We've had a bit of change in 2006. Meghan got a great job in the States so we are back to one head coach and some assistants. Andrea Dillon is leading us this year with help from Marina, Daphne, Alice and others. Our mixed crew is coached by Kamini Jain ,olympian extraordinaire!

The False Creek Women were one of the first womens crews to begin racing mixed crews (and winning). Much of the success of the False Creek Women's team can be attributed to the support, teaching & motivation Andrea and her team provide to their crew.

NOTE:  The following was taken from the paddles up site. www.paddlesup.ca

Andrea, can you give us a little bit of your history?

I started coaching many years ago in the outdoor field, teaching with the then National Canoe Association in Ontario. I have coached cross country skiers, both backcountry and master racers. I have been coaching for 25 years in some form or other. I have always paddled through these years racing marathon canoeing, outrigger sprint and distance, and dragonboat.

What are some of the biggest accomplishments of the False Creek Women's team?

I have been with the False Creek Women’s Team since 1987. There have been lots of favourite accomplishments, perhaps the best has been seeing this team remain contenders nationally and internationally for 17 years.

I believe the reason we have remained competitive through the years is our ability to constantly recruit athletes from different disciplines. We also have worked hard to have a feeder team of all abilities and strong support from coaches in identifying up and coming athletes. Working together and encouraging gifted paddlers to up the competitive ladder gives us a steady stream of new talent. The False Creek Women’s Team have a social bond that carries them through their off their water activities and that with a combination of having fun on and off the water keeps these women involved.

Can you tell us a little bit about the False Creek paddling style (if there is one)?

So much is talked of the “False Creek” style. Our roots came from flatwater with Hugh Fisher and Don Irvine, both accomplished flatwater paddlers and still very much involved in outrigger and dragonboat today. Our technique is ever evolving with new boats and different designs. Traditionally we had a faster rate in the heavier boats to compensate for lack of boat glide and the difference in strength between a women’s crew and a men’s. The basics are the same for any boat whether canoe, outrigger or dragonboat. The catch, water time, exit and recovery depend on distance whether sprint or endurance, the power a crew has and the boat they are in. It is all about what makes a particular boat move it’s best.

Do your paddlers only paddle dragon boat, or other disciplines as well?

Outrigger has become another major focus of this club. Most of our paddlers train and race in both programs. We are internationally competitive in the world of outrigger endurance and sprint. A good paddler can and usually does paddle many of the disciplines. It also keeps variety during training. We have more numbers in dragonboat, but to be honest, there seems to be an even split between paddlers coming from dragonboat, outrigger and flatwater.

What is your favourite part of coaching?

My favourite aspect of coaching has to be seeing an athlete grow into their sport and excel.

• Commitment to the process not the result
• Willingness to risk learning and to entertain change.
• Realistic and dream goals.

What are some mistakes you see new coaches make?

• Interpreting skills and technique they see others doing without understanding the why.
• Working teams too hard too early without laying the foundation of technique or strength.

Andrea's Advice for Paddlers

The best advice I can give a new paddler is to work the process, set achievable goals, find a coach and then be willing to be coached. Many times new paddlers come on stream and either burn out or load their training too much ending up with injuries slowing their competitive progress.

My job in motivating a paddler is to make sure they buy into my commitment in coaching them and get constant and honest feedback on their training and racing. As a paddler develops and matures, they must learn to take on the responsibility to train, race and communicate their needs and concerns. If a paddler has set goals that are parallel to the teams goals then they can begin to motivate themselves and others on the team.