The Oshkosh Dragonboat Race and Festival will communicate regularly with team captains. As team captain, you are then responsible for passing along relevant information to your team. Here are a few ways that our seasoned captains communicate with their teammates:

Email:

Be sure to collect emails from each of your team members. This will allow you not only to send important notices to your team ("we need your waiver today"), but also to gather important information ("send me your tee-shirt size by noon").

Blogging:

Last year, we encouraged teams to begin their own blogs as a way to promote their organization and their team. Team blogs are also a great way to quickly and efficiently get information out to your team.

If you have never used a blog - don't worry - it's simple.
 
The blog site that we are using is https://www.blogger.com/start.  It's free and it's easy: just follow the online instructions. If your team mates follow your blog, they'll stay up to date on any information that you post. You can add photos, videos and links to helpful hints that you find on other websites. As practice and race day draw nearer, you'll find that this tool can be extremely helpful in coordinating last minute logistics with your crew.

For those of you who would like to surf some blogs, examples from last year's teams can be found at:  http://www.uwosh.edu/dragonboat/teampages/2008/TEAMBLOGS.html

Hint: Too busy to blog?  Ask one of your web-savvy teammates or team cheerleaders (i.e. spouse, friend or family member) to be your blog-master!  

Team Meetings & Practices

Some of our teams set up a team meeting prior to race day. This offers captains a chance to talk with their team mates, discuss strategy, and even conduct a land practice session. Scheduling a team meeting well in advance promises that more of your teammates will be able to attend.

Cell Phone List:

Race day is an invigorating and sometimes hectic day for team captains. Be sure to collect cell phone numbers from your team mates for last minute news or to find a missing paddler.