United Albertan Paddling Society - Gender Parity in Leadership Positions

The United Albertan Paddling Society (UAPS) has been working towards gender parity in coaching leadership and with support from InMotion Network, their 2024 Take the Lead funding provided women leaders to take their NCCP River Instructor 2 training and associated Safe Sport Courses. This project not only supported these women in their training, it led to the ability to offer more new programs for new participants, led by women.  

With these new certified leaders, this was the first year that the club had equal representation of women and men leaders at the 2024 Western Whitewater Leadership Symposium. This is a huge barrier for the club to overcome, especially given river instructor/leadership is male dominated in Alberta (with only 1/7 NCCP Lake Learning Facilitators and 0/8 of the NCCP River Learning Facilitators located in Alberta identifying as women). 

Thanks to the Take the Lead grant, UAPS are pleased to welcome five women who are trained River Instructors onto the water. These women are now helping as volunteers instructing our on-river Beginner Development Program (BDP). 

• This low-cost inclusive program introduces novice paddlers to different rivers over four weekends in the summer, each being progressively more challenging. 
• It provides a safe and welcoming way for new paddlers to enter into the sport of whitewater kayaking after being introduced to the fundamentals of kayaking course (i.e., safe wet exits, recovery/rolling techniques, paddling strokes, edge control, etc.) at the pool. 
• UAPS was thrilled that one of the groups in the BDP program in June 2024 was composed entirely of women participants, who were being led by women instructors. 

Becoming a River Instructor is an extremely expensive endeavour. In addition to the many personal development courses these women have taken, they also have taken their Pool Instructor, Lake Instructor, First Aid, and Swiftwater Rescue training. InMotion Network has helped each of these women overcome the financial barrier of becoming a River Instructor by covering their reinvestment fees and/or course fees. These women will continue to practice instructing within our club, and when each of them is ready, complete an evaluation under a Canoe Kayak Canada Learning Facilitator to become certified River 2 Instructors.

As they continue their work to get more women involved in paddling, UAPS has focused their efforts on reducing the financial barriers experience by women in coaching and as participants, this included:

• Having reduced certification and training fees for women looking to take coaching courses and certifications. 
• Purchasing some of the equipment for use by coaches that is mandatory for certain courses and training. 
• Subsidizing pool time costs for their all-women introduction to paddling course help to keep the fees low cost. 
• Ensuring their programs are accessible to all including supporting participants who are wheelchair users. 
• Programing geared to support new mothers to return to paddle sports to regain their confidence and self esteem on the water after child birth.