It's so worth it!

2023 TEAM CANADA OVERVIEW
Overview:
Team Canada is 300+ athletes, coaches and administrators that compete at the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) World Championships.
The IDBF hosts a World Championship event in odd numbered years at various host countries around the world. Team Canada refers to each event as a cycle, for example: the 2017 cycle, 2019 cycle, 2021 cycle, etc. A cycle represents the entire time between events.
Dragon Boat Canada’s (DBC) High Performance Committee oversees the program and Team Canada staff.

Team Canada is represented in 7 categories:
18 & Under (Includes 16 & Under category)
24 & Under (aka 24U)
Premier (No age restrictions)
Senior A (40+)
Senior B (50+)
Senior C (60+)
Para
  • paddlers who have some form of physical, psychological, neurological, sensory, or intellectual impairment
  • 2023 will mark first time Para has been included in World Nations
  • Para crews will feature both para and non-para athletes

* All age-restrictions are as of Dec 31st in the competition year

The four stated goals of Team Canada are:
  • To win the Nations Cup
The Nations Cup is awarded to the country that generates the most points in Premier category races (open, women and mixed)
  • To Develop 18U and 24U athletes to be ready to perform at the Premier level
  • To win as many medals as possible in the senior categories (Senior A, Senior B, Senior C)
  • To foster growth and the development of future coaches
Who makes up Team Canada:
Team Canada is the highest level of performance for a Canadian dragon boat paddler of any age.
 
To be eligible you must:
 Be a Canadian citizen, landed immigrant or Canadian resident (3 years minimum)
You can begin the tryout for Team Canada no matter where you are. The selection process is designed to put the 20 best Canadian paddlers in one boat.
If you want to see if you have what it takes to race amongst the best dragon boat paddlers in Canada at your age-category you should try out for Team Canada.

What is Team Canada:
Team Canada consists of the fastest dragon boat paddlers of each age-group across the nation, assembled into crews of women, open and mixed.
 
Here is an overview of the Team Canada cycle:

Registration & Orientation
Timeline:
Starts: Summer - Year before competition (example July/August 2022 for 2023 World Championships)
Initial Evaluation
Timeline:
Starts: Summer/Fall - Year before competition (example August/September/October 2022 for 2023 World Championships)
  • Testing camp (also known as Talent Showcase) - Burnaby BC and Welland ON (information provided later this week)
  • Athlete training and development

Final Selection
Timeline:
Starts: Spring - Year of competition (example March 2023 for 2023 World Championships)
  • Program specific final evaluations
  • Team announcement

Training and Racing
Timeline:
Start: Spring/Summer - year of competition (example May 2023 for 2023 World Championships)
  • Crew training camps
  • World Championships travel, train and race

Review & Evaluation
Timeline:
Starts: Fall - year of competition (example September 2023 for 2023 World Championships)
  • Athlete surveys
  • Coach evaluations/selections
  • Explore quality improvements
Where does Team Canada compete:
2025 World Championships = Brandenburg, Germany
2023 World Championships = Hong Kong, China
2021 World Championships = cancelled due to Covid-19
2019 World Championships = Pattaya, Thailand
2017 World Championships = Kunming, China
2015 World Championships = Welland, Canada
2013 World Championships = Szeged, Hungary
2011 World Championships = Tampa, USA
2009 World Championships = Racice, Czech Republic
2007 World Championships = Sydney, Australia
2005 World Championships = Berlin, Germany
2004 World Championships = Shanghai, China
2003 World Championships = Poznan, Poland
2001 World Championships = Philadelphia, USA
1999 World Championships = Nottingham, England
1997 World Championships = Hong Kong, China
1995 World Championships = Yue Yang, China
2023 process:
Starting in 2022, fall evaluation camps (also known as Talent Showcase) will take place in Ontario (Welland) and British Columbia (Burnaby). These will include a combination of dragon boat practices, OC1 time trials, paddle erg trials, and possibly strength testing to provide coaches with a well-rounded picture of your skills and suitability for Team Canada.

During the winter additional required strength and paddle erg testing can be done at any of Team Canada’s 11 regional testing centres (Halifax, Montreal (2), Toronto (2), Ottawa, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria).
Final selection generally requires all athletes to be in the same location. It is at this stage that athletes are required to travel to the location of their final selection camp. It is possible that this camp may even take place in the USA (pending schedule and weather factors).

Once selected, each crew/program generally conducts at least one training camp in Canada in preparation for the World Championships. This will sometimes take place following the Canadian Championships to minimize athlete travel.

Athletes must travel to the World Championships to train and race. Generally, athletes are required to be on-site for approximately 10 days including training and racing.
We come together as Team Canada Because:
  • We want to be the best dragon boat nation in the world
  • As Canadians we are proud of our paddling heritage
  • Team Canada provides an incredible way for the best paddlers from across the country to come together
  • Team Canada provides the pinnacle of performance for dragon boat paddlers from across the nation, to strive for
  • Team Canada provides a path for all athletes within DBC and supports the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF)
How do we become Team Canada:
 
Registration:
All athletes register within a central database
  • Athletes register once using their date of birth
  • Athletes are eligible for more than one category and may indicate what programs they wish to tryout for
  • Registration will open July 15th
Examples:
  • All athletes are eligible for Premier
  • All athletes are eligible to be non-Para racers in the Para division
  • 18U athletes are eligible to race 24U
  • SC athletes are eligible for all Sr categories (SA, SB, SC)

Participation:
  • All registered athletes will compete at the Talent Showcase under only 1 age-category
  • Athletes may continue in 1 or multiple categories based on their performance in the Talent Showcase

Communications:
  • Athletes will receive general communications from Dragon Boat Canada
  • Athletes will receive age-specific updates from the Team Manager of that age-category (example: 18U manager or 24U manager if trying out for both)
 
Financially:
  • All of team Canada is one-budget. The goal of this budget is to break-even.
  •  Team Canada does not generate revenue above expenses for Dragon Boat Canada. However, some administrative costs of DBC are represented in the Team Canada costs.
 
Strategically:
Team Canada coaches will share best practices with each other and share athletes to optimize rosters as needed.
Team Canada will accomplish its goal through excellence, efficiency, relentlessness, collaboration and competition.

The High-Performance Committee (HPC) has a relentless pursuit of designing a system that will achieve our collective goals. The HPC is composed of volunteer representatives from across Canada (including athlete and coach representatives) who have specific roles to optimize Team Canada. The HPC ensures that:

The Technical Committee is designed to produce detailed analysis, recommendations, and tools to produce a faster, more efficient, and collaborative Team Canada.

The Coaches are expected to provide excellence in leadership, technical knowledge, athlete development, communication, and athlete identification. Culminating in the fastest crews and best results Team Canada can produce.

The support team (administrators, managers, drummers, steerspersons) are expected to provide excellence and efficiency in their specific areas and skill sets.
 
The athletes are expected to provide excellence of commitment to their entire journey of representing Team Canada.
Team Canada is one team. This means the entire program is collaborative.
If you have questions, reach out to us at [email protected]!