the ACA National Office. We're always happy to hear from you!

Thanks for your support. 

Announcing the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit

Save the date! The ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit will take place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 15-17, 2014.

Geared toward professionals and enthusiasts working to bring paddlesports into the lives of individuals with disabilities, the Adaptive Paddling Summit will include:

• High quality educational sessions
• The latest in adaptive equipment demonstrations
• Opportunities to refine best practices, network, learn, and have fun!

The ACA is currently accepting proposals from individuals, paddling clubs, and organizations who are interested in presenting at the summit. Please submit proposals through our online call for presenters form.

Joe Moore, ACA Education and Outreach Coordinator, explains:

"This event presents a unique forum where we can all learn from experts and their specialties, and it presents an opportunity to teach and hone our own curriculum."

Learn more about the ACA Adaptive Paddling Summit, and mark your calendars. Online registration will be available starting May 1, 2014. 

2015 Instructor Trainer Conference Survey

After receiving feedback from this past year's conference in Bend, Oregon, we have determined that the 2015 ACA National Paddlesports Conference will be specifically geared toward ITs and ITEs!

ACA Instructor Trainers and Educators have mad dance skills. 

Now we need input from our ITs and ITEs on two things:

1. Where to hold this new instructor trainer conference
2. What time of year to host it

Please take a few moments to complete this short survey (survey closes on Monday, January 6th). Your answers will help us plan an event truly tailored to the Instructor Trainers and Educators who comprise the core of the ACA Instruction Program.

Thank you!

Congratulations to December Kokatat Instructor of the Month, Dan Cox!

Dan has been paddling for the past 15 years, and began "messing about in canoes" when he was young. After being inspired by video footage of rafts on the Zambezi River, and after watching whitewater paddling in the Olympics, Dan was hooked on kayaking.

Learn more about Dan's story...

The ACA would like to extend a big thank you to Kokatat for sponsoring our Instructor of the Month program. Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized? Submit a nomination here!