Better people make better sailors.
Better people make better sailors. By developing a program that exemplifies this belief in everything that we do, we’re training the next generation of leaders in American sailing. The skillset encompassed by our sport - entrepreneurship, communication, creative problem solving and so much more - prepares our athletes for the diverse challenges of life. Coaching programs that focus exclusively on results neglect the development of many of these critical personal and technical skills, which are essential to long term retention in the sport as well as competitive success. We believe that balanced athlete development is the priority above all else.
Developing leadership means empowering our athletes to guide their own learning pathways, while ensuring that they have all of the tools and resources to be successful. The relationship between athlete, coach, and sailing program is a partnership, building on wisdom and institutional knowledge archived by past generations. The key is striking the right balance of guidance and creativity to avoid the “one-size-fits-all” pitfall, while ensuring that the learning process is truly moving the needle effectively.
“Never Stop Improving,” is more than just our tagline - it has been the main mode of operation for our athletes, coaches, and organization now for several years. We practice what we preach, and the results take care of themselves. In 2019 we will take bold new steps towards building a scalable program that can be implemented in a range of classes, ages, and skill levels. This year we need your support to build the framework of technology and resources which will help us solidify the foundations of success that we have developed over the last several years.
2019 Objectives
Archive Knowledge
A program that focuses on long term development needs an effective way to archive learning, centralize logistics and organize communications. Our website will serve all of these purposes, as we expand our library of resources for new teams, and track data from experienced teams.
Improve Access to Performance Metrics
Empowering our athletes to get to the top of the game means equipping athletes and coaches with world class metrics to evaluate training outcomes, and dig deeper into competitive results. We aim to implement the TruSail Telemetry system to archive speed data, while continuing to improve our GPS boat handling metrics, and our race analysis tools.
Implement Quarterly KPI System
Each athlete and each team has different needs at different times in the quad. While we believe in collaboration, we also know that “one size” does not “fit all.” The KPI system will help us keep track of athlete training progress and help them optimize that process while allowing them flexibility in their learning pathways. It will also become a source of knowledge for future teams.
Create Professional Coaching Community
By partnering with 2Niner Skiff Squad, we have already expanded our impact and resources from coast to coast, and we hope to loop more coaches in, in 2019. By creating a professional coaching community, the level of coaching will increase, and we will be able to improve training for the next generation of coaches.
Capital Improvements Budget
You Can Make An Impact
Through our scholarship program, $30,000 will help athletes pay for over 60 days of coaching this year, starting with domestic training in San Francisco this summer. $25,000 will pay for access to top level tools and metrics, that no American team currently has access to, and will kickstart a legacy of data archives to support future generations. $45,000 will give us a professional, reliable coach boat, which will instill confidence in our sailors, and give our coaches a platform to do their best work. Finally, our current teams need your support! While the rest of these things are critical to improve the learning process and the legacy of the program, our athletes ultimately are our biggest asset! They are the talent, spokespeople, and the future leaders of the sport.
2019-2020 Outlook
2019-2020 is our opportunity to build the foundation for the 2024 quad by supporting current athletes, and creating tools to help new teams transition into the Olympic classes. We will expand our network of coaches, work closely with 29er programs around the country and build a platform for the next generation of junior sailing grads to make the transition with confidence!