About Me...
● The Northwest has always
been my home
● I have a vested interest
and deep love for the area
● Intimate knowledge of the area and an existing network
of sailors, coaches, and leaders in the PNW
Where I started
-Cal 40 “White Squall”
-Scholarship recipient in TYC’s
Learn to Sail program
-Learning the hard way in my own
14’ dinghy
-I had a love of sailing BEFORE I had
a love of racing
When it all started to click
Western Washington University (2005-2010)
-Part of a Competitive Team/Talented District
-Great Mentors
-Leadership Opportunities
-Friends for Life
Balboa Yacht Club (2010 & 2011)
-Exposure to SoCal Model (SCYYRA, CISA, SDYC,
NHYC)
-First Significant Time Spent away from PNW
-Finn Sailing
Encinal Yacht Club
A “Bigger Small Club”
-A History of Jr. Sailing Excellence
Steady Growth and Competitiveness
-Learn to Sail
-HS Sailing (Miramonte 10th, Athenian 20th)
-Race Team Participation and National Appearances
Expansion of Programs
-Green Guppies, J24 Keelboats, JV High School Teams,
Athenian PE Class, Tuesday Night Team Racing,
Collaboration with Artemis Racing
Establishing a Culture of Fun and Success
-Family Oriented
-Community Outreach
-Affiliation with Local High School/College Teams
-Dedicated Volunteers and Supportive Membership
-Strong Working Relationship with BAYS Clubs
-Traditions
-Opportunities for Personal Growth & Advancement within the
Program
-Home Grown Instructional Staff (MENTORING!)
Duties and Responsibilities
-Manage administrative aspects of junior sailing
-Maintain fleet of 90 sailboats and 10 coach boats
-Oversee a staff of approx. 15 employees
-Host Regattas and Events (including PRO duty)
-Fundraise and organize volunteers
-Head coach for High School Sailing and Senior Race
Teams (local regattas, national regattas, regular practices)
-Represent EYC on the BAYS Board
-Advertise and market the program
Winner 2013 Nimitz Award
Two Tricky Questions
How do we grow the base and increase youth
involvement?
How can we raise the caliber of sailing in the
PNW and be more competitive at a national
level?
Both are Interrelated Questions
National Champion, Olympian, or All-American
1
10
200
Local/Regional Champions
High School and College Sailing
(Many start here, but won’t make it to the top)
Beginning Racers
400
2000
Beginners
A Healthy Sailing Cycle
Learn to Sail
Coaches/
Instructors
High School/
Youth Racing
College Sailing
What’s Missing Here?
-Decline in NW College Sailing, which leads to a lack of
qualified coaches (esp. those with technical skills)
-Lack of Professional Opportunities for avid sailors (ex.
Sailing Director or Coaching career paths)
-Too many learn to sail programs on life support, most also
lack race teams
-Not enough cross training in high(er) performance boats
What’s Going Right?
● High School Sailing is Booming!
● A lot of talented volunteers investing time with NWISA
● Busy and vibrant
regatta schedule
● New teams are
appearing every year
● BUT...
Where do talented
HS Sailors end up?
● Move away during college years
-For many NWICSA is not an attractive option
● Burned out on sailing/lose out to other competing
interests as they get older
● Not being groomed as coaches or mentored as leaders.
● Too many just sail during the school year creating a
lack of junior racers in the Laser, 420, 29er class etc.
● Sailors who start sailing in HS (or college) often lack the
foundation to advance to the highest levels
How do we help restore the cycle?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Support Existing and Emerging Youth Programs
1. Develop Quality Coaches Locally
1. Revamp NWYRC & Support Top Youth Sailors
Where should we focus our energy?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Strengthen NWICSA
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Work with teams to recruit sailors
Provide guest coaching at regional/local clinics
Help teams with fundraising/asset acquisition
Establish alumni networks and rally the NWICSA alum base
Provide regatta management support
Work on NWICSA’s image problem
Serve as NWICSA travel coach for teams that qualify for
national events.
Where should we focus our energy?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Support Existing and Emerging Youth
Programs
2. Target Specific Programs
● Which programs are already successful? (Ex. SSP,
WSC, SYC, Sail Orcas) Help those organizations
become even better!
● Identify which programs are emerging and have real
potential (ex. CYC Seattle, GJS, BYC, TYC, Gig
Harbor). Lend them a blueprint to help achieve their
goals.
● Provide staff training, consultation, guest coaching and
logistical support
5 Traits of Successful Programs
1) Provide Learn to Sail for kids and teens
2) Affiliation with local high school/college teams
3) Dedicated volunteer(s)
4) Professional Director
and/or Coaching Staff
5) Adequate Facilities and
Resources
Learn to Sail Essentials
● Outreach through Community
Orgs., Schools, etc.
● Involve the whole family
● Provide opportunity for personal
growth and advancement within the program
● Make it FUN! Especially at a young age!
Affiliation with HS
and College Teams
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Provide access to boats and facilities
Provide coaching and travel support if feasible
Don’t try to make money off these groups!
Enlist students as volunteers, instructors, or crew.
Keep them around in the summer too!
Volunteer(s)
● Maintain continuity and keep vision in place as
personnel turn-over
● Should be highly visible and well respected within the
organization
● Serve as advocates and defenders of youth activities
and staff.
● Skilled at fundraising and directing other volunteers
● Even better if they don’t have a child in the program!
Professional Director or
Coaching Staff
● Provide year round sailing opportunities
● Surround themselves with other talented staff and
recruit new coaches from existing ranks.
● Maintain fleets and upgrade equipment as needed
● Manage administrative aspects of a sailing program
● Build and sustain relationships with sailors over time
● Advertise, promote, and fundraise
Facilities and Resources
● Fleet of one-designs suitable for youth racing (esp.
double-handed)
● Adequate safety boats given the venue, skill level, and
number of participants.
● Easy waterfront access and storage space
● Able and willing to host regattas, trainings, clinics etc.
● 501(c)3 Foundation in place to help meet financial
goals.
Where should we focus our energy?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Support Existing and Emerging Youth Programs
1. Develop Quality Coaches Locally
Develop Quality Coaches Locally
● Identify Coaches to Invest in
● Provide professional development opportunities
-Encourage programs to offer pay incentives for Level
II/III
-Provide Grants when needed to attend US Sailing
trainings
or the yearly US Sailing Symposium
● Do in house staff trainings for programs and universities
● Improve technical knowledge of coaches, especially those
with only HS/College experience
● Establish network to link programs with coaches
Benefits of “Home Grown”
Instructors
● They are a known commodity
● Likely to return for future summers
o Especially if they have strong ties to program
● Role models and mentors for future instructors
o “I used to be a junior sailor just like you.”
● Understand culture/expectations from day one.
o They were probably a part of it already as a participant
Where should we focus our energy?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Support Existing and Emerging Youth Programs
1. Develop Quality Coaches Locally
1. Revamp NWYRC & Support Top Sailors
3. Revamp the NWYRC
● Host quality events and clinics
● Put emphasis on cumulative results, by adopting better scoring
criteria and series guidelines. Keep overall results real time!
● Encourage more participation in the Opti, Laser, 420, and 29er
class. Get HS sailors cross-training!
● Boats shouldn’t it unused! Work with clubs to put HS Sailors in their
420s and Lasers during the summer.
● NWRYC needs to have a presence year-round (as do the classes
above), especially for younger sailors like those in the Opti.
● Create cooperation and collaboration between programs, not just
competition!
Bay Area Youth Sailing
(BAYS)
● Association of clubs working together to promote youth
sailing (Richmond, Encinal, St. Francis, SFYC, PYSF)
● Monthly conference calls, joint planning, coordinating,
and scheduling sessions
● Host Clinics/Provide Coaching at Major Regattas
● Host local regattas, sometimes together
● Opti Winter BAYS series, Summer BAYS Series,
NorCal High School League
● Regional liaison with US Sailing, PCISA, USODA etc.
Invest In Our Top Youth Athletes
● Provide coaching and travel support for national level events
● Ease financial burden of programs and individual sailors by traveling
as a group. (Purchase large trailer/tow vehicle???)
● Hold advanced clinics for elite youth sailors, especially at venues like
the Gorge during the summer.
● Train with top athletes during offseason, including off the water
workouts, rigging sessions, and chalk talks
● Sail against the best competition we can find, both locally and on the
road.
● Host major youth events. Rarely are we the “home team” at national
regattas. This needs to change!
Where should we focus our energy?
1. Strengthen NWICSA
1. Support Existing and Emerging Youth Programs
1. Develop Quality Coaches Locally
1. Revamp NWYRC & Support Top Youth Sailors
A Healthy Sailing Cycle
Learn to Sail
Coaches/
High School/
Instructors
Youth Racing
College Sailing
Sailing Foundation Director’s Calendar
Summer
NWYRC
Spring
Fall National Champs
NWICSA
Jr. Program Prep.
Fall Opti Series?
Clinics
Winter
Travel with Top Athletes
Work on Developing Coaches