Saturday, February 26, 2011 - Practice Canceled

Saturday, February 26, 2011: Practice canceled due to inclement weather.

Sunday practice is still ON! Be ready to bring it on Sunday to make up for lost time!

Enjoy your day off. See you Sunday!

Paddler Spotlight -- Tran B!!

Dunking day (Birthday): 

May 11th (Editor's note: not a photo of an official dunking as she flipped out of this one like a cat!)

If you could have an endless supply of any 3 food items, what would you have?

          Crab, Shrimp, and Mangoes!

A Boiling Crab Down 'n Dirty Bag before meeting T2

Now just 'down 'n dirty' after meeting T2

"You can't hava da MANGO!"

How long have you been paddling and what were you thinking when you got into Space?

I have been paddling for one year. When I first started, I was like "WTH am I doing here?!"

Who got you into paddling and why do you do it week in and week out?

 T1 dragged my out a few times, telling me that I'd love it. I thought she was insane but I guess its contagious but now I do love it!

Under what conditions are you paddling at your best? 

"I don't know if its my best, but I certainly paddle harder when its cold and I happen to be stroking."

Favorite or notable Space Dragon moment(s)?

The dunking of (Princess) Pearl--Beware the massive talons!

How do you prep yourself for a Race?

I prep myself by mentally getting my mind and body to visualize the race course. 

What do you do when you're not paddling? Hobbies, activities, interests?

          Basketball, tennis, and music.

Any advice for newbie paddlers?

Get yourself to practices and coaches will push you to do the rest.

Paddling-wise, what particular goals do you have for yourself and for the team?

     

Goal for team: Place gold in all divisions

Goal for self: Cut my 300m OC2 time to less than 1:50

What makes a champion?

One willing to make sacrifices for the whole.

If you could change one thing about the Team what would it be?

More mini-competitions.

Best thing about being a Space Dragon?

Coach Jackie marshalling T2 as she demonstrates all 4 things!    =P

I get to rep with my favorite color (BLUE!), working hard, playing hard, and eating harder.

Assuming you had a single brother or sister, what Space Dragon might you consider hooking them up with?

Consider hooking them up with? NO COMMENT!

Most interesting character you've met through the team?

Louise.

If you were to trade any SD teammate for an RFX (Ripple) paddler, who would it be?

Why would I ever do that?

If you were to be stranded on an island with any 3 SD paddlers, who would you choose to get-by and pass the time with?

          Dang! This is a toughie since so many SD paddlers are awesome! (GRR!) Russell and Louise because they can eat all the seafood with me, and Devant because he can climb trees for fruits.

Russ

Louise

Devantosaurus Rex

Are you the only child, the eldest, the middle child, or the baby? Do you fit the stereotype?

(Editor's note: Revised from Bakasan's original copy/paste. T2's true response is thus. Apologies!)...

I'm the baby of the family. I get spoiled a lot, but turned out pretty well.

First thing that comes to mind when you hear the word(s):

1. pounce - Simba

2. voluptuous - Betty Boop

3. predator - Aliens

4. prey - Antelope

5. Space Dragons - Crazy

Name something that our readers don't already know about you.

         I'm in love with Ryan Reynolds. YUMMMM!

Red/Blue/White Selection Criteria

How do the coaches determine who paddles on which boat? It's no black magic. The coaches make the decisions based on what we believe is best for Space Dragons as a whole, and we use the following set of criteria:

1. Practice Attendance - Quantity and Quality
Coming to practice makes you a better paddler. Only at practice do you get the opportunity to sit in a dragon boat and get coaching on your technique. You work on starts, finishes, pacing, timing, blending, paddling-specific conditioning. How do you become a more effective paddler? Paddle more! BUT, just showing up isn't enough. In order to become a better paddler, you need to take advantage of the time on the boat by staying focused and determined, and by seeing every single stroke as an opportunity to make our team better.

2. OC-2 Water Testing
The OC-2 time trials are the best way for both you and the coaches to measure your individual contribution in getting the dragon boat past the finish line. Even in a dragon boat race, each paddler pulls some dead weight (the weight of the boat, plus the caller and steersperson). Similarly, in an OC-2 each paddler pulls the boat weight plus Devant. Water testing isn't everything - it doesn't show how well your technique blends with the rest of the paddlers, and it doesn't show how good your timing is, both of which are essential to being a good dragon boat paddler. What it does show is your fitness level, strength and how effectively you connect with the water to propel a boat forward.

3. Land Drill / Core Workout Attendance - Quantity and Quality
Dragon boat races are an athletic competition, so physical fitness and strength play an important role in how quickly we cross the finish line. Participating in the land drills and core workouts designed by Coach Rod helps build that foundation. Again, just showing up isn't enough. You need to push yourself in order to make yourself (and the team) stronger.

4. Coaches Discretion
There are many unquantifiable qualities that make a good dragon boat paddler, things like timing, experience, technique, focus and a team-oriented, positive attitude. These are some of the things that the coaches watch out for when we stand at the bow during practice. A boat of the twenty "strongest" paddlers is not our fastest crew if they can't work together and motivate each other.

As always, if you have any questions about the selection criteria, any of the decisions that are made or what you personally can do to make yourself a better paddler, don't hesitate to ask! We want each and every one of you to finish off this season with NO REGRETS!

SD Digest 2-23-11

Space Dragons,

We're only 1 month away from Tempe tournament!  Let's turn up the volume (not literally)!  So let's get everyone to practice!  Remember to fill out the practice attendance poll by 7 PM tonight.

1.  TEMPE -- 3/26 & 27

• It is just around the corner!
• Please review the attached rules from the organizer and adhere to them!
• If you have not paid your fees, race fee is $35, 2011 team dues is $80, payable to Space Dragons
• Charter bus option between LA and Tempe is a no-go, so please arrange your transportation and update the Evite with your mode of transport
• No Flake rule in effect: 2/27 (for you newbies, this means after 2/27 if you're a yes and you decided not to go, you are on the hook to pay the fees still)
• Hotel reservation AND cancellation deadline: 3/4 -- if you do not cancel by 3/4, you will be charged 1 night if you do not show up

2.  F&FD -- Sunday 4/3

• Do you enjoy paddling?  Wanna get your friends and family involved?
• Friends and Family Day is the perfect time to do this!
• It'll be Sunday 4/3, 8:30 AM (yes, please have your guests arrive early so we can get all the paperwork and get their gears in line)
• It'll be a fun paddling day and we'll have potluck after paddling
• Potluck list to come, if you know what you want to bring, please email Denise

3.  RIDE TO PRACTICE

• A fellow RFX paddler has recently moved to LA
• He would like to join us for practice but he does not have a car
• If you are in the CSULA area or if you could swing by to give him a ride, please let us know ASAP
• He would like to join our practice this weekend -- Sat, Sun, or both!
• Your help is much appreciated
  

4.  FUNDRAISING - Saturday 4/23

• Doing spring cleaning?
• Save your stuff!
• We're planning our 1st 2011 Yard Sale for 4/23
• If you have other fundraising ideas, please let us know!

5.  WEDNESDAY WORKOUTS

• There are currently 3 Wednesday workout options: SoBay, Orange County, Santa Monica
• If you would like to join these workouts, email Emily (SoBay), Roger (OC), Jackie (Santa Monica)

6.  SPACE DRAGONS PRIDE

• Interested in logolize your clothing with Space Dragons brand?
• Check out details here

-- Your Captains

Want To Show Your Space Dragon Pride??

Love to show your Space Dragon pride? We have Space Dragon tattoos. We have Space Dragon Parkas, Space Dragon patches, hats, visors, underwear and even Space Dragon car flags!! We have just about every Space Dragon spirit item you can possibly have to floss the coolest logo around. Okay, well we do not have SD underwear but I have had requests for SD thongs on more than one occassion.

Coach Joe giving a speech in Sacred
Royal Blue Space Dragon Visor

It is time to make another run to the printers to logolize your apparel or to order Space Dragon hats and/or visors.

Sammi in charcoal gray logolized SD hoodie >

Please bring in your stuff to me(or Deej) to be logolized. I will need them by March 5th so Space Dragonites can wear them proudly at the Tempe Arizona Tournament.

Please no terry cloth material or vinyl type materials. Screen printing does not adhere well on these types of materials.

Kim looks sharp in a logolized black Nike top >>>>>>>>

Mr. July, Scott "the Tsunami" Matsunami looks great because he shows up to every practice, does all the land workouts, works out on his own free time AND....the black SD hat and a pair of Oakleys!!

See you guys looking good on the water.and around town in your Space Dragon wear!!

Space Dragon Hard....Space Dragon Strong!!

SoBay Weekday Workout 2/23

Last week we experimented with some circuit training. This week, after doing a stair run for cardio/legs, we're taking the circuit up a notch. Don't forget your yoga mat and water!

Where: Mira Costa High School Track (Artesia Blvd/S. Peck Ave)
When: Wednesday, Feb 23 @ 6:30pm (~1.5 hrs)

Help a Newbie?

Space Dragons,

A newbie paddler (former Ripple) wants to come join us for practice! We love newbies! This newbie is currently at CSULA but needs a ride to practice.

So I'm putting this out there for our LA area paddlers - can anyone help out a fellow paddler and get one more newbie to our practices? Either Saturday or Sunday - or both days if you're willing!

Holler at your captains if you can help! It'd be greatly super duper appreciated (captains at space dragons.org) and we'll get you in touch.

Thanks much!

Santa Monica Weekday Workout

Work too far north to make it to the SoBay workout? Want to try something a little different? Come check out the rings at Santa Monica Beach this Wednesday!

When: Weds 2/23/2011, 5pm

Where: meet in front of S4 parking lot on 2nd and Arizona (http://www.smgov.net/departments/transportation/google_parking_mapsv2.aspx?map=downtown)

What: run to the beach, workout on the rings, bars, etc, run back to the parking lot. =)

Bring: sneakers, hydration, towel, sunscreen

Let jackie know if you're coming so you can get contact info. (see the weekly digest for contact info)

Practice is ON!

Practice is on! We'll be there, see you on the water!

(Saturday 2/19)

SD Digest 2-16-11

Space Dragons,

Please review spreadsheet in email for financial status, check all the tabs, there are outstanding 2010 fees -- check highlighted boxes

1. PRACTICE

• Please be on time! That means 7:30a on Saturday and 9:00a on Sunday. Tardy rule in effect and the captains be having fun with it.
• Please update your practice attendance response for this weekend with respect to Sunday, poll closes tonight at 7 PM

2. SAFETY ORIENTATION

• If you did not attend the mandatory team meeting or have not taken the written safety test, please see Pearl.
• If your name is not on the 3rd tab in the attached spreadsheet, you NEED to take the written test!

3. TEMPE -- March 26 & 27

• No Flake rule enforced: Feb 27 (coming up very quickly!)
• Maybes -- please confirm your RSVP ASAP!
• Hotel -- please make your reservation ASAP, we'll be releasing the rooms in the Space Dragons in early March!
• Both reservation and canellation deadline is March 4! After this date you will be charged 1 night if you do not show up.

4. FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY -- April 3

• Start thinking about inviting your friends and family to this super-newbie friendly day of paddling! This is one of our favorite and most successful recruiting events.
• How it works:
• 8:30am, warm-up and introduction to basic paddling techniques.
• Load boatfuls of newbies for practice.
• At end of practice, we race the newbie boats!
• Back on land, we will have potluck-style lunch and games.
• See attached flyer to help promote Friends and Family Day.
• Please keep an eye out for future announcements too!

5. MISCELLANEOUS

• If you or someone you know has connection to the travel industry, please let us know -- we'd like to explore possibility of getting group rate for airfare for away tournaments such as Vancouver and San Francisco
• If you have any sponsorship opportunities or fundraising ideas, let us know!

-- Your Captains

Keeping that Back Super Strong!

Part of a great workout is making sure you don't get injured while training those muscles! One of the issues we've seen in some teammates is back injury and lower back pain. But you don't have to go through that! You can avoid back pain by making sure you're strengthening your back muscles, like participating in Rod's Core Workout every Sunday!



Here are some simple tips you can keep in mind while working out or just working...

Superman (from Rod's Core Workout!)
- Make sure you feel your lower back muscles working every time you do this exercise.
- Try exhaling whenever you bring your arms and legs up.
- Don't flop back down, either; make sure your movements up and down are controlled.
- Keep your arms and legs straight out in front and behind you.

Planks (from Rod's Core Workout!)
- Keep your body stable, and let that core burn!
- You can make this harder by putting your feet on a ball or roller.
- Make sure your body is straight! Get someone to help you make sure you're holding your core straight.

Paddling
- Keep your back straight! Don't hunch over - it limits the effectiveness of your rotation.
- Don't lean over the gunwale, try to keep your weight inside the boat! This avoids unnecessary strain on your back during rotation and paddling.

Outside workouts
- Yoga is a great exercise for strengthening your back muscles! Just ask Robert and Mayana!
- Pilates is also a great core strengthener.

At Work
- Don't slouch at your desk! If you work in front of a computer all day, see if you can make sure your chair is the right height such that your feet are fully on the floor, your back is straight, your hands aren't crooked over the keyboard and your arms are parallel to the ground.
- Take breaks and stretch every once in awhile.
- Maybe you can get a standing desk (that's the correct height, of course!).

Recover
- Your muscles need time to regenerate and recover, so let them. Make sure you get good sleep and that your workout is balanced towards other parts of your body as well.

As always, please be careful! We want you to keep coming back to practice, so if you do feel back pain regularly, check it out with a doctor.

SoBay & OC Weekday Workout 2/16

Last week:

(post-suicide recovery)

This week, due to the rain, we'll stay under the shelter by the gym after cardio. We'll be doing some core exercises on concrete, so bring a yoga mat or other soft padding. And bring an extra set of dry clothes to change into.

SoBay Location: Track at Manhattan Beach Blvd and Aviation in Redondo Beach
OC Location: Rained out!
When: Wednesday, Feb 16 @ 6:30pm (~1.5 hrs)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, Space Dragons!

We got a very special Valentine's Day treat as a thank you from the LA Pink Dragons for helping them take their boats out on Saturday mornings. If you didn't get a cookie, it's because they were delicious and quickly disappeared during our cool down / land drills!

Thank you PINKS! Happy Valentine's Day!

OC-2 Water Testing Results!

Results are up!

Check back here later for a full blog post.

OC-2 Water Testing 2/13

For the OC-2 water testing, meet at the public docks behind the Marina Pacifica Mall on PCH. Call one of the coaches if you can't find it!


Stressed out about the test? DON'T WORRY! Results will be anonymous, and the biggest benefit of participating is that you can track your personal improvement over the season.

But in case you are, here are a few tips:
- Eat a light breakfast
- Warm up with a 5-10 minute jog
- Make every stroke count (you'll only need 150-200)
- Dig the paddle in deep
- Run the course like you run a race, with a strong start and an explosive (but controlled) finish!

And of course, if you're unable to make tomorrow but want to test, email the coaches to schedule a make-up.

SD Digest 2-9-11

Space Dragons,


1. PRACTICE

• Water testing (OC2) for Tempe is this SUNDAY, if you have not signed up for a slot, please do so
• There is optional practice on Sunday, remember Tempe is ONLY 6 weeks away, every practice will make us stronger and faster!
• Please update your practice attendance response for this weekend with respect to Sunday, poll closes tonight at 7 PM

2. SAFETY ORIENTATION

• If you did not attend the mandatory team meeting last Saturday or have not taken the written safety test, please see Pearl

3. TEMPE -- March 26 & 27

• No Flake rule enforced: Feb 27
• Maybes -- please confirm your RSVP ASAP!
• Hotel -- please make your reservation ASAP, we'll be releasing the rooms in the Space Dragons in early March!

-- Your Captains

Success With a Winning Attitude

"Losers visualize the penalties of failure, but winners visualize the rewards of success!!" Rod Gilbert

Think for a moment, do you know of any athlete, professional or otherwise, who has an incredible sports mentality and a mindset of a winner? Do names like Kobe Bryant and boxer Manny Pacquaio sound familiar?

How about your teammates? Have you ever paddled next to, competed with or observed some of the great SD paddlers like Wade Liu, Kim Bushong and Emily Chi? I am sure you have witnessed how incredibly intense these people are.

These people are highly motivated people that live a lifestyle where they want to achieve excellence in everything they do with great resolve. For them, every activity and challenge is an opportunity to set a goal, to try something new and to go above and beyond to achieve.

I know we all would love to possess that insatiable will to succeed like these people. They are not only gifted athletes, they are great team members that help motivate others on the team by spreading around that infectious winning attitude.

As a wise coach once said, “Attitudes are contagious – is yours worth catching?”

Here are a few ideas to get you on your way to a winning attitude:

Goal Setting
Developing your goals is the first step to winning. Goal setting is such a powerful tool used to help us achieve a result. Whether you are a newbie or a veteran paddler, goal setting will work for you. It will not only get you motivated, it will take you to another level of paddling.

Be Prepared!!
An athlete prepares his/her body for competition by training. Have you heard the old adage, “Not preparing to succeed, is preparing to fail”? Most experts claim that being prepared is your best bet for success.

An Australian Coach once said of confidence in competition, “Nothing gives an athlete confidence like knowing they have done everything they possibly could have done to their best of their ability in training and preparation”.

When one's body and mind are properly prepared, the psychological effect of becoming a winner is greatly enhanced.

Winners EXPECT to win!
Winners actually see their success before it happens! Do you expect to win your race before the horn blows? Or, do you assess your chances at the starting line? Or, even worse, do you imagine failure?

Try this exercise...


Close your eyes for 30 seconds and think about achieving a goal... go ahead, close your eyes for a moment and really think about achieving it.

During that 30 seconds, imagine winning the race. See it, feel it, hear it, imagine you and your teammates already having won. Guess what... you just programmed your mind to powerfully pull you in the winning direction. Did you notice a difference?


When we simply think about getting something, our thoughts tend to be vague. But, when we expect to get it, there is only one possibility... winning!! This one small thing gives winners a tremendous advantage over others.


Losing is a Part of Winning

I know, it hurts to be spanked in a race. In order to learn how to become a winner, you also must learn how to lose. Valuable lessons can be learned by losing. It is important to remember that losing is not an indictment of your inability; rather, it should be viewed as a learning tool used to improve your skills. The act of losing can be made positive by managing future emotions and analyzing poor performance.

Don’t Let It Happen, Make It Happen!!
In training, some athletes have “Let It Happen.” They have allowed training to become a place where sub standard skills and poor habits become acceptable practices. When they go to a competition, they will try to force a successful performance. They will only find they lack the skills, fitness and abilities to produce a winning effort.

Successful paddlers and athletes have an attitude that “Makes It Happen” in training. They apply the same focus and intensity in training as they would in competition. As a result, on competition day, they can relax knowing that they can let it happen – success is more likely to occur because of their attitude in training.

How many times have the coaches said in practice, “Train as you would compete!!”





Commit to achieving excellence!!
Athletes learn to commit to achieving excellence in everything they do in training and to apply the same focus and determination to training as they do to when competing. They create an environment of excellence in their club or training group. This attitude can make a significant difference to all the athletes in the group or squad.

Create a Vision
Winning is a complex process that involves preparation, training, dedication and goals, a formula that often is beyond the capacity of many. Those who have the ability to envision themselves as winners become just that with preparation and dedication.

They say that winning isn't everything and that's very true. Keep things in perspective. Remember why you paddle. It is fun, you like the exercise, you like the camaraderie, it feels great to master a sport, and, yes, you like to compete and win. So, Space Dragons...go out and train hard to the best of your ability and enjoy the process of your sport. You will enjoy competing more, paddle better, and have a winning mindset to achieve your goals and play an integral part in helping your team be successful as well.

See you guys on the water and at the races...with a winning 'tude!!

Ceez

SoBay & OC Weekday Workout 2/9

Last week:


This week we're going back to the jungle gym.

SoBay Location: Fitness Jungle Gym (Space Park Dr./Mettler Dr.)
OC Location: Golden West College
When: Wednesday, Feb 9 @ 6:30pm (~1.5 hrs)

Bring water. We'll do some cardio and then work back and shoulders (and maybe some core if there's time).

Crunches Not The Best Ab Workout

First i would like to start by saying what a fantastic job everyone is doing thus far this season with the practices. Practices are only going to get tougher, but nothing you can't handle. Lets keep the intensity in them and remember what all of this is for, to cross the finish line first! Also i can't stress enough how important outside workouts are for the practices and them team. You just can't get fit and strong only working out on weekends at practice, it just can't happen. So mix in a few push ups here and there and some rows, and anything else from our weekend workouts through out the week. Planks are not fun but i would encourage everyone to do more of them, crunches are not the best ab workout, check it out. Planks will help you keep a strong back and prevent injury by making your core more stable. Other than that keep up the good work and if you have any question feel free to ask one of the coaches.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE LEGS!
One thing i can"t stress enough about paddling, or any movement for that reason, is all the power and explosiveness starts with your legs. Most sports involve power moves, and if you want more power and explosiveness, then the best thing you can work toward is getting stronger legs.

Power, explosiveness, speed, agility…all these things are magnified if you’ve got strong legs. How high you jump and how quick you move are naturally affected in a good way as you work to strengthen your legs. From a really complete perspective, focusing some time on your legs will provide benefits you can’t number.

Even if you can’t commit to a whole workout dedicated to your legs, adding a few exercises that at least come close will afford you some solid benefits. Squats, cleans, and dead lifts can all target other muscle groups in your body while emphasizing the strength in your legs, so incorporating exercises like those can benefit you a great deal. But spending some time with leg extensions, lunges, calf raises, and hamstring curls to target the whole muscle group in your leg can really improve your power. You’ll find that with stronger legs your overall performance will improve. SO what does that all mean, come to our weekday workouts, we just did legs last night and i am feeling it today!

I challenge ANYONE to bunny hopping stairs race..............come get some!




Keep up the good work and keep up with the intensity at practice!

That is all for now,

BK

Space Dragons,

Happy Lunar New Year!

Mandatory Team Meeting this Saturday 2/5, after practice.  Please review the safety rules in the attached steering manual, you will be taking a test as required by the SCDBC.

1.  PARKING

• Do NOT park on any residential street
• Do NOT park in small Boy Scout (closest to Boy Scout building) lot on Sundays

2.  SOCIAL HOUR -- this Friday 2/4

• 1st social hour of the year -- First Fridays at the Natural History Museum
• The entire Natural History Museum stays open from 5pm - 10 pm and features musical performances by fresh and innovative artists., exciting scientific discussion, adult drinks, and behind-the-scenes curatorial tours.
• Go here to buy museum admission tickets ONLY http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=19196
• Note: pool your friends together to purchase tickets to share the "service charge"
• Check out the blog post

3.  TEMPE -- 3/26 & 27

• Have you or figured out your lodging?  -- update your Evite response!
• Have you paid?  -- $35 payable to Space Dragons + $80 2011 dues if you have already paid
• Have you changed your mind?  -- No Flake Rule enforced 2/27

4.  TOURNAMENT REMINDERS

• Please RSVP to all Evites and keep your responses updated!
• Tempe (March 26-27)
• Alcan/Vancouver (June 11-12)
• Big Long Beach (July 30-31)
• San Francisco (Sept 17-18)

COMING SOON ... OC2 time trails!  Stay tuned.

--  Your Captains

Rose Parade Decorating- recap!

On Sunday, December 26, some Space Dragons did not hit the mall for the after-Christmas shopping bargains, nor did not sleep-in. Instead, they volunteered to help with the China Air Lines Rose Parade float.



The Space Dragons extended family of decorators included Denise, Faustine - MJ's cousin, Galen, Jegan - MJ's brother, Ming-Jou, Marina, and Tony - from Ripple Effect. We were given the task to remove the cellophane from thousands and thousands of flowers and to gossip like little school girls.

Can you find some of them in this sea of flowers?


-Marina