HH,

I'm glad that many of you, particularly Houston Heat newbies, had great experiences in Austin and Houston for the first races of the year. These are just a taste of what dragon boating is about.

The Event coaches and leaders have put in several hours to make sure HH paddlers have a positive experience. In fact, many paddlers have also chipped in whenever you could. That is what teamwork is all about.

I do want to say that Long Beach is in the latter part of July. We need to keep the momentum going and continue training, in and out of the water. I've been emphasizing this and hope that you all are keeping this in mind. ...

There is a Land Assessment on the 12th of May. That is next Monday and although it is NOT required, I would expect that if you are wanting to be a better paddler for yourself and your teammates, then come on out.

Happy Training and see you soon.

Ice

Hey everyone! First of all I want to say thanks for letting me paddle with "y'all". I had a blast! It was great seeing my Heat buddies and meeting those I hadn't met before. Second, I want to reiterate everything Minh said. Some of you have already found this out, but for those that haven't, you'll see that the sport of dragonboat racing is filled with fun in traveling with and getting to know your team, competing towards a common goal, and of course meeting all kinds of new and fun folks! That being said, you guys will have tons of fun in Long Beach this July! Not only will you get a chance to race in "my 'hood", but with the U.S. Nationals being held here, you'll get a chance to see the elite U.S. teams from all around the country. Plus, the water is actually blue here!

Again, a big thank you to y'all, especially coaches Albert, Bao, Loc, and Jeff, for allowing me to jump in your boat and paddle. I'll see y'all in July!!