Dragon Boating – Personnel

Caller/Drummer

A small and light weighted person but having a loud voice is appointed in this position. The man in this position calls for the race of the team. The responsibility is to beat the drums for paddling and simultaneously encouraging the team. By working together with tiller, the caller makes sure that the boat is running smoothly.

Drummer

Lead Strokes

The pair of paddlers that is positioned first in the boat is known as Lead strokes. The person sitting over there is responsible in setting up the pace of the boat that will be followed by rest of the members of the boat.

Lead Strokes

Lighter Paddlers

Lighter Paddlers will be there with a quality of great timing and team coordination.

Crew

All the paddlers on the boat are crews by default. Categorization of paddlers is done on the basis of power and timing as it is very important and people having good timings are placed at first. With good effort by the crews, the boat sails smoothly in the water.

Crew

Captain

Captain is the in-charge of the whole race. Team selects the captain to lead them under pressure. Captain is a member of the crew and he/she will do all the important works like getting passes, attending all meetings etc. In case of any dispute, only captain will resolve the issue by consulting with the officials.

Captain

Steer Person

For the safety of the crew members, steer person is 100% responsible. He can get the best view of obstruction while being in the water and instruct the crew members accordingly. He should also possess the knowledge of wind behaviour upon boat sailing. Whatever may be the wind conditions, his/her work is to bring the boat in line.

Coach

Although it is not a mandatory post but is necessary for guidance. He also has the responsibility as a trainer and instructor. Various tasks of a coach includes setting up the positions for different crews, making the strategy, and more important keeping the whole team motivated till the end of the race. A coach can work himself as a paddler on the boat or can be with the team only during the training session.

Manager

A manager arranges all the official meetings. He is also responsible to cater to all the demands made by the crew members pertaining to the race. He/she is also the head of the cheerleader.