DIESELFISH LEGENDS: FRANK | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team | Serving San Jose, Peninsula, San Francisco

This is DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s 25th season! We’re going to celebrate this milestone by sharing memories from our past. Read on to learn about the team’s greatest triumphs and challenges—as told by the people that were there. Buckle up! This is the story of DieselFish.

Here’s with a conversation I had with Frank. Frank was one of the founders of DieselFish Youth (DFY), DieselFish’s high school division. When he wasn’t managing and nurturing the DFY kids, Frank paddled with the DieselFish adults.

DF: When did you paddle with DieselFish?
Frank: My first association with DieselFish was in 2009 when we approached the team with the crazy idea of forming a high school dragon boat team to represent youth paddlers residing in the Peninsula and South Bay.
 
DF: Why did you join DieselFish?
Frank: We were looking for experience and willing coaches and a team to call home. DieselFish was the adult team willing to sponsor and support a youth program. Of which we were very appreciative.
 
DF: Tell us your favorite DieselFish story:
Frank: There is no one story to be told but of a life experience. Without dragon boating, we would have never met a finer group of people and developed lifelong friendships, on and off the water.
 
DF: How did DieselFish change your life?
Frank: For me it isn't how DieselFish changed my life but how DieselFish changed the lives of youth paddlers. I had the pleasure of watching the youth paddlers mature and become adults themselves. My greatest pleasure was providing a platform for creating memories and experiences for young paddlers.
 
DF: Thanks for sharing your memories, Frank. But more importantly, thank you for helping create DFY! DFY provided its members with character-building experiences that they’ll never forget.
 
→ Start your own legend by trying a FREE dragon boat lesson. Email Alex at DFcaptains@gmail.com to get started.
 
- Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness 🐲
 
Copyright 2023 DieselFish Dragon Boat Team. All rights reserved.
 
#dflegends #dieselfish #paddle #canoe #dragonboat #fitness #sanfrancisco #visitrwc #redwoodcity #siliconvalley #sanjose

What Your Favorite Dragon Boat Race Says About You | DieselFish Dragon Boat Team

DieselFish’s captain psychoanalyzes you

Every race is different and has its own unique charms. Which race is your favorite?

CDBA Regional Regatta: You wore your medal to work the next day.

CDBA Sprint Race: You can’t wait to try all the new Red Bull flavors.

CDBA Youth Race: Your coach scolded you for trying to catch a Pokémon between hit drills.

CDBA College Cup Championship: You are not sure if you should study for the MCAT or intern at Facebook.

Nevada Dragon Boat Festival: You correct people that mispronounce “Tiësto”.

Halloween Howl: There’s a grapefruit IPA waiting for you back at the tent.

Portland Rose Festival: You feel bad about eating that cereal and carbohydrate concoction from Voodoo Doughnuts, but what the hell…

Boston Dragon Boat Festival: Wow, that guy from the Sam Adams commercials really works at the brewery!

Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival: You wear flip flops all the time.

San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival (Treasure Island): You prepared for the race by spraying salt water in your eyes.

Concord Pacific Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival: Your timing box also served as your bridesmaids.

Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival (Lake Merritt): Your coworkers wonder how you lost your voice over the weekend.

Race with us! Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com today for free dragon boat lessons!

Redwood City Dragon Boat | The World Championships Are So Close...

From Darren Louie, DieselFish Youth Team Coach (who coaches our group of teens):

As you know I've had the wonderful privilege of coaching DFY now for five years and this year is special as we have four of our young athletes competing for the U16 Team USA at the world championships in Welland, Canada in August 2015.

On the team are Kiana, Nathan, Jet and Orion all of whom who are 13 and 14 years of age respectively. These four are very young but have incredible potential and have earned a spot on Team USA.

I'm writing this message to ask for your financial support to help fund their trip to Canada.

Unfortunately, in the sport of Dragon boating, there is no funding or scholarships for junior athletes and this is why we need help. The trip is estimated to be $1,800 to $2,000 per athlete, and I was hoping you could make a small donation to help offset some of the costs.

The kids have set up a RocketHub crowdfunding project site where you can read about their stories and easily make a donation.

Thank you so much for your support. Any help that you can provide would be very much appreciated.

Paddles up,

Darren

Happy Halloween from DieselFish Dragon Boat Team!

Happy Halloween from DieselFish, the scariest dragon boat team in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Photo: Frank Fung
 
-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

San Francisco Bay Area Dragon Boat Team DieselFish offers free dragon boat lessons. Email us at dfcaptains@gmail.com now for details!

#DieselFish #dragonboat #Halloween

DieselFish Youth's Coach Jenny

“Almost there, DFY,” shouts the coach perched at the front of the dragon boat. “Finish it, NOW!”

The DieselFish Youth (DFY) paddlers instantly shorten their stroke length and increase their rate. The boat suddenly surges through the water, forcing coach Jenny Tam to brace herself. The weather is warm on this Saturday afternoon, but she doesn’t feel like falling into the water. As the kids finish their practice race, a smile creeps across Tam’s face. Her kids have gotten even better.

Veteran coach and paddler Jenny Tam recently started coaching DFY, DieselFish Dragon Boat Team’s high school division, and she couldn’t be more excited. “DFY is EPIC!” she exclaimed. “They are so smart, hard working and fun. But most importantly, they have a lot of heart and spirit.”

Tam would know. She spent three years as an assistant coach for Galileo High School’s respected Celestial Dragons team. She then took a brief break from coaching to “focus on paddling.” But Tam couldn’t stay away from coaching for long. “I got to drum for DFY last year at the Long Beach and Treasure Island races. I thought the kids were pretty awesome. They love dragon boating as much as I do, and they made me miss coaching.” DieselFish’s head coach, Birk Lee, sensed this longing and approached Coach Jenny about taking over as DFY’s coach.

“Jenny was a natural choice for the DFY Head Coach position,” said Lee. “She coached Galileo High’s dragon boat team before, and has a young energy that makes her a fun coach for kids.”

Since taking her position at the front of the boat, Tam’s DieselFish Youth team earned a silver medal at the recent California Dragon Boat Association Youth Race. “Silver! Need I say more?” Tam beamed. “I’m so proud of them! These kids turn it on when they get on the water. They are so strong, great competitors and bring the power in the boat when I ask for it. They work hard and do not take anything for granted - this is the kind of team I love coaching.”

Tam’s goals for the rest of the season are grand. “The sky is the limit,” she explained. “I want the kids to work hard, win big and have fun along the way.”

To achieve this goal, Tam introduced new drills emphasizing “technique and mental focus.” She also began running activities off the water emphasizing “fitness, team bonding and having fun.”

According to Lee, Tam is “Tough. Fair. Committed. Loud.” He went on to say that Tam “doesn’t take sugar coat things or take back talk from her paddlers. But she also practices what she preaches. As a paddler, she practices the technique that she coaches and comes out to all the practices regardless.”

“Jenny cares about the kids she coaches, both on and off the boat,” said Lee. “She wants to make an impact on them as they develop as paddlers and as people. Jenny is a great one-on-one coach. And she has a coaching technique where she walks down a boat to individually adjust paddlers that I really admire. Jenny is also team player, and a valuable member of the DieselFish coaching staff.”

The DFY kids are full of praise for their new coach. “I am excited about having Jenny coach the team because her energy and heart are so contagious,” said Tiffany Ly Su, a third year veteran of the team. “She has a great attitude towards everything and always looks at everything in a positive light. Her passion for coaching and paddling is not something many people have. To get the opportunity to have a person like her to coach really makes DFY happy, and we couldn’t be happier!”

Ly Su went on to say she feels Tam knows “her stuff and executes it well,” and “she is proud of us as long as we give it 100%, and that’s all she could ask from us.”

This respect and affection is mutual. “They are all stars,” gushed Tam. “I don’t have favorites - you only paddle as strong as your weakest paddler. That’s why I love this sport; some of the kids are super athletes, but for others it’s their first sport. All the paddlers put such a great effort into being on this team and working hard. Paddling with DFY is truly a team sport. I know what stands out - effort and the commitment that generates results.”

As the DFY dragon boat pulls into the dock, Tam puts the team on notice. “Back and front rows out first!” she instructs. “Let’s do a cool-down stretch before we debrief.” Tam runs a tight ship.

-Alex, the Minister of Newbie Happiness

Coach Jenny and Tiffany

Raising the Team

It’s take a village to raise a high school dragon boat team. Here are some of the adults that volunteer their time to run DFY. Excited and enthusiastic commentary provided by Coach Jenny Tam:

Dennis Chen: The younger brother I never had. Thanks for steering all the time, funneling teen gossip, teaching me what’s “hip” these days and giving great insight, the young jedi that you are. He has great experience paddling from college to international!

Frank and Janet Fung: The FUNGS (Frank + Janet = Franet) - THANK YOU! Super parents - you think they would have 30 kids and not two. From paperwork to food to emailing parents, they have done an amazing job helping me out off the water. I am extremely grateful for their help (especially not having to collect waivers from kids. Woot!

Birk Lee: This man is awesome! He has great mooching skills, smart advice and awesome Patriots sandals! I tend to be a bit more like a football coach sometimes – intense and serious. It doesn’t help I have a deeper voice than him. He built a strong foundation with DFY - he is a tough act to follow. I want to continue building the team and keep climbing up the division ranks at races.

Darren Louie: He’s the calm, and I am the storm. Darren’s a tremendous asset to the coaching staff. He was the OG of DFY coaching! So it’s been great having him back and helping me out with coaching. Great with motivating the kids. He also has a good sense of humor.

  

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

DieselFish Youth at Lake Vasona

[Minister's Note: DieselFish Youth is the team's mighty high school division!]

DieselFish Youth held its first practice at the CDBA's newest practice site in the South Bay. The team had over 35 paddlers, parents and invited guests who enjoyed a BBQ tri-tip and salmon dinner to open the team's first practice at Lake Vasona. A special thanks to the CDBA Board for their continued efforts to promote the history and sport of dragon boating.

-Frank Fung

DieselFish Youth Coordinator

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish Youth sound like fun? Go to http://www.dieselfish.org/fish-eggs.html now to sign up for a free practice session!