The Villages - May 2008 - (Page 20)

In the team’s second season, members progressed in their technique and teamwork. “In October 2007, we did demo racing, which allowed people to come out and try dragon boating to see if they liked it. I followed up with people to see if they wanted to join, and 35 people committed. I ﬁgured we were close to having two boats. We continued to recruit until we had 44,” Mickey said. Liz Taylor, a member of the Canoe and Kayak Club, was a paddler on the 2007 team. She was selected as Team I captain; Mickey became captain of Team II. During the ﬁrst season, they ran into a problem with their team name. “We also voted to change the team name. At a competition in Tampa, there was another team called the Dragonhearts. It was confusing. We also wanted people to know we were from The Villages, so we came up with Village Dragons. Two team members, Barb Bickey and Peggy Hobbs, created our logo from one they found and liked,” Mickey said. The Village Dragons began their second season in December 2007 with a little of experience and a lot of enthusiasm. There is a bit of science that helps the boat travel smoothly in the water. “You have to balance the right and left side of the boat for weight. We asked the members for their weights, which we keep conﬁdential, to keep the weight equal on both sides of the boat. It’s also helpful to concentrate some weight in the middle, which is why we have a lot of our guys in the center of the boat,” Mickey said. Another strategy the team employed was a completely different stroke. “The stroke we use is called the A-frame stroke. It was taught to us by Grace Genetia. She is the captain of the dragon boat team called Wun Fun Cru. She held a paddling clinic in January and about seven of us went. Then we came back and taught everyone else,” Mickey said. Don McClarin, a resident of the Village of Springdale and Canoe and Kayak Club member, saw the dragon boat display at the 2007 Outdoor Expo at La Hacienda Recreation Center and decided to join the team in its second season. “The stroke is called the A-stroke. It’s completely different than a canoe stroke. You can’t ‘canoe’ a dragon boat,” Don said. “It helps when you rotate your body and pull the water back.” Barb Scheer, a resident of the Village of Virginia Trace and one of four lead paddlers for the team, also describes the stroke. “We’re turning our whole upper body for torque,” Barb said. In addition to using a powerful stroke, the paddlers aim to be synchronized so all the force happens in unison, which results in moving faster. SOPHOMORE EFFORT 20 MAY 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Villages - May 2008

The Villages - May 2008 Contents Latin Dancing Makes for Fun Fitness Making Graceful Moves in the Water Students Create Culinary Ecstasy in Pizzas Summer Plants and Flowers Brain Exercises Shopping & Dining Guide Retail Briefs Entertainment Briefs Major Events Snapshots

The Villages - May 2008

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