This weekend Stafford and Stone Canoe Club held their Annual Junior Taster Sessions.
Over the last month the top junior and senior Canoe Slalom athletes from the successful club have been battling it out for places on the 2019 GB Teams, and also competing for that one valuable
place on the 2020 Olympic squad, which is still yet to be decided. The club, at the other end of the spectrum, has been holding it’s annual junior taster sessions, which will continue over the next few weeks. The budding youngsters showed up in force to learn about the sport and get their first go on the River Trent. A great weekend was had and at the end of May the club hope to have their new “Class of 2019” going forward
to become successful junior paddlers.
New junior beginners coach Sam Miles, a previous junior recruit himself, said “It’s been a great weekend, and thanked all
the volunteers who came to support the novice paddlers”.
Publicity Officer Debs Homer said “It is important to the club to continue each year to recruit a new class of juniors. It’s exciting to see
them on their first day, excited, nervous but keen to get into a boat and learn the sport. With the support of British Canoeing Partnership
we plan to continue to encourage new paddlers into the sport for many years to come.”
The new paddlers were treated to a video showing some of the club’s top slalom athletes, as very young junior paddlers on some of their first
races looking very wobbly and taking a few swims! Showing that they have all started out as junior recruits and hard work, determination and love of the sport is how they have all achieved their dreams.
Photos by Holly Kirby