Welcome to the BAD Youth Team
What is dragonboating 🐉
A dragon boat is a 44 feet long boat that seats 20 paddlers. A team is composed of 22 people with 20 paddlers, a drummer, and a steers person paddling in sync to compete against other boats. Dragon boat races are usually 500 meters in distance and 2-3 minutes long. There are also 200 meter sprints and 2K long-distance races. 🚩
Dragonboat racing is a thrilling water sport that involves teams of paddlers, propelling long, narrow boats adorned with dragon heads and tails, racing to the rhythm of drums beating on the water. It is amazing to watch and an adrenaline rush to race! The sport has a rich history, originating in ancient China over 2,000 years ago as a ritualistic event and has since evolved into a competitive and globally popular activity. It is one of the fastest growing water sports in North America. 🌎
Introducing the BAD Youth Team 🥳
Welcome to the Bay Area Dragons (BAD) Youth Program!
🌊BAD Youth Team is the founding youth dragon boat team on the Peninsula with members from the vibrant and diverse highschool communities in the Bay Area. We train on the water together, we race together, we volunteer together!
📚Our team is composed of young enthusiasts between the ages of 13-18, primarily from Foster City Bowditch Middle School, Aragon High School, San Mateo High School and Hillsdale High School in San Mateo County, who share a common interest in embracing the spirit of this centuries-old unique aquatic sport.
We recognize the strength of unity, the essence of focus and synchronization, and the power of stamina – qualities that make dragon boat racing a uniquely special team sport for high school and middle school students. Our goals in building this team are:
To foster a nurturing environment that develops physical strength and endurance and a positive mindset. 💪
To improve emotional and mental wellbeing, and promote the power of “we”. 🧑🤝🧑
Teach discipline and teamwork, while also encouraging social interaction, and sharing a deep respect for cultural heritage.
We believe this youth program will contribute to building a true sense of community and molding positive, strong-minded young athletes.👏
Charity, Race, Party, Fun,
Charity, Race, Party, Fun,
Check out all the events we have done, and what’s coming up!
1st Place 🥇
A win from the BAD Youth in the semifinal round of the San Diego Dragon boat Race. Winning the race by a tenth of a second in a clutch come back.
1st Place 🥇
The first ever race of the BAD Youth, in the BAD Novice Race of 2023, not only did we win in the exhibition division against some of the top novice but, we also volunteered and help run the race.
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Head Coach
With over ten years of experience and much of his time paddling with BAD, Ryan has a unique passion for the sport of dragon boat. His love for the sport revolves around sharing. Sharing time as a crew is the most important aspect of the sport to Ryan. To build a sense of community, belonging, and family. His aspiration as a youth coach is to help grow and train the next generation of paddlers on the team!
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Assistant Head Coach
Al possesses 15 years of paddling experience, racing dragon boats throughout the United States and on 4 continents. He also has a long coaching tenure, mentoring youth, adult, masters and non-visual paddlers. Al is also a race-certified steerer, with steering certifications in several jurisdictions throughout the US.
On the international stage, Al successfully competed at two IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC): 10th CCWC in Australia and the 11th CCWC in Hungary. Last summer, Al earned a seat with the US National Team and raced at the 16th World Nations Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Thailand.
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Team Captain & Founding Member
The BAD Youth Team is founded by Steven Sah, who grew up on the lagoons of Foster City and has been paddling since grade school. After training and racing with the adult dragonboat crews, he wanted to introduce the dragonboat racing sport to kids his age, as he found paddling to be a great way to de-stress and improve physical and mental wellbeing. As the pandemic ended, Steven entered Aragon High School and started inviting friends to try out dragonboat paddling; and after a year of recruiting and training, the full youth team was born!
Joining Us 🤟
BAD Youth Program offers FREE dragon boat lessons to Youth Paddlers (middle school & high school), ages 13-18, on Saturdays in Foster City. We provide all necessary equipment including life jackets, paddles, boats, and expert coaching. A dragon boat is a 44 foot canoe that seats 20 paddlers. Free dragon boat lessons are by advanced RSVP ONLY, see contact information below. If you are 19 or older, please click this LINK to check out our adult team for free lessons.
Location 🌎
We are located at the Foster City Boat Park close to the parking lot next to the dog park area.
Bay Area Dragons, Bounty Dr &, Foster City Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404
What should you bring? 🚰
A water bottle, and a life jacket if you have one. We recommend you wear waterproof clothes (you will get wet!), and bring a positive attitude.
Membership Information 💸
First 3 practices with BAD Youth are FREE (all equipment is provided). After the 3 trial sessions, the paddler must purchase a membership to continue. With all practices, even trial sessions, you must fill in a waiver to paddle. (Fill as club member)
Yearly Youth Membership (2024 calendar year) 📆
Youth: $140 ($120 for returning)
Contact Us
Currently, we are accepting free lessons by appointment only. 🤷♂️