The Medalist Newsletter is your source for updates on the US Sailing Team, the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program, and the Olympic Development Program. This is our path to the podium.
In This Issue
- US Sailing's Olympic Development Director awarded Developmental Coach of the Year by USOC
- 2018 National Coaching Symposium attracts elite coaches from around the nation
- ODP Miami Racing Clinic recap - Catch up with the best U.S. youth sailors
On Monday, December 3, Leandro Spina was named the 2018 United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Developmental Coach of The Year.
The Developmental Coach of the Year award is presented to a coach at the youth club, high school or junior level, or a coach who is directly responsible for training athletes to reach the junior and/or elite level. Spina is the Olympic Development Director for US Sailing, and is focused on preparing U.S. youth sailors for the 2024 Olympic Games and beyond.
Coaches convened in Coconut Grove, Fla. for two days packed with workshops and hands-on sessions with some of the top sailing coaches in the country.
Industry professionals including representatives from the USOC, American Magic, Sailing Performance Training, GS Racing, North Sails, Sailing Weather Service, Peninsula Youth Sailing Foundation, Roger Williams University, and more all shared their wealth of knowledge. Their presentations featured team and athlete management, performance technology, and athlete development.
Many of the US Sailing Team coaches and staff members were presenters, as well. Athletes Caleb Paine (US Sailing Team Athlete, Finn) and Lillian Myers (US Sailing ODP Sailor, Laser Radial) were joined by Leandro Spina (Olympic Development Director), Luther Carpenter (Senior Olympic Coach), Rosie Chapman (ODP Coach), and Malcolm Page (Chief of Olympic Sailing) in contributing to the event.
Over Thanksgiving weekend, more than 150 of the nation's top youth sailors participated in the largest Olympic Development Program (ODP) Clinic of 2018. The event was hosted by Miami Yacht Club and focused on racing. In addition to the Youth Sailing World Championship classes that were represented (29er, i420, and Laser Radial), this clinic was the first of its kind to add Olympic class fleets to the program (Laster Standard, Laser Radial, 470, 49erFX and RS:X).
At the three day clinic, training was led by Quantum Racing Experts Grant “Fuzz” Spanhake, Morgan Reeser and Ed Baird. These Olympic-level coaches rotated through the fleets, working with all twenty regional program coaches that accompanied their sailors in the Youth Worlds classes. The 470 sailors had the opportunity to learn from US Sailing Team (USST) Senior Olympic Coach, Luther Carpenter, who has coached U.S. athletes to five Olympic Medals in four different classes. The other Olympic classes were coached by Rulo Borojovich (Laser Standard and Laser Radial), David Liebenberg (49erFX), and Raul Lopez (RS:X). USST Athlete, Stephanie Roble also shared her expertise with the 49erFX teams.
The inclusion of Olympic fleets marks the ODP's shift in focus from Youth World classes to Olympic classes. The ODP is a long-term effort to help young sailors build a complete high-performance skill set. Due to the hard work of the sailors, coaches, and regional programs, success is visible in U.S. youth sailor results at international competitions. At the 2018 Youth Sailing World Championships, Team USA won the Nations Trophy for the best overall performance. The movement to focus on Olympic classes at ODP clinics will support transitioning these talented young athletes into Olympic classes and prepare them for the 2024 Olympic campaign trail.
Generally, training events of this scope operate on a regional level. Sailors at the clinic hailed from around the country, representing 11 different regional programs in six classes. Continue reading to learn what some of the ODP athletes valued most about this clinic.
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Credits:
Leandro Spina, Meredith Carroll, Will Ricketson, and James Petersen