Intro to Competition Camp (Ages 10 - 15)

Ready, Set, Go!

Do you have youth at home with a competitive spirit?  Are they looking to try something fun and new? The Intro to Competition camp is the perfect camp for them! See below for full program details

Registrations Open Feb 1, 2025
  • Hours

    Drop-Off: 8:00 - 8:30 AM

    Pick-Up: 4:00 - 4:30 PM

    Late pick-up available until 5:00 PM

Event Details

Camp Details

This option complements our Canoe Kids and Youth Paddling Camp, as paddlers ages 10 to 14 develop their sprint boat paddling skills while also having the opportunity to compete at a regional regatta (no prior paddling experience is required - week dependent). Campers will enjoy spending their days in and on the water in a team environment learning to sprint canoe, sprint kayak, war canoe, and dragon boat. Campers will have the opportunity to compete at an onsite race at the end of the week as well as potentially a divisional regatta on the weekend - see regatta schedule below for more information.

We are offering four 2-week sessions this summer. These are all stand-alone camps (you do not need to participate in the first camp to participate in the second and so on), but if you are having tons of fun you can do multiple sessions or join our summer long program which lasts for a minimum of 5 weeks and up to 6 weeks (see the "next steps" section for more details).

Daily Schedule

Generic Day Schedule

  • 8:30 AM: Field Games
  • 9:00 AM: Practice #1
  • 10:45 AM: Snack / Break
  • 11:00 AM: Practice #2 (likely War Canoe)
  • 12:30 PM: Lunch
  • 1:00 PM: Freetime
  • 1:45 PM: Practice #3
  • 3:45 PM: Clean Up
  • 4:00 PM: Pick-Up

What are the practices?

The goal of the Intro to Comp (i2C) camp is to develop campers' paddling skills in various sprint boats. Furthermore, if your camper is registered in a session with a regatta, we will plan practices to ensure campers are prepared for the races they are entered in. This means practicing in a mix of K1, K2, K4, C1, C2, C4, and War Canoe!

While the I2C camp can be considered more rigorous than Youth Camps, we still ake sure I2C campers have tons of fun, freetime, and the opportunity to go on some day trips.

What to Bring

  • Government Approved PFD (if you have one)
  • Backpack
  • UV resistant clothing
  • Camper may wish to bring sunglasses on a strap/string incase boat flips (campers who are stable in sprint boats may not need the safety strap)
  • Change of clothes & plastic bag to put wet clothes in
  • Bathing suit & towel
  • Running shoes & water shoes (watershoes of some sort are necessary as we have a rocky shoreline)
  • Hat, spray on sunscreen & insect repellent (apply the first layer before coming to camp)
  • Lunch, snacks & water bottles

​​Note: Campers must be able to apply sunscreen, change their clothes, and use the washroom on their own. We will ensure sunscreen is applied safely and properly during the many break times throughout the day. Staff are not permitted to apply sunscreen, insect repellent or accompany campers to the washroom.

Appropriate Watershoes: These may include crocs, watershoes, waterproof sandals such as keens or any other shoe that can be worn in water. Flip-flops are not a viable option.

Safety: Our Number One Priority

Water Safety:

  • All campers undergo a swim assessment on their first day of camp that includes swimming 50 meter and treading water in the river. This assessment allows our counsellors to determine each campers comfort level in and around the water. No camper will be turned away due to swim ability as ALL campers, regardless of swim ability, are required to wear a Government of Canada Approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) while on or near the water.

    Realizing that our participants have varying swimming abilities, the ORCC recommends that all paddlers strive to attain a progressive swim competency following the Red Cross Swim Kids program.  

Coach to Camper ratio

  • Intro to Comp: 1:10 ratio

Next Steps After Loving Camp?

Loved camp and don't want to stop training? You don't have to! Consider joining one of the options provided below to continue developing your sprint boat skills!

Option 1:

  • Register for our Summer Long I2C program.
  • Offered all summer
  • Participants must commit to 5 weeks but may attend up to 6 weeks of camp for the same price.
  • Participants are required to compete at key regattas listed on the program page.
  • If interested, we will apply your initial summer camp payment towards the sumer long option fee.

Option 2:

  • Junior Competitive Program (JCP)
  • Intro to Comp camp participants who enjoyed developing their sprint skills have the option to join our Junior Competitive Group offers athletes a bit more of a challenge.
  • JCP runs daily throughout the summer in a non-camp environment where athletes will follow a more rigorous training schedule. The program is deigned with the longterm hope of having the athletes join our competitive program which races at local, regional, and national competitions!

Options 3:

  • Evening Intro to Competition Program
  • Runs 3 nights a week in the spring and summer
  • Designed to continue developing paddling skills while still being in a fairly relaxed environment (no races)

Credit Card & Cancellation Policy

Credit Card Policy

  • ORCC offers a variety of payment methods such as e-transfer, credit card, and PayPal. However, credit card / direct bank transfer (e-check) transactions cost the club thousands of dollars every year.  In an effort to keep program pricing reasonable, we ask those participants who wish to pay by credit card or e-check to ensure you also pay the credit card convenience fee to help offset the costs to the club. No convenience fee is charged for electronic transfers to treasurer@orcc.ca

Cancellation Policy

Please be aware of the ORCC Cancellation Policy:

  • Program registration cancellations which are received two weeks prior to the start of the program will receive a full refund less the $15 non-refundable administration fee.
  • No refunds are available within two weeks of the start of the program or once the program has started; only a prorated credit will be issued.
  • In the case of injury or illness, a medical certificate may be required, and refunds will only be offered as camp fee prorated credit to be used for a future ORCC camp or program registration.

How to Register

The ORCC has moved its registration system to Amilia - Smart Rec. Here is how you register: 

  1. Click the Register button above
  2. You will be brought to our Amilia Smart Rec page
  3. If you do not already have an account, you will be prompted to create an account and add family profiles. 
  4. Select the program you are interested in and you will be prompted to select the person you are registering for. If not all information is already in the profile, you will be prompted to fill in the missing information. 
  5. Once all information is already added to a profile, you will only be prompted to enter registration information on an annual basis to ensure it is up to date. However, you can still change profile information in your Smart Rec Account.

How to Create an Account

How to Make a Purchase

OPEN HOUSE: June 7

Join us on June 1 from 12:00 PM (noon) to 4:00 PM to check out what it's like at the Ottawa River Canoe Club! Try it all sorts of boats from kayaks, canoe, sups, and maybe even an Outrigger Canoe and see why we like to call this place home!

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Questions?

Reach out to our camp coordinator at camps@orcc.ca or our Intro to Comp coaches at manager@orcc.ca