from Dragonheart Vermont’s Social Media Coordinator, Shannon C…

Social media is here to stay and it will evolve, perhaps faster than you want. Social media may have many negatives, but it has some big positives too:

+ It promotes knowledge sharing

+ It helps you keep in touch

+ It creates community, helping people find others with similar interests (e.g., dragon boating), challenges (breast cancer), etc.

The trick is to use social media so that it enriches your life.

Dragonheart Vermont, like other organizations and businesses, uses social media to stay in touch with the broader community, facilitate member interaction, attract new members, draw in new festival sponsors and participants, etc. Bottom line, it’s an essential part of our marketing. And we need you to help us with all this.

Here are 3 easy asks: 

1) Visit at least one of our platforms at least once a week (twice a week from May – early August when festival efforts are in high gear) and share posts. Last year each share doubled the number of eyes on our posts! That’s free marketing! Our platforms are: ·

Facebook: Dragonheart Vermont
Facebook: DHVT Lake Champlain Dragon boat Festival
Instagram: ridethedragonbtv
TikTok: @dragonheartvermont

2) Volunteer to be a content generator. Ideally each team should have one designee so that we present the diversity of DHVT — ages, genders, survivors, supporters, veterans, competitive paddlers, recreational paddlers, etc. Contact Shannon Cunniff so she can add you as a site administrator able post material or can send content to Shannon at media@dragonheartvermont.org

3) Invigorate our online community. Post your own pictures, videos, stories, events on the Dragonheart Vermont member group. This site is now “private” and material can’t be shared/reposted. This is our internal communications/sharing site. (Though there are former DHVT members and longtime supporters of the organization that are legacy members of this group.) (If this is the only DHVT facebook page you belong to, you are missing a lot of the action!)

And, finally, if you are really into social media, use these hashtags to help more folks find us: #dragonboating, #LCDBF, #breastcancerstrong, #dragonboatfestival (as appropriate to content).

THIS IS ITTT!!

Hello you MONSTERS,

What an INCREDIBLE off-season so far. I have said this many times before this winter, I am very impressed with the effort and improvements I have seen with ALL of you. Let’s keep that momentum going. In many ways these next few months are some of the most important months of the entire year (from a training perspective). This is the LAST opportunity to truly build strength before the season begins. Keep in mind, once the season starts you are NOT trying to get in shape, we want to already be there.

Once the season begins the goal is to maintain the strength and power levels that have developed through the off-season. This allows you to put more energy and focus on building your paddling abilities in preparation for summer races, whether the CCNC, the LCDBF, Hartford CT or simply having fun on the water while getting the most out of your summer workouts on Lake Champlain.

We will go through one more strength phase before quickly transitioning into our power development and then muscle endurance and anaerobic capacity (sprint capabilities). We will spend much of our time developing sport specific movement patterns in this session, making the transition to paddling feel seamless.

The offerings represent what the focus should be for this time of year. Of course, there are options to meet every need for physical fitness and classes that focus on individual modalities to develop any and all needs of performance for the sport of dragon boat and LIFE. While Strength is a crucial part of fitness, sport performance and living a better life, we should begin to emphasize anaerobic fitness and intervals at this stage.

If you are focusing on the competitive preparation package, I would recommend a HIT class and either a strength or circuit class. This of course depends on access to equipment on other training days. If you do not have access to weights that allow you to continue building strength (reminder pushing loads within a certain repetition range) you should consider a strength class.

Do what is best for YOUR performance level. Do not sign up for the class that keeps you in a comfort zone. If you avoid a certain style of training, that is EXACTLY what you should sign up for.

If you are interested in the wellness package, we will focus on all elements of physical fitness. This translates to a fantastic summer paddling experience and a better overall life. These workouts can be accommodated in any of the workouts as long as they are not labeled CP on the class schedule.

DATES

Start March 13th- End date May 13th

SCHEDULE

Sign up and Cost

Pricing
Go to the Members Page and you will see the link to start your sign up process.

Each package is $150 ($155 with Credit Card fees) for the session or $75 ($77.5 with C.C.) per month, which will include two in person workouts every week or all zoom classes. Youth payments will be $50 ($55) per session or $25 (26) monthly with c.c. fees.

You are signing up for much more than just two in person classes however. You are signing up for a WAY OF LIFE. Whatever you choose for that to look like, OST is much more than just fitness. We focus on nutrition, lifestyle habits, goal setting both as an individual and team based. The combination of it creates the best version of yourself based on what you decide is the best path to reach your ultimate way of life!

Choose the package that fits your needs and goals best.
Select the two classes that work best for your schedule.
Additions
From there if you would like to upgrade to a full class pass or zoom package you may add those on to your base package.

All Class Pass add on will guarantee a third class each week that you will sign up for during the registration process. Also, this add on gives you the opportunity to attend ANY class that has space during the week in Addition to the classes you have been assigned. There must be room in the class for you to attend, so you MUST check the calendar and sign up THE DAY OF (not days in advance) class. You can not attend WITHOUT signing up. This is a $50 add on for the entirety of Session Two.

Zoom add on will include the links to all classes that are zoomed in Session 1. This is a $25 add on.

Program Options

This Off-Season we will offer different packages with slightly different core goals. Each offering will focus on creating the best version of yourself by improving strength and overall fitness.

Competition Prep- This package is based on the idea of prepping for one goal, becoming the most elite paddler you can be. This is a build up to the 2023 competition season and the goal is to improve strength, cardiovascular abilities, power etc. specific to the sport of dragon boat. This package is designed to develop our bodies for the Club Crew National Championships and other competitive races during the 2023 season.

This package consists of:

1 Strength OR HIT workout at VPF. Based on what you need in your weekly routine that you can NOT do effectively on your OWN.

1 Circuit Training

Nutrition components focusing on helping you become the best athlete possible. Nutrition is a vital element to performance and you will learn how to use this to your advantage.

Fitness assessments- We will track our progress throughout the Off-season, measuring specific strength, cardio, and flexibility components. *Teams training for the CCNC will go through similar assessments during the off-season.

Sport mobility work- Hard work means taking some time to keep the body moving well. With these specifically designed movements you will move well as we work hard throughout the session.

A Workout Guideline built to keep you focused on each element of training throughout the week, not just days we meet for classes. This guideline will give you a focus for EACH day of the week.

Youtube Video Release

DHVT Wellness Program- This package is an overall fitness and wellness program that focuses on the improvement in body mechanics while developing strength and fitness for everyday activities. Of course the focus will be on making improvements focused on dragon boat paddling but this program will allow you to function better in your daily life as well.

Two OST circuit classes OR One Circuit and One Life Fit Class each week.

Nutrition focus on overall health to prevent against chronic disease and improve energy, focus, sleep etc.

Mobility and stretching videos to keep you moving well, which combo well with the Fitness classes.

An exercise guide on how to develop a well balanced fitness routine to make you strong for every aspect of life.

Youtube video releases.

Online Training Only- This package includes access to all zoom classes and weekly releases of Youtube classes on the VPF Youtube Channel.

Calendar

Once signed up and everything is uploaded to the calendar, your name will appear on the member calendar for all the classes of Session 1 that you signed up for. If you can NOT attend a class, PLEASE TAKE YOUR NAME OFF THE LIST FOR THAT DAY. That way others can sign up. Classes are more effective and more fun when they are more full.

Other Information

Swapping class times- As we have done in the past, if there are open time slots I would prefer to have them filled so if you can not make a class that you are scheduled for there MAY be the opportunity to fill into a class later in the week. Priority will go as follows;

1. Individuals attending one of the two classes they signed up for

2. Individuals that have paid for the Class Pass and have signed up for an open spot.

3. Individuals that missed a workout and are looking to make up a class.

The Calendar MUST BE USED BY EVERYONE for this to be an effective strategy.

If you are interested in taking a class but the timing does not work for you let me know and other arrangements MIGHT be possible. Also, if your schedule only allows you to take ONE class please contact me at BrettDHVT@gmail.com and we will find a solution.

TAKE NOTICE- There Must be 8 people rostered for a class to take place. This means there might be some shifting of scheduling based upon sign ups to meet everyone’s needs and provide the training atmosphere we are looking for.

Let’s Finish the Off-Season strong as we head into our best summer of paddling yet!
Paddles Up (SOON)
Brett Haug