Why all kids should have the chance to learn to sail and how you can help make them sailors.
Sailing teaches kids to be independent. It boosts their confidence and shows them that their choices have real consequences. Out on the water, there’s no one to rely on but yourself, and that’s a powerful lesson. Every day, people stand on the Spa Creek Bridge and watch in awe as seven- and eight-year-olds launch their boats and head out into the Bay. It takes guts to sail an eight-foot Opti in 15-knot headwinds when you weigh only 40 pounds. But kids do it, and they come back stronger, more confident.
When I was just seven years old, I learned to drive. Not only that, but my parents also encouraged me to drive as fast as I could. More surprisingly, I never got a ticket, nor was I involved in a serious accident!
I share this experience because I believe every child should begin driving at the age of seven, maybe even younger. But before you think this is nutty, let me explain. I am not talking about driving a car, I am talking about driving a sailboat.
Now, you might be wondering, “Why should all kids have the chance to sail?” The short answer is that sailing is one of nature’s greatest teachers. The sea, the wind, the elements—they’re all part of an incredible classroom.
Sailing also teaches humility. No one wins every race, and luck—whether it’s good or bad—is always a factor. In the face of setbacks, sailing shows kids that perseverance is key. Whether the wind is strong or light, the kids who stick with it are the ones who truly succeed.
Sailing teaches adaptability. It is one of the few sports where the playing field of winds, seas, and current changes demand equal parts judgment and skill.
Sailing helps us realize that being a good competitor is more important than being the top competitor. In fact, there is an award for the “Corinthian Spirit” which rewards the ideal of competing honorably, of being humble in victory, gracious in defeat. It comes with the acknowledgement that we must applaud our competitors as they applaud us.
We love sailing because it teaches these values, and that’s why many of us are so passionate about sharing our sport with others. But there’s a challenge we need to face—sailing has a reputation for being exclusive, perhaps deserved.
To see this, we need to look just beyond the water’s edge in Annapolis. The Chesapeake is literally the backyard of many children who have never been exposed to sailing or the opportunity to learn the life lessons sailing can teach. This is particularly true for children from disadvantaged families or for children of color. According to a survey from the TIDE task force for the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), “sailors of color comprised less than one percent” of college sailors, and “children of color were half as likely to have learned to sail before the age of nine.”
Our beloved sport of sailing does not have to be this way. Barriers in other sports have been and continue to be dismantled. The last thing most sailors I know wish is for their sport to exclude others. Most of the sailors I know wish their sport would have a broader reach.
It is ironic that while the wind and water are free, money is a barrier to entry. Exclusivity is not a problem money alone solves. It’s also about creating a sense of belonging and welcoming. No one’s going to learn to sail if they’ve never been exposed to it or if they don’t feel like they’re part of the community.
It is for this reason that I co-founded ‘Make Them Sailors’ with Martin Manrique of the Bahamas. You can check out MakeThemSailors.org to learn about the organization and see images of the joy that sharing our passion can bring. Our mission as a not-for-profit corporation is to introduce wind sports, whether competitively or for pleasure, to kids in the U.S. and abroad who otherwise lack the financial means, a sense of belonging, or exposure to the sport. Our goal is to provide resources, financial and otherwise, to organizations, causes, and individuals that will expose disadvantaged kids to the sport, and kindle within them the same passion we share.
If what I have said, as a 17-year-old, resonates with you, please join me in broadening the reach of sailing. Sailing can be a life-changer. You can change the life of a child through a sport you love and spread the joy of sailing. Just scan this QR Code below to learn more.
Your donations will benefit our sport, but more importantly, your generosity can help build a global community to benefit youngsters who can learn the many lessons that sailing will teach them. Help ‘Make Them Sailors,’ and what we will collectively find is that the challenges, the competitors, the water, and the wind will help teach children the rest. Learn more at makethemsailors.org.
by Conor Mastromarco
