Canoe Alley
pretty novice and have turned into some of our better paddlers,” Pere shares. “If you’re in a six-man canoe, the guy up in the front is setting the pace and the guy in the back is navigating and steering,” Guild explains. “When you’re on a one-man or two-man, you’re setting the pace, you’re navi- gating—you’re having to do all of those skills yourself, so you learn the sport and advance much quicker. You can’t hide.” That individual development has also helped the program grow as a whole. As the white team becomes a feeder for the red team, the coaching staff works closely with the men’s
program to coordinate training, tech- niques, and attitudes across all levels. The goal is to make the transition seamless, so boys leaving the program at 18 are ready to contribute immedi- ately to the men’s crews. Ryland Hart, a coach for the Open Men’s crew, has been instrumental in giving younger paddlers the chance to train with older athletes. “We actually integrate quite a bit,” says Guild. “Ryland is a big proponent of getting our young boys in the canoe with the older guys as much as possi- ble—on their one-man canoes, train- ing alongside them.” With the program’s recent strides, Guild and the coaching staff are fo-
cused on the next chapter of growth. Like his fellow coaches, Guild has a personal stake in the program through his son, Ryder, who will be in his final year on the white team before mov- ing up to the red. Both Guild and Pere hope the program will continue to at- tract new talent and expand, aiming to be competitive at every level of the age groups. “If we can get every junior cate- gory filled and do well, we can help boost the Club overall,” Pere says. “I feel like the momentum is heading that direction. Last season was great, and I think this will be an even better season.”
26 AMA | may/june 2026
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