River Town Racers’ year-round training program supports athletes’ development at four different levels, ranging from beginners to elite competitors. Our guiding value is that every individual can grow as an athlete and a person, and realize the connection between personal effort and achievement. The secret to mastering this Olympic sport is time on the water, and in the process, paddlers build endurance, skills, and confidence, as well as enjoyment of the outdoors in all seasons.

Depending on level, practices take place two or three-times weekly through the winter for younger team members, intense on-water and strength training for older athletes contending for national or international competition. Practice sessions take place after school on weekdays (slightly over 2 hours) and on Saturday mornings (2-1/2 hours) and are coached by adults in kayaks or in our motor launch.

There’s no single “racing season” in sprint kayaking. Young people who start in our Introductory Clinic in June usually are ready to race locally by their first autumn, as Northern California offers a number of flatwater competitions through the fall and winter. Training intensifies in spring as athletes get ready for out-of-town racing (optional for beginners). Summer brings major out-of-town races in June and early August.

Volunteers — coaches, parents, and club leaders — deliver all aspects of our club’s service to young people. Our mission is to provide, through the discipline of Olympic sprint kayaking, a wholesome, competitive athletic challenge that inspires young people to work hard, gain competence, and contribute to their team and to the enhancement of the wider community.