Dragonboat Team Hopping

[foreverLFC]

The lure of dragonboat is about the same as any team sport, where life lessons of camaraderie and team spirit is forged. But DB team is made up of more people (20-22 for big boat) working together, racing to the finish line. (soccer 11 players..etc)

And that's where the challenge is: 20 individuals of diff background, diff character, diff "shapes & sizes", coming together, trying their best to row with same stroke, same timing, with ONE heart & ONE goal.... it is not easy, but when you can do it, the feeling & satisfaction is superb, nevermind win or lose... seriously....

Team sport is a proof that individuals can learn to accept each other's weaknesses, lean on each other's strength, defy the odds that we are all born different, learn how to work together as a team, and how to work hard together towards a common goal. And hopefully, many of us will learn about commitment, selflessness, being less self-centred while doing a wonderful sport we are passionate about.

Cheers to all dragonboat warriors!

[faz_55]

well said foreverLFC 

After all, we're in the same boat. Once we're in the boat, we paddles not a stroke less than the rest of our teammates regardless whether we're in to win medals or just trying to keep fit.  Many simply dont have the luxury of personal time other than the weekends. Just make good use of the time available and give 100%.

[xxxHolic]

I don't see team hopping as something bad. It simply means that the dragonboat scene is expanding and becoming more inclusive and accepting to all people who are interested.
Look at it like a developing economy. There is a market of dragon boat teams and there is a market of dragon boat players. When these market grow, team hopping will also increase because market forces automatically developes within a bigger system.

There are many valid reasons for 'jumping ship' from a team apart from 'shallow reasons' this thread has discussed. I'm considered a team hopper. I won't go into the specific reasons why but from my expereince, there are team cultures/management styles that rubs against your personal values which makes you want to quit. Or perhaps, you have out grown a team and seek more robust training programs.

I like to point out to team managements that closed minded thinking that cannot accept team hopping only stand to lose out in getting new talent. They need to be more forward thinking and inclusive to be able to retain talent they have developed. If they can't adapt to this 'growing' market of teams and players, they might go the way of dinosaurs and die out.






 

[MrPaddleshop]

I do agree that team hopping does have its merits to the person who has outgrown the ambition of the team. I think team hopping has become part and parcel of the sport especially if rowers feel the need and reason to do so. From my experience, I would consider the amount of effort I would put in before considering joining a team tat has winning ambitions at the national level. It all depends on the rower I guess, as to how he wants to achieve his personal goals with the team, given that the management of the team is generally good. I would give team hopping a go ahead, if rowers make ethical judgements on their decisions to move on to another team.

[yahoo!]

by implementing a fee to join a team will not help the sport in anyway.
maybe the team should look into why the rowers are leaving them for another team rather than just claiming that they team hopped because the grass is greener on the other side.

just take Terence of national team for example. i'm sure most of us who have been in the dragonboat scene for some time knows him or at least seen him before. in one particular race, he could be with mountbatten CSC, NP alumni, SIM and some other team which he coaches. is that considered team hopping? truth is, til this day, he is still participating in dragonboat with the friends he starting out with in NP.