This field trip is more of a commitment but I just wanted to share this great opportunity. Dragon Boating has been a continuous sport for thousands of years in China and it is considered the longest running sport in the history of the world. You've never heard of it? Not a surprise but it is the fastest growing water sport out there today.The competition consists of long boats that seat 20 paddlers (not rowers) who paddle in unison and race 250 or 500 meter races on
a local river. Each May, the DC Dragon Boat Association hosts its weekend long event on the Potomac and it is a blast. There is a lot of preparation to train for these races. We go to the local pool at Takoma Park and practice paddling on the side of the pool as well as have strength training on one day a week also. The important thing is to get out there and to have fun!The weekend starts with an "eye-dotting" ceremony in which the Dragons are brought to life
for the competitions. In years past there have been cultural presentations from Chinese drum corps as well as cultural tents where students can learn how to write their names in Chinese and this year there was a table where students could learn to bring traditional Chinese puppets to life. So even if you cannot put together a team to compete in the annual event you should bring your students down to learn more about Chinese culture and to see this ancient sport in action!Contact Info
http://www.dragonboatdc.com
For more information about Youth teams contact
Sharon Hong, MSW
NCAWPA Youth Program Coordinator
youth@ncawpa.org
http://ncawpa.org/youth/
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