>> THE DRAGON BOAT RACES ARE RETURNING TO THE CONNECTICUT
RIVER IN SPRINGFIELD, ONCE AGAIN THIS SUMMER.
I RECENTLY HAD THE CHANCE TO TALK WITH BEN QUICK, EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE SPONSORING PIONEER VALLEY RIVERFRONT CLUB
AND ERIN RUGGIANO, THE RIVERFRONT CLUB'S DRAGON BOAT
TEAM COACH TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT IN JUNE.
>> THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR THAT WE'RE HOSTING THE DRAGON BOAT
FESTIVAL, AND IT HAS OVER SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS OF
HISTORY.
WHAT IT'S COME TO MEAN FOR THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, AND FOR THE
PIONEER VALLEY RIVERFRONT CLUB, OUR PREMIERE EVENT THAT FULFILLS
OUR MISSION OF GETTING FOLKS ON THE RIVER ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS
AND ENGAGING IN HEALTHY ACTIVITIES, IN THIS CASE,
ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES.
BUT, THAT'S JUST THE SURFACE LEVEL.
THE FESTIVAL IS A CELEBRATION OF LIFE.
THERE IS A SPIRITUAL ASPECT TO IT.
AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, ON OUR
TEAM, WITH THE HOPE FOUNDATION, WE GET TO CELEBRATE THOSE LIVES,
THOSE VICTORIES AND PEOPLE, AS WELL.
>> ERIN RUGGIANO, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU DO.
YOU ARE THE COACH FOR THE DRAGON BOAT TEAM, FOR PIONEER VALLEY
RIVERFRONT CLUB.
SO, YOU, ACTUALLY, YOU RUN THINGS FOR THAT PARTICULAR TEAM.
>> I DO.
MY FIRST ACTUAL INTRODUCTION TO DRAGON BOATING WAS OUR FESTIVAL
LAST YEAR.
SO I WENT RIGHT IN, AND I GOT HOOKED.
SOMETIMES, THINGS HAPPEN THE WAY THAT THEY DO, AND NOW I AM
COACHED.
IT IS CRAZY, OVERWHELMING BUT IT'S A FANTASTIC TEAM.
A FANTASTIC CLUB AND EVERYBODY SO FAR HAS BEEN GREAT, AND THE
TEAM IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET THE FESTIVAL GOING.
>> AND LET'S EXPLAIN, YOUR RIVER BOAT, YOUR RIVERFRONT CLUB TEAM
IS PART OF, I WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT, THE EASTERN REGIONAL
DRAGON BOAT ASSOCIATION, SO YOU FOLKS, ACTUALLY, COMPETE, AND
THIS IS A BIG QUALIFYING EVENT, RIGHT?
>> YES, IN ADDITION WITH BOSTON AND THE OTHERS IN THE AREA.
>> AND DO WELL HERE, AND IT CAN GO ONTO A HIGHER LEVEL OF
COMPETITION, IS THAT THE WAY TO PUT IT?
A CHAMPIONSHIP?
>> IN SEPTEMBER, IS THE EASTERN REGIONAL --
>> I HAVE TO CHECK THE DATES.
>> SO THE TEAMS, IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE, IN THAT
CHAMPIONSHIP, THEY HAVE TO QUALIFY, AND RAISE AT LEASE FOUR
ACCREDITED RACES, AND WE ARE ONE OF FOUR IN NEW ENGLAND.
SO, IT'S GOING TO BE EXCELLENT EXPOSURE FOR ALL THE CLUBS, THE
RACE HERE, AND A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO BE IN A
CONVENIENT SETTING TO QUALIFY FOR THIS.
I THINK BOSTON, BURLINGTON, VERMONT, AND HARVARD ARE --
HARTFORD ARE THE OTHER THREE.
>> AND I KNOW YOU JUST ARE GETTING THINGS GOING, PARDON ME,
FOR THIS YEAR, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY TEAMS YOU THINK
WILL PARTICIPATE?
>> WELL, THE COMPETITIVE AND COMMUNITY TEAMS, WHAT DO YOU
GUESS?
>> WELL, OUR GOAL IS TO BE OVER 20 TEAMS.
WE DO HAVE SOME MORE SPOTS AVAILABLE CURRENTLY FOR THE
COMMUNITY TEAMS.
CLUB TEAMS, OF COURSE, THEY TURNED OUT VERY SOLID AND
DEPENDABLE AND PREDICTABLE.
WE PUT ON A GREAT EVENT FOR THEM.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.
COMMUNITY TEAMS.
ANYBODY OUT THERE WATCHING, WOW, THAT SEEMS LIKE FUN.
GET A BIG MUCH GROUP TOGETHER.
GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FOLKS, WEBSITE, OR FIND YOU.
>> 20 FRIENDS, 20 FAMILY MEMBERS, 24 PEOPLE GET TOGETHER
AND COME OUT.
GET A BOAT TOGETHER.
WE WILL GET YOU OUT THERE.
>> AND YOU WILL PROVIDE THE BOAT, OARS.
>> WE WILL PROVIDE EVERYTHING.
PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE, THE PADDLES, THE DRUMS.
WE'LL PROVIDE A STEERER, ALSO.
YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE DRUMMER, BUT WE PROVIDE THE REST.
>> ONE THING I NOTICED ON THE WEBSITE, THAT I THINK IS VERY
COOL, VERY SPECIAL, IF YOU ARE A COMMUNITY TEAM, YOU MUST HAVE,
20 PEOPLE, AT LEAST EIGHT WOMEN INVOLVED.
SO YOU REALLY ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS PART OF
THIS.
WHO WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT?
ERIN?
>> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE.
IT'S NOT AN EASY, AN EASY SPORT TO GET.
IT'S A CHALLENGING SPORT.
AND YOU CAN HAVE FUN WITH IT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WOMEN GET INVOLVED IN THESE KINDS OF
THINGS, AS WELL.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
IT'S -- IT REALLY IS AN EQUAL TON.
THE PREREQUISITE FOR ENJOYING PADDLING IS HAVING THE ABILITY
TO LIFT THE PADDLE, AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.
AND I THINK HEARING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PHYSICAL
STRENGTH.
THAT'S WHY WE NEED MORE WOMEN ON THE TEAM TO TEACH THAT TO
OTHERS.
>> I DON'T WANT TO SCARE ANYBODY OFF, AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, IT IS NOT HEAVY, ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU START DIGGING INTO THE
RIVER, YOU ARE GOING TO FEEL A LITTLE MORE -- I AM SORRY --
>> THE PADDLES.
>> SORRY.
>> NO, WE WANT TO BE CORRECT.
THANK YOU.
STILL, PROBABLY HELPS IF YOU ARE IN A BIT OF DECENT SHAPE TO DO
THIS, OR AM I -- >> WE COULD GET YOU THERE.
>> YEAH?
>> I MEAN, WE GET YOU THERE.
THAT'S FINE.
>> THE LENGTH OF THE RACECOURSE IS 200 METERS.
SO, IT'S A SHORT RACE.
BUT, YOU ALSO GET A PRACTICE SESSION BEFORE THE RACE DAY.
AND OF COURSE, OUR COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS MAKE SURE YOU ARE
PREPARED WHEN UP UNDER WATERED.
THERE IS STRETCHING AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO GET IN
AND OUT OF THE BOAT, IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE, THAT WILL BE
AVAILABLE, TOO.
THIS IS A VERY REGULAR SPORT.
IT IS COMPETED AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF COMPETITION, BUT, I
THINK, IT IS ALMOST UNIQUE IN THE BOATING WORLD IN THAT IT IS
ACCEPTABLE TO SOMEONE WITH A BIT OF TRAINING AND A LOT OF THINGS
TO LEARN.
>> IT STRIKES ME THAT FOR A COMMUNITY TEAM, ESPECIALLY,
FOLKS WHO MAY SAY, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE FUN, BUT LET'S GET
OUR GROUP TO GO, AND GO AND DO IT, AND THERE'S GOT TO BE
AMAZING SATISFACTION TO WIN A RACE OR JUST TO FINISH THE
COURSE.
ERIN?
>> TO FINISH THE COURSE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, TO STAY IN IT
THE WHOLE TIME, IT IS 200 METERS AND THAT DOES NOT MEAN MUCH
TIME-WISE, SO TO MAYBE PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE OF TIME, LAST YEAR
WE DID IT 1.20 SECONDSISH.
YOU CAN TELL YOURSELF IT'S TWO MINUTES.
COMMUNITY TEAM, TWO MINUTES OF TIME.
TWO MINUTES.
YOU HAVE GOT TO DO THIS FOR TWO MINUTES, AND IF YOU CAN DO THAT
FOR TWO MINUTES AND YOU DON'T STOP, YOU WILL, YOU WILL FEEL SO
GOOD.
IT WON'T MATTER, YOU ARE RACING THE CLOCK AND RACING -- YOU ARE
ON THAT TIME.
IT IS THE TIME THAT MATTERS.
CAN YOU MAKE IT TWO MINUTES.
>> AND WHO KNOWS, THEY MIGHT COME BACK THE NEXT YEAR.
>> YOU NEVER KNOW.
>> MY JOB WAS TO STAY ON THE DRUMMER'S FEET.
THERE WAS A MY JOB.
>> IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY, WE BRING TO GO A
WHOLE BUNCH OF SPONSORS TO MAKE THIS SUCCESSFUL.
THE ATHLETIC FACTOR, THE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, AND WE ALSO
HAVE FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT.
THE ATMOSPHERE IS TRULY OF A FESTIVAL.
AND ONE THING IS VERY EXCITING FOR US, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IS
CHANGING THE VENTURE.
THIS YEAR, 2016, WE ARE HOSTING THE FESTIVAL AT SPRINGFIELD
NORTH RIVERFRONT PARK WHICH IS WHERE OUR BOATED HOUSE IS
LOCATED, WHERE OUR DRAGON BOAT IS FROM.
IT'S SPRINGFIELD'S NEWEST PARK AND I WOULD INVITE EVERYONE TO
FIND IT BEFORE THE EVENT JUST TO CHECK IT OUT.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL, ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, PICNIC TABLES
AND BIKE RACKS AND IS A GAZEBO.
IT IS A JAW-DROPPER AND WILL BE THE SETTING FOR THE RACE THIS
YEAR.
>> BEN QUICK AND ERIN RUGGIANO, THE DAY IS SATURDAY, JUNE 25.
BEST OF LUCK WITH THE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL.
THANKS FOR COMING IN.
>> THANK YOU.