You have to start somewhere. Everyone on the team started out as a rookie. But, with time and practice, you get better. Here’s a conversation I had with Leo and Christie, the recipients of last season’s Rookie of the Year awards. The two looked back at their first season with DieselFish, and talked candidly about their journey and what the team means to them today.
-The Minister of Newbie Happiness
M: How did you find out about DieselFish?
L: My friend Tiffany from work invited me to try it out.
C: My friend was a friend of a friend of Head Coach Birk’s. I had always wanted to try it, so I got connected to Birk who connected me to the team. I signed up with DieselFish, and then, at my first race I realized that there were multiple teams in my area, Oakland. Birk never mentioned that there was a team so close to me. [MINISTER’S NOTE: Christie drives from OAKLAND to practice with us in REDWOOD CITY. She must really enjoy paddling with DieselFish!]
M: What do you remember about your first couple of practices with the team?
L: I remember getting burned by the sun. I was a lot paler before, I hardly had any tan.
C: I remember thinking how great the team was. They were so friendly and inclusive, and made sure that I had a good time. I paddled with the DieselFish Youth for the first several practices, so and I remember being coached by Al (who was steering the DieselFish Youth boat). I remember that I was sore for a couple of days after the practice. And then, I remember coming back from my first practice, and thinking that the people were super nice, but that I wasn’t physically cut out for the sport.
M: What things made the practices easier?
L: SUNSCREEN. At this point, I can’t get any darker...
C: I kept coming out, and each time it got a little better. I was a little less sore after each practice.
M: Why did you become a member?
L: I like chilling on the water, what could be more fun? [MINISTER’S NOTE: I think Leo’s trying sound cool and laid back here. You don’t get the Rookie of the Year award by taking it easy on the boat!] And it keeps me active rather than sleeping all day, which I do miss sometimes.
C: I tried paddling so that I could get an extra workout on the weekend. I became a DieselFish member because the team was incredibly good at recruiting.
M: Why did you come back for a second season?
L: I just wanted to keep paddling, and the practice site is conveniently located in Redwood City, close to my work and home.
C: I had to. I got voted in as the Team Manager.
M: What has changed since your first season?
L: The team’s energy increased exponentially! There are more people on the team, and everybody is on top of their game!
C: I think that the team has really developed both performance wise and as a cohesive group. We’ve got a lot of great energy amongst the paddlers, and we’ve grown our team by a lot. People are really excited about paddling, and about DieselFish, and it’s great to see that.
M: What do you like the most about paddling with DieselFish?
L: Everybody is showing a positive attitude to improve, both for the team and individually.
C: The people are what keep me coming back.
M: Way to go, Leo and Christie! You've both come a long way since your rookie days!
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!
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