When teacher and coach Michael Matthews began training outrigger paddlers on Powell Lake in 2015, after a career spent travelling the world as an international educator, he said there were maybe five or six paddlers in what was then called Powell River Outrigger Canoe Society.
Since then, outrigger paddling has grown in popularity in the qathet region, with the club, now called Suncoast Paddling Club, boasting dozens of members.
Matthews’ training and coaching style resulted in gold medals for a group of relatively unknown women competing in the World Sprint Championships in Tahiti in 2018 and World Distance Championships in Samoa in 2023, according to paddling club president Bruce Layzell. Now, after accumulating many accomplishments and contributions to the club and community, Matthews is stepping back from active coaching.
Layzell said a celebration for Matthews was held on November 22 at Cranberry Community Hall, to mark his retirement from active coaching and the many accomplishments and contributions he has made to the club.
"His approach to training and coaching resulted in a remarkable accomplishment for a small club; he truly made the outrigging world stand up and take notice of Powell River," said Layzell. "Michael was also instrumental in our club acquiring grants to purchase canoes and a coach boat, allowing us to offer top level paddling and coaching equipment. Club members christened our coach boat MV Michael in his honour."
The Peak recently talked with Matthews about his time as a coach with the club.
"Other outrigger coaches tend to focus on individual technique and how to make the boat move fast, but I focus on crew dynamics," said Matthews. "Rather than focus on individual techniques, I prefer to concentrate on what makes six individuals blend together as a crew."
Matthews is a fully qualified coach in four sports: rowing, rugby, dragon boating and outrigger canoeing. His philosophy, which seems to resonate with many who pass through the club, is that anybody and everybody, of any level, should be able to paddle together and have fun.
"Timing is crucial when it comes to paddling," said Matthews. "The only challenge, I suppose, is really the difficulty of getting everyone to work together and to have confidence in each other."
Matthews said he was thrilled when the 60-plus women’s team, who were fairly novice to paddling, brought home gold from world championships in Tahiti and Samoa.
"They were amazing," said Matthews. "I just enjoy coaching and [the team] achieving that high of a level was fantastic."
Matthews was born in Oxford, England, in 1950, and although his family was from a modest background, he earned himself a scholarship at 11 years old to a school that would shape the rest of his learning and sporting career.
Layzell said Matthews could have attended Oxford but that would have meant living at home.
"He applied for Durham and that is where we met," said Layzell. "After graduation he taught physics in London at Kingston Grammar and coached his [rowing] crews to compete at Henley Royal Regatta."
Although the paddling club is sad to be losing a talented and accomplished coach such as Matthews, Layzell said "we have been fortunate to have two talented and experienced members step forward to continue coaching our club."
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