Paddling With The ACA

By Janet Zeller, ACA President

In a sport as dynamic a paddle-sport, it's sometimes difficult to step back and think about the future. What challenges will we face 10 years from now in terms of protecting our natural resources, waterway access or the threat of overuse? Will paddlesport continue on its meteoric rise or will interest trail off, as has been the trend with other recreational activities? Will competing and sometimes incompatible forms of water recreation, like the current jet ski controversy, be successfully resolved or continue to cause friction between paddlers and other user groups?

Thinking long term is something the American Canoe Association (ACA) has some practice with; the 21st Century will be the third century spanned by the ACA's history.

Thinking long term is something the American Canoe Association (ACA) has some practice with; the 21st Century will be the third century spanned by the ACA's history. Nonetheless, successful long-term thinking requires an orchestrated, thoughtful approach and a committed follow through. Such is the case with the ACA's strategic planning process currently underway. The ACA's board of directors is developing a plan designed to guide the association through the next 10 years. This exercise will only be successful with the input and support of ACA members, paddling clubs and other stakeholders in the association and the sport as a whole. Every reader of Paddler magazine--ACA member or not--is invited to participate in this planning process. Specifically, we are interested in learning more about how both members and non-members view the strengths and weaknesses of the ACA and what you see as the threats and opportunities facing paddlesport over the next 10 years. Here are a few questions to consider:

1. What is your ideal image of the ACA and paddlesport 10 years from now, and what are the most critical issues we need to address in order to fulfill that future?

2. How do you currently rank the importance placed by the ACA on each of the following program areas and how would you like to see these prioritized in the future? Waterway Conservation/Access; Safety Education/Instruction; Recreation/Public Information; Athletic Competition/Special Events.

3. What can the ACA do to better serve its members and attract new members?

Please send your thoughts by Sept. 1, 1998, to the ACA National Office, 7432 Alban Station Blvd., Suite B-226, Springfield, VA 22150; (703) 451-2245 (fax); acadirect@aol.com.

The good news is that the association has already accomplished most of the goals set out in its current strategic plan, covering 1995-2000. Among those was the establishment of the association's pro-active conservation and access programs, expansion of the ACA's instructional programs and safety education materials, and the ongoing drive to build the association's membership base by adding new member benefits. With your input and the continued commitment of ACA-affiliated clubs, volunteers and staff, we look forward to achieving new levels of success on behalf of paddlesport in the new millenium.

For more information on this and other work of the ACA visit the ACA webpage.