FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jake Fish, US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
(401) 683-0800
PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (December 2, 2009) - US SAILING will host its National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS) in League City, Texas, from Feb. 3-7, 2010. All staff, parents and volunteers of sailing programs around the country are encouraged to participate. The symposium offers relevant sessions for people with various levels of involvement in sail training, from first-year organizers to veteran program directors. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with colleagues, and hear directly from numerous speakers whose expertise will help them improve their sailing programs. Celebrating its 27th anniversary, the five-day symposium will be held at the South Shore Resort and Marina, and is presented by LaserPerformance.
NSPS continues to bring together over 200 program directors, school owners, instructors and industry professionals to learn and share. The NSPS is the only event of its kind where you can spend guided and focused time networking with your peers, learning from industry leaders and manufacturer representatives, and experiencing keynote presentations from some of the most accomplished and best known sailing luminaries in the world.
According to agenda coordinator Deb Sullivan-Gravelle, "We look for presenters and topics that will not only interest others, but also help organizations think outside the box when they are challenged with their budgets, legal and government issues, equipment, and sailor needs in a constantly changing world."
This year’s list of speakers at NSPS includes a number of noteworthy professionals. The impressive list includes experts such as Dean Brenner, US SAILING's Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman and president of the Latimer Group; Nick Hayes, author of “Saving Sailing”; Margaret Podlich, vice president of government affairs for Boat U.S.; and Flora Sanchez, senior trainer of the Search Institute, an organization that developed the study, “The 41 Developmental Assets of Youth.”
“This is a great place to touch base with all the top people teaching sailing around the country,” said Podlich. “Small boat, big boat, inshore, offshore, fresh water, and salt water… they are all represented at NSPS.”
“NSPS is one of my favorite US SAILING events,” mentioned Brenner. “The program is designed to help sailing organizations be better at what they do, and at the end of the day, what could be more fundamental than that.”
To read profiles on our 2010 NSPS Keynote Speakers, please go to http://training.ussailing.org/ProgramMgmt/NSPS/2010_NSPS_Houston/NSPS2010keynotes.htm.
There are a number of new attractions highlighting this year’s symposium:
- Fundraising Workshop (Wed./Feb. 3): A full-day fundraising workshop will be held by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). At least four experts from AFP will present on fundraising for your board, corporate giving, special events, planned giving, and annual funds.
- Advanced Coaching Symposium (Wed./Feb. 3): Includes topics such as meteorology / forecasting and technology / marketing.
- Beginning Windsurfing Instructor Course (Sun. & Mon./Feb. 7-8): This course has been added to prepare Level 1 sailing instructors to begin teaching the basics of windsurfing at their respective programs.
Additional events leading up to and concurrent with the symposium include a Youth Coaching Module, High School Coaching Module, Powerboat Instructor Course, Small Boat Level 1 Instructor Trainer Course and a Small Boat Coach Trainer Course. For a completed schedule of NSPS events and courses, please go to http://training.ussailing.org/ProgramMgmt/NSPS/2010_NSPS_Houston/NSPS2010schedule.htm.
Information presented at NSPS will cover a wide range of topics, from the basics of starting a sailing program to optimizing an already successful program. Agendas and event schedules are subject to change at any time. Courses and coaching modules may carry an additional fee. Scheduled sessions include the following topics:
| - Fundraising - Windsurfing - Online registration - Saving Sailing - Adaptive programs - Risk management |
- Legislation & policy - Sport psychology - Survey development - Teaching children - College sailing - Sailing in Kenya - Ethics and character building |
- Wounded Warriors - Alternative marketing - After school programming - Boat donations - Community Sailing Council - Powerboat maintenance - Youth developmental assets |
- Successful Junior Olympics - Database 101 - Efficient fleet turnover - Standup paddle boarding - e-marketing - Public relations - Insurance |
As well as the numerous seminars, workshops and panels, US SAILING’s Training Committee and Community Sailing Council will honor recipients of several major national awards and community sailing accolades. Additional Symposium networking opportunities and social events will include an ice-breaker reception on Wednesday, Feb. 3, a cocktail party hosted by BicSport on Thursday, Feb. 4, and a dinner party hosted by LaserPerformance on Friday, Feb. 5.
For more information and to register online for US SAILING’s 2009 National Sailing Programs Symposium presented by LaserPerformance, please visit http://training.ussailing.org/ProgramMgmt/NSPS/2010_NSPS_Houston.htm. For additional questions, please contact us at nsps@ussailing.org or (401) 683-0800 x670.
The registration fee for the event is $150 for US SAILING members and $175 for non-members. The fee includes lunches, coffee breaks, cocktail parties, access to all workshops and seminars, and a comprehensive event workbook. In addition to presenting sponsor LaserPerformance, NSPS is supported by the following sponsors: Gowrie Group; BicSport; Active.com.
About the National Sailing Programs Symposium
First created in 1983 and held annually since, US SAILING’s National Sailing Programs Symposium has, over the years, brought together thousands of sailing program organizers. Presented by LaserPerformance, this Symposium is an outstanding event for any sailing program organizer, with numerous educational seminars and workshops on the agenda. The purpose of this annual Symposium is for participants to network with other organizers and to share ideas on what it takes to run a successful sailing program.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About LaserPerformance
LaserPerformance formally Vanguard Sailboats has a long history of providing benefits and support to US SAILING, its members, events, and programs. Today, LaserPerformance has the role of official sponsor of the US Youth Championships, the U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship, the U.S. Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship, the U.S. Singlehanded Sailing Championship, the U.S. Junior Singlehanded and Doublehanded Championships, and the U.S. Team Racing Championship. LaserPerformance's commitment to supplying the boats and support for these events is what helps to ensure high caliber competition at these Championships. Many of the world's most popular dinghies are built by LaserPerformance. Boats being supplied to US SAILING Championships are the Laser, the Laser Radial, and the Vanguard 15. For more information on LaserPerformance, call 401-683-0960 or visit their web site at www.laserperformance.com.