JUNIOR HUBS

Junior Hubs

Paddle NI are pleased to be starting the Junior Paddlesport Hubs this year for the winter whitewater season.

The Junior Hubs will provide an opportunity for young paddlers from different clubs to get on the river together, meet other junior paddlers, develop their whitewater skills and build their confidence and experience.

How will the Junior Hubs work?

We are planning a series of six Junior Hub river days between October and March.

Each participating club will bring their own juniors and will be responsible for providing the appropriate qualified coaches/leaders/volunteers to support their group on the river. If this is not feasible for your club, then please let us know and we may be able to assist.

Clubs can work together on the day and mix groups based on age, ability and experience. This will help create a better experience for everyone and give juniors the opportunity to paddle with people from other clubs.

Paddle NI will coordinate the Hub programme and provide support to coaches, leaders and volunteers throughout the season.

Supporting our coaches, leaders and volunteers

Before the Junior Hub trips begin, we will run one development day for club coaches, leaders and volunteers. There will be another to follow further into the schedule.

Day 1 – Skills, Leadership & Rescues: A practical day focused on covering the skills and topics needed when working with juniors on whitewater, including leadership, paddling skills and rescue techniques. The aim is to share ideas and help coaches and leaders get the most from their juniors on the river.

Day 2 – Development Day: This will be arranged after Day 1.

Harry (Paul) Harrington will attend the events to help coordinate the clubs and provide support and mentoring to coaches, leaders and volunteers.

Proposed Programme

We are looking at a range of rivers for the programme, including Mourne, Owenkillew, Blackwater and Bann, depending on conditions and the suitability of the river on the day, these provisional venues may change.

A full schedule of proposed dates and river locations is available in the table below.

 

All river locations and dates are subject to weather and water conditions. If a session needs to be postponed, an alternative date will be arranged where possible.

 

Junior Hub days will generally run from approximately 10am–3pm and provide an opportunity for young paddlers from different clubs to get on the river together, meet other young paddlers, develop their whitewater skills and build their confidence and experience.

 

We are looking forward to getting the Junior Hubs underway again and creating a regular opportunity for our young paddlers to paddle together, learn from each other and develop their whitewater skills. 

 

If you have any questions or would like further information please contact Mark Stephens on 07885 615286.