Saturday, November 08, 2008

Forward Stroke - Update training for NKB Sea Kayak Coaches

Today 25 NKB seakayak-coaches and aspirant coaches gathered in Uithoorn for the yearly update training. Nicole Bulk (successful Dutch kayak racer: multiple medallist in K1-K4 flat water racing, former coach of the Dutch Women selection, etc.) was invited for a clinic on the forward stroke. I am really convinced that seakayaking can benefit an awful lot from the (top)sport-section - it's an advantage of a small sportsunion like our Dutch kayak-association that it's just a little step from our recreational seakayaking-section to the topsporters.
Nicole was great! She gave a very inspiring interactive workshop. The coaches got personal feedback on their own skills, and valuable tips on analysing and improving the techniques of others. The clinic started with analysing dry sessions on the kayak-ergometer - which is a good fitness-trainer and also the perfect instrument to analyse and demonstrate the forward stroke technique.
Second part was out on the water: 25 paddlers highly concentrated on working with the legs, multiplying hip-rotation to shoulder-rotation, thinking of the box, on the catch, the exit and so on. Intensive discussing and analysing what they are feeling and seeing, Nicole had a match with this group!
The rolling clinic with the coaches two years ago, had quit some impact on teaching rolling in the Dutch seakayak-scene. I am sure this day will have a similar effect on the forward stroke!

Thanks to KV Michiel de Ruiter for the hospitality!

PS: Regular visitors of "Kajaksport op groot water" don't have to guess about the inspiration for this clinic ;-)

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