Girl Scouts - Small Craft, Junior Badge

Location:
Rio Grande Indoor Pool
2312 Arenal
Albuquerque, NM, 87105
See map: Google Maps
Directions:
From I-40 & I-25, head West on I-40 to Coors. Take Coors South. Go past Central and Old Coors. Turn left on Arenal. Go approximately 1 mile to the Rio Grande High School. The pool is easily identified by the multi-colored waterslide coming out of the building on the West side.
Start Time: 
Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 8:00am - 10:30am

This 2.5 hour clinic begins where Paddle Safety class leaves off.  We still play fun games to build confidence, balance and coordination, but we have higher expectations that older children will perform the basic strokes more accurately, stay focused longer, and with greater mental and physical stamina.  We spend more time working on the fundamental strokes and rescues we expect from our adult classes, but balanced with an even mix of fun and games, and in simplified steps that are easy to learn.  Our goal with this class is to prepare kids with the basic skills for flatwater, however, it may be necessary to repeat the class a time or two to develop the skills for moving water, which is less forgiving.

In this age group often associate kayaking with "driving" their own car because of the freedom, mobility, empowerment and independence they get from the kayak on the water.

This program is designed for kids age 10 - 12 years old.

As instructors, our goal is to over-prepared kids for situations which have greater risk, such as the Rio Grande Bosque or Cochiti.  Therefore, we recommend a minimum of 8hrs of pool time before we take kids outdoors.  The repeated exposure allows kids to develop their skills, refine boat control, overcome fears of flipping, swimming to shore in cold water, or re-enter their boat from deep water.  While going outdoors is the ultimate goal, we can form good habits by making "hard moves on easy water" where there is less risk.  We also look for comprehension of important safety information from one class to the next; can they follow directions without question or delay, choose and properly adjust their own PFD, and orient the paddle correctly; if they're constatnly holding the paddle backwards and upside down, we know that more time is needed before using a spray skirt or paddling on the Rio Grande. 

 


 

"You guys rock!!!!  I couldn't wait another minute to tell you how much fun the girls had last night!  What a great lesson!  We didn't even need the games because they enjoyed what they were doing so much.  One of the coolest things was seeing girls who were a bit timid, feel comfortable enough to try things that they normally wouldn't have tried.  What a great time!  Well done all!"
Cris Todd, Troop #1521

"Kelly led my Girl Scout troop through an introductory kayaking workshop [Small Craft badge] and the girls are begging for more, as are the parents who participated.  Kelly's approach was customized to the comfort level of each girl, so they each felt comfortable and excited to be in the kayaks.  They learned a lot, and more importantly, are really looking forward to more kayaking."
Michelle Bloodworth, PhD, Troop #7070

Price: 
$35.00 Before Tax
I believe it is important for girls of this age to work together and have fun.  This course exceeded my expectations in both teamwork and fun! 
Margaret Baca  -  Troop #171, Juniors, Santa Fe, NM

Kelly is someone who knows the sport of kayaking and is able to teach in a safe, effective and fun way.  Not only did the girls have a total blast, but they learned the names for all parts of their kayak and equipment, how to safely enter and exit a kayak, how to help someone else who may be in trouble, what to do in inclement weather and how to best move through the water (to name a few).  We had our last Girl Scout meeting of the year last week, and when I asked the girls what their favorite experience was over the last 3 years, 75% chose kayaking.  I would highly recommend Kelly to anyone and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Cris Todd  -  Girl Scout Troop #1521

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