This morning I pulled a trailer of boats out to Patriot Lake and greeted six students for a beginner course in kayaking. All came in with a great attitude and seemed to enjoy themselves during the three-hour session.
I think every advanced paddler should do some teaching from time to time, for there are many aspects of the sport we take for granted that seem quite mysterious to beginners. Things as simple as holding the paddle, operating the rudder, and even dumping water out of a swamped boat--I got questions on all these topics today that made me pause and think for a minute before I could answer.
Teaching class is also a chance to be reminded of just how cool this sport is that I'm involved in. It's tempting to be a little blasé about spending a hot summer morning out on Patriot Lake, but some students acted as though it was a thoroughly exhilarating experience.
And it was.
No comments:
Post a Comment