7:45 - 9:45pm at the Northside YMCA on Loudon Ave. $10 per person and kids under 18 get in free with a paying adult. Use the side door on the left side of the building and remember to clean out your boat. If you need more information or directions call me...351-3444.

Fred

Okay, I've learned my lesson. We had 5 paying members, 2 kids, and 2 instructors. None of the new people showed up. I don't see any reason to have another roll session next week or the week after and I'll resume my role as treasurer and let Wes handle any future roll sessions.

So, unless someone else wants to do it there will be no more roll sessions this summer or fall. Aug 21 is cancelled.

Fred

I'm sorry the attendance was so low Fred. I would have been there, but left to go out of town Friday afternoon.

Thanks for dealing with all of the roll sessions for the past year.

It's a thankless job. But I am thankful you did it.

Thank you so much Fred for starting and keeping the Summer sessions going! Thanks also to everyone that stepped up and helped at last winter's sessions ... I'll need you guys some this year for sure.

I agree with canceling the remaining sessions. Folks if you say you want roll sessions, and say you're going to support them, then you have to come. We don't have the financial means to support a string of poorly attended roll sessions. We were in financial trouble last winter for the same reason.

That being said, I am asking you guys to give a lot of thought as to when you want roll sessions again. There were proposals to begin in Nov. There is Tallulah season first 2 wks of Nov. That may affect me, but won't affect most of the other regular roll instructors if we get Fri / Sun sessions. I feel we should not schedule the last 2 weeks of Dec, and consider not scheduling at all in Dec.

Someone proposed year round roll sessions. I think they will never fly - unless we can find a free pool! Interest in rolling practice for most folks, for some reason waxes and wanes.
I do think that we should have multiple periods of roll sessions ... then stop them for a while until interest builds again - provided the membership supports the sessions. I think we should have Winter sessions, continuing into the Spring - if you will show. I strongly believe we should move spring clinic to 2nd wkend in May for multiple reasons.  However if we continued roll sessions until that time, that would be a long roll season ... we would surely lose numbers if we start in Nov and go until May. Multiple ways we could deal with that. I still think we should try to find a way to work with Canoe KY ... it makes no sense to me to have 2 roll sessions a few days apart every other week. I'm jealous of the clubs that have a lake with a nice beach for roll practice they can use all summer / early fall for free! 

Soap Box On: If I'm not working, and am in town, I'm there, regardless of the day. Even if I don't have someone to teach, I feel my own life is worth firing of at least 20-30 rolls every chance I get. If I have Brit, she's there too. I've said it before and I'll say it again. There is no excuse for a weak roll on either side if you've been paddling in this club for a year. There have been too many opportunities for you to practice your roll - in the pool, or on the river and get help from fellow members. If you just roll every once in a while and think I'm good to go ... then the river will smack your a$$ to show you how bad your roll really sucks. The urge to breathe is strong .. it's in the brainstem, the most primitive part of our brain ... it takes a lot of practice to override that, keep your head down, and do everything right when the conditions are such that you *must* do everything right and the rest of your brain is occupied. Only with repeated rolls - every chance you get - will you keep your brain / body trained to fire off a good roll when you are in a major rapid. Many of you are aspiring class IV - V boaters. Rolling on the Upper G in the middle of a big rapid is *nothing* like rolling on lesser water. If you throw your weak Class III (you barely got up) roll at the G, it will smite your butt right back down. I know, I've rolled in about every big rapid on the Upper G in the past 2 yrs. And on rivers like that there are many places that swimming is not fun ... people yell at you where to swim so you live. How solid do you think EJ's roll is? The man says he still practice's his roll 20 times every chance he's in the water. I can't think of better advice. Furthermore, if you have a weaker side, practice that roll at LEAST 2X as many times as your stronger side until they are EQUAL. That advice may save your life one day. Soap Box off.
Wes

Wes, seriously, you've got to shorten your posts if you want to have a serious discussion. Try breaking them up into multiple posts and splitting them between threads. I say this as a former compulsive ELPer (Extremely Long Post). When your post is that long, most people will only skim it and miss the important points.

I apologize also for not showing up Friday. Overall, I think the whole thing just happened too fast and we didn't really get the word out very well. For my two cents, I'm all in favor of continuing with the second rolling session. We will still come out in the black for Summer, and I feel it will reflect more favorably on future negotiations with the Y. Even if it's poorly attended, it still has value.

I also want to mirror the sentiments above. Fred has really gone above and beyond the call of duty, carrying double duty quite often, and deserves the thanks and appreciation of the club. Fred doesn't drink beer, but it wouldn't hurt to say, "thanks" the next time you see him.

Hanley

I do it because of my compulsive desire to help and no thanks is necessary but is appreciated. If the consensus is to have the roll session this Friday we can do that, I haven't talked to the aquatic director at the Y yet. I'll wait to see who's in.

Fred

I'll be there, and maybe Fred can get an opportunity to work on his roll, something he's had a hard time doing this summer while working the door.

Hanley

I'll be there - School stuff with kids last Friday - No kids this Friday!

I'll be there Fred. If my poison ivy will allow it.

If for some reason I don't make it, count me in for the $10 anyway.

bo

I was planning on being there this Friday.
Fred I can help with "the door" so you can play in the pool too