Episode #121: Chris Childers on Teaching Kids to Sail

This week’s host, John Arndt, is joined by Chris Childers to chat about teaching the next generation to sail. Chris is the Executive Director of Operations at the Treasure Island Sailing Center (TISC), which creates opportunities for people to learn and grow through sailing.

Hear how he first learned to sail and teach sailing, his first rescue, how we can better sell the sport to the next generation, the connection he’s built with other sailing instructors, and how to get into a career as an instructor.

Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• Did Chris’s mom come from a sailing family?
• How was Chris’s racing experience?
• When did sailing become more than a hobby?
• What does Chris love about sailing in the Bay Area?
• How do we make sailing appeal to the next generation?
• What type of sailing does Chris do when he’s not teaching?
• How do we bring more people into the sailing community?
• Short Tacks: Does TISC have any plans for Summer Sailstice?

Learn more at TiSailing.org and on Instagram @TiSailing

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots – follow and leave a 5-star review if you’re feeling the Good Jibes!

Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail.

Show Notes

• Chris Childers on Teaching Kids to Sail
  • [0:22] Welcome to Good Jibes with Latitude 38
  • [0:25] John Arndt
  • [0:28] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [0:48] Learn more at TiSailing.org and on Instagram @TiSailing
  • [1:54] What’s a story that shaped Chris as a sailor?
  • [4:28] Were he and his father wearing life jackets?
  • [4:52] Did his mom come from a sailing family?
  • [6:08] How was his racing experience?
  • [6:52] When did sailing become more than a hobby?
  • [8:45] What inspires Chris about sailing and teaching?
  • [11:15] What does he love about sailing in the Bay Area?
  • [13:07] What does he do at TISC (Treasure Island Sailing Center)?
  • [15:45] STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
  • [17:52] Episode #115: “Ronnie Simpson on Sailing Around the World”
  • [18:45] How do we make sailing appeal to the next generation?
  • [19:32] YouTube, TikTok, Spotify
  • [24:03] You can find your closest Latitude 38 distributor at Latitude38.com/Distribution. Did you know every month you can get your copy of Latitude 38 delivered directly to your mailbox? Subscribe at Latitude38.com/Subscriptions
  • Sailing Community
  • [24:55] What type of sailing does Chris do when he’s not teaching?
  • [26:05] What holds the sailing community together?
  • [29:46] How do you become a sailing instructor?
  • [32:02] Good Jibes with Latitude 38
  • [32:15] How do we bring more people into the sailing community?
  • [36:19] Check out the Latitude 38 Classy Classifieds at Latitude38.com/Adverts
  • Short Tacks
  • [37:23] What is Chris’s dream boat?
  • [38:16] What’s his longest passage?
  • [39:52] Where hasn’t he sailed but wants to?
  • [40:35] What’s the most important piece of safety equipment besides a life jacket?
  • [42:18] Does TISC have any plans for Summer Sailstice?
  • [43:24] What’s the latest from TISC?
  • [45:21] Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum, Dove by Robin Lee Graham with Derek L.T. Gill, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Moana
  • [47:01] Check out the Latitude 38 Bookstore here for books recommended by Good Jibes guests
  • [47:25] What final thoughts does Chris have?
  • [47:41] BAADS (Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors)
  • [48:58] Learn more at TiSailing.org and on Instagram @TiSailing
  • [49:10] Make sure to follow Good Jibes with Latitude 38 on your favorite podcast spot and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts
  • [49:23] Got a great sailing story to submit? Do so at [email protected]
  • [49:34] Subscribe to Latitude 38 at Latitude38.com
  • [49:37] Email [email protected] to advertise on this podcast or in Latitude 38 sailing magazine
  • [49:41] Check out the December 2023 issue of Latitude 38
  • Theme Song: Pineapple Dream by SOLXIS

Thanks for listening to Chris Childers & John Arndt on Good Jibes with Latitude 38. Subscribe here to receive Latitude 38 to your home each month.