US Sailing's Winter Domestic ODP Training Camps hit midway point
by US Sailing Team 3 Jan 2025 12:51 PST
ILCA 7 ODP Athlete, Ryan Squires, just off the starting line of a drill at the December 18-22 camp © Allison Chenard / US Sailing Team
The second training camp of US Sailing's winter domestic ODP season wrapped up just before the holidays, marking the halfway point. This camp was the first since the launch of the new tiering structure, which formally connects the US Sailing Team with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) and the Youth Team. The final camp of 2024 took place December 18-22 out of Miami Yacht Club and the US Sailing Center for 66 athletes across six classes: ILCA 6, ILCA 7, Nacra 17, 470, 49er, and 49erFX. Consistent with all ODP camps, athletes were welcomed to a training oasis that prioritized time on the water and surrounded them with comprehensive resources to support an intense five days.
"We went live with the new pathway between the first and second camps, and next we'll notify athletes of their official tiers in January," said Rosie Chapman, Olympic Development Director. "These first two camps have been great to open the doors and welcome athletes pursuing Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 and they've been able to hit the ground running with a suite of resources that get them forming world class habits right at the beginning of the quad."
The camps aim to craft well rounded athletes by building their knowledge and habits in the fitness and wellness spaces in addition to time on the water. Each day began with either agility training, strength and conditioning, pick-your-cardio, or an activation and mobility session, then athletes made their way to their boat parks for briefings with coaches with the plan for the day ahead. The 49erFX fleet began camp with land drills to tune their footwork across the boat, and the Nacra fleet took extra care with their complex rigging systems to set the development athletes up for success. Coaches maximized time on the water then debriefed on shore before athletes were released for recovery with US Sailing Team Physiotherapists from Force Physical Therapy.
At the December 18-22 camp, ODP ILCA 6s and 7s were treated to a question-and-answer session with Paris 2024 Bronze Medalist Stefano Peschiera. Peschiera sailed under the Peruvian flag and brought home Peru's fifth Olympic medal in history in any sport but also spent a portion of his career sailing in the US at the College of Charleston. He shared his approach of how he balanced university and its hurdles with an unshakable pursuit of an Olympic podium, then sailed against the USA ODP ILCA 7s in their on-water training to help elevate the competition.
"I have been very impressed with how much everyone is learning and growing as a group and am very thankful for all the support staff on the ground and behind the scenes. Without them this wouldn't be possible," added Chapman.
"It's been an incredible competitive atmosphere, being able to spar together on the water and have the guidance of top coaches along the way," said ODP ILCA 7 athlete Ryan Squires. "The Team has done an incredible job adding resources for us- we've had a lecture series where we've been able to learn key points about managing our own campaigns and at the end of sailing each day, we're in recovery with the Physiotherapists. I've gotten to try ice baths for the first time, I've had my first massage, and used compression boots. The debrief sessions are also so impactful. Using the video and the Garmin data and being able to talk through everything as a group has been an incredible experience for me.
Bringing all these incredible resources together in a five-day timeframe is helping me grow exponentially and taking me to a whole other level in a short period of time."
US Sailing Team athletes and Olympians have been joining in the ODP camps, gaining training hours and resources themselves but also providing increased competition and passing on valuable insight to ODP athletes. Tokyo 2020 Olympian in the Women's 470, Nikole Barnes, contributed her thoughts following the second camp:
"ODP clinics are camps where talented sailors from around the country are brought together to train," explained Barnes. "In the past, ODP didn't hold a lot of meaning. Either you were on the US Sailing Team, or you weren't. Now I believe that the current leaders of the team are changing this culture and it's been very present at both the November and December camps so far. I love these camps because no matter how advanced you are, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow."
The final two domestic camps will run January 4-8 and 11-15 out of the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove and Miami Yacht Club for 55 athletes. Explore the new pathway released December 12, 2024 here, and visit the new Teams landing page on the US Sailing website here to view each program in detail.