It was a beautiful morning out on the California Delta on May 29 as Discovery ChalleNGe Academy (DCA) cadets put their sculling training into practice on the water for the first time with mentors from the Delta Sculling Center.
“It was so relaxing. Very calming. I thought it was going to be nerve-racking because I thought I was going to fall,” said cadet Cardona. “But you get the hang of it and I think practicing helped a little bit.”
The 10 cadets from DCA’s Raiders platoon have been learning to row for the past few weeks without ever leaving the academy thanks to Erg Ed, an indoor rowing education program through USRowing and the George Pocock Rowing Foundation that brings rowing machines, technology, and curriculum into the classroom.
The Erg Ed curriculum is designed to teach students basic rowing skills, exercise intensity, goal setting, and teamwork through a fun and engaging five-day curriculum. In 2017, the Delta Sculling Center was awarded a grant to implement the curriculum with local middle and high schools, making Stockton one of eight cities in the nation to now offer the program.
DCA piloted the program with 10 cadets but based on the positive experience with the Delta Sculling Center and the cadet’s reaction to the competitive aspect of the program, the academy now has plans to make the opportunity available to more cadets in the incoming class.
To learn more about Erg Ed visit https://www.pocockfoundation.org/erg-ed.
To learn more about the Delta Sculling Center visit www.deltasculling.org.