Kitt Noythanongsay | Tampa, FL
Five Questions asks Dragon Boat Club Organizer, Kitt Noythanongsay:
What makes a dragon boat club successful?
For my club, we carry a family spirit with us. Being friendly and welcoming to new people, being supportive to each other makes us unique. People in our club are willing to step out of the ordinary boundaries to help each other out, even outside of dragon boating. For example, the son of one of our club members is seriously ill and we take the time to visit. When our practices are over, the socializing keeps going to the point where paddlers need to be asked to leave!
How do you attract new members?
Word of mouth is important. We use Meetup to get new paddlers twice each month. We have created a program for new people, kind of like a mentoring program. For our group, we attend different local arts and cultural festivals and fairs, and spread the word that way. At some of these events, we have a booth to promote ourselves, because the cultural nature of our club lends itself to those kinds of events.
What makes your club different among the many other local dragon boat clubs and how do you make this difference work to your advantage?
While other local clubs focus on “on-water” activity, we don’t see ourselves as just an on-water group. Our club’s mission as a non-profit group is to raise awareness about ourselves as participants in the sport of dragon boating and doing good works in the community.
By participating in local community events, we make ourselves visible in the City of Tampa. Our next event is on December 10. We’ll have practice in the morning, and then that night we attend the event.
What's your most memorable dragon boat experience, and why?
I think my most memorable experience in dragon boat is the second time I got on a boat. I realized how important teamwork is, that without mutual support, we wouldn’t have a team at all. And along with that comes the camaraderie. The first time I went out was one of being observant and soaking in what the activity is about. On top of that I overexerted myself, so I didn’t have a chance to think. The second time out, I had a better chance to understand more about what the sport was about.
What are your plans for 2017?
The biggest plan for next year includes a trip to participate in a race in Taiwan. We plan to become a stronger team both in terms of spirit and paddling capability. We also plan to keep growing as a club.
Learn more about the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans Dragon Boat Team at www.sacadragonboat.com
What makes a dragon boat club successful?
For my club, we carry a family spirit with us. Being friendly and welcoming to new people, being supportive to each other makes us unique. People in our club are willing to step out of the ordinary boundaries to help each other out, even outside of dragon boating. For example, the son of one of our club members is seriously ill and we take the time to visit. When our practices are over, the socializing keeps going to the point where paddlers need to be asked to leave!
How do you attract new members?
Word of mouth is important. We use Meetup to get new paddlers twice each month. We have created a program for new people, kind of like a mentoring program. For our group, we attend different local arts and cultural festivals and fairs, and spread the word that way. At some of these events, we have a booth to promote ourselves, because the cultural nature of our club lends itself to those kinds of events.
What makes your club different among the many other local dragon boat clubs and how do you make this difference work to your advantage?
While other local clubs focus on “on-water” activity, we don’t see ourselves as just an on-water group. Our club’s mission as a non-profit group is to raise awareness about ourselves as participants in the sport of dragon boating and doing good works in the community.
By participating in local community events, we make ourselves visible in the City of Tampa. Our next event is on December 10. We’ll have practice in the morning, and then that night we attend the event.
What's your most memorable dragon boat experience, and why?
I think my most memorable experience in dragon boat is the second time I got on a boat. I realized how important teamwork is, that without mutual support, we wouldn’t have a team at all. And along with that comes the camaraderie. The first time I went out was one of being observant and soaking in what the activity is about. On top of that I overexerted myself, so I didn’t have a chance to think. The second time out, I had a better chance to understand more about what the sport was about.
What are your plans for 2017?
The biggest plan for next year includes a trip to participate in a race in Taiwan. We plan to become a stronger team both in terms of spirit and paddling capability. We also plan to keep growing as a club.
Learn more about the Suncoast Association of Chinese Americans Dragon Boat Team at www.sacadragonboat.com
|
|
|
Profile Archives
October 2013
|
September 2013
|
July/August 2013
|
June 2013
|
May 2013
|
