Hey

hey this is Shelby and on Big Water Beat Down Thursday we went into Phills hole to surf. I surfed Phills twice and the second time ended up swimming. And oh yeah someone found my paddle so....YEAH!!!! This coming week is my last so I am going to make the most of it and maybe learn a cartwheel and/or loop......

Week 2 of Keeners

This week started out slow as the water level stayed between 8 and a half and 9. We spent a few days surfing Wai Ki Ki and Blacks hole. These two features are not very exciting but we made the best of them. Then on Thursday, the level dropped to 7 and a half and we were excited to surf 7/8 hole on the McCoy's Rapid. As the day progressed, the level dropped extremely fast from 7 to about 1. We had a night session at McCoy's where we surfed Corner Wave, (which comes in around 6) Phil's Hole, (which is prime between 5 and 6) and Horse Shoe (a long hole that stretches all the way across lower McCoy's. As the level kept dropping at a rate of about two feet an hour, we hopped that it would drop low enough for the Garberator to come in. This wave comes in when the water level drops to about .5 and it reaches it's prime at -1. But after we got up the next morning we were amazed the see the level rise back up to about 7 1/2. Next week should be great assuming the level doesn't hover around the same level for more than a day or two.

- Miles

2 week in keeners

Hey Liam here the last couple days have been good thrusday we had a beat down in phil's hole I havent done that before so it was really cool punching the hole. The rest of the day we went to corner wave it was good but could be lower. Yesterday Jermey and I went to corner wave and surfed it for a number of hours.

Liam

Keeners has been great so far the water level has been cooperating plus there are some skilled and enthusiastic kayakers in the program. Currently we have been spending most of our time at corner wave, but hopefully the level will drop a little more and garborator will come in, have a good one.


Stephen Forster

Keeners is going great, water levels are finally dropping which opens up awesome new play, last night i went to corner wave from 10 till 1pm, it was awesome, me and jeremy were throwing down, like always! haha
-jAMIE

The End of Week Two

It has been a great second week of keeners. I got my blunts more consistent, improved my panams, began learning phonix monkeys and backstabs. Sam started teaching us about shooting video and using the editing program Final Cut, and we have started making a short clip of a Friday evening corner wave session. Yesterday Jamie and I had a night session on corner wave with glow sticks which was a cool experience. I'm looking forward to the my final week as a keener.

Jeremy

The End of Week Two

Hey everybody, this is 80's Craig reporting out of Keenerville. The second week of keeners was super fun, from our first time running down Dragon's Tounge, to surfs on Corner Wave. Our Keener Competition was on Corner Wave. Jeremy stole first place, I took second place, and Jamie got third place. On Wednesday, I had a beatdown in the hole below Dragon's Tounge for over a minute, so i got the red ribbon for biggest beatdown of the week. I would also send out a welcome to our new Keeners, Umeko and James. This week was a blast, and its not over yet for me.

80's Craig Hull

Week 2

So far it's been a great start to my second week at keeners. The water level hasn't been ideal, but we have been doing a lot of play at Waikiki. My blunts have been getting more consistently vertical and aerial, and I have made some progress towards my panams. Hopefully by the end of this week I'll be able to stick some. I'm looking forward to learning more things in the upcoming weeks.

Jeremy

Week 2 in the Keener Program

Yesterday we had a great day on the river even though the level was 9. When the water level is sitting around 9 there isn't very much play. The last couple days we have been running the Main channel, stopping at Wai Ki Ki and after lunch paddling the remainder of the river and stopping at Blacks hole. Even though these two play stops are fairly decent, I hope the water level begins to drop so that McCoy's features such as corner wave and 7-8 hole form. Another feature that comes in at a lower water level is Garb, which is certainly one of my favorites. Last night was speech night at Wilderness Tours. Everyone presented their speech to one another beginning with the junior Keeners, then the adult Keeners, and finally the coach's, coordinator, and Joe reports. My speech focused on introducing myself to everyone and explaining what my goals were for my time spent in the Keener program. This speech is known as the icebreaker speech, which isn't very difficult, but I can imagine Joe has something a little tougher for me in the future speech nights. I thought everyone did a great job on their speeches, especially the adult Keeners. The adult Keeners all expressed how amazing their time here was and how they want to come back next year. On that note, I hope to see them all again next year! I look forward to the rest of the week here at Keeners.

Thank you!
Justin Fraser

Kenner life at water level 9

Currently on the Ottawa river the water level is 9. I personally don't like this water level because there isn't much play. The last two days the Keeners have been surfing at Wai Ki Ki, running the rest of the Main channel and surfing at Blacks. Blacks is nearly impossible to catch. On the positive outlook I'm getting my flat water loops a lot more frequently, which was my big summer goal and I have them pretty well down and it is only the first 2 weeks of Keeners, which is awesome! We had a good meeting at Wilderness Tours last night and learned some stuff about Robert Frost, drowning in big holes (thank you miles), B.C. rivers, and boyscout quotes. I am really hoping that the level comes down so some awesome play starts coming in! ( at McCoys!!)

Catch ya on the flip
Jamie

Second Week in Keeners

Hey Liam here,
Yesterday we went down the Main channel and surfed at Waikiki, it wasn't that great in the beginning of the day but towards the end of the day the wave got better to surf since the water dropped slightly. Next, we ran the river and stopped at Blacks. This wave was hard to get onto because there was a rock in the way, a lot of boils and strong current. Last night we gathered at Wilderness Tours after dinner to present all Keeners, adult Keeners, instructors, Joe and Jackie our weekly speeches. My speech focused on B.C. rivers, these rivers consist of beginner to advanced rapids. My favorite thing about these rivers are that they are always consistent rapids. All-in-all yesterday and my stay this far has been good.

Until next time,
Liam

this week, my first week in the keener program has been a blast. the water level has not been the best, but paddling the Ottawa is always a great time. Keeners are praying that the water level will go down so McCoys rapid starts to come in, but either way there is always playboating on the Ottawa River

Stephen Forster

HEY

So I kinda lost my paddle today so if you happen to find a black Werner Playa with shelby written in silver sharpie then its mine.
But on the more upbeat side I started learning blunts (not that I was any good, but watev I tried). I did ok I guess, got on some waves and surfed. I cant wait to see wat I actually get down by the end of my stay in Keeners.

Shelby Stine

Week Two of Keeners

Hello outside world, this is 80's Craig Hull reporting straight out of Keenerville. For the past two days the levels have not been so great, so we've been spending most of our time at Wai Ki Ki and Blacks hole on the Main channel. The Keeners have been throwing down big, such as, air blunts, flat water loops, panams, poo turns, pistol flips, and massive window shades. Last night we went to Wilderness Tours and had our weekly speeches. All Keeners, including the adult Keeners had something to say. My speech consisted of reciting the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost and explained the significance of the poem to Keeners. This week has been a blast and there are still three more days left and I look forward to what the rest of the week holds.

Thank You,
80's Craig

Week Two of Keeners

The beginning of my second week in the Keener program was really cool. Since the river has been at a bad level, we spent most of our time at Wai Ki Ki and the Blacks Hole on the Main channel the last couple days. Although the features aren't as fun as Bus Eater, Corner wave, 7-8 Hole and such play spots as those, the river is still fun to run. I cannot wait for the rest of week because it will be even more fun assuming that the level goes up or down considerably. Right now the water level is sitting around 9 and it would be ideal for it to drop to 7 or lower. Last night we went to Wilderness Tours and had our weekly meeting that involved all Keeners (adult Keeners aswell) presenting their speeches to everyone. My speech discussed water hazards. I mentioned that on river hazards consist of shallow, rocky areas of the river, sticky holes that are hard to get out of, obstacles such as trees and rocks, and drowning. I also mentioned off river hazards which consisted of foot rot (to prevent this you need to always keep your feet dry), ear infections, and poision ivy. My first two weeks at Keeners have been fun and I look forward to my last week.

Miles Cree

ADULT KEENERS

For years I have adults mention to me with obvious envy they would like to be Keeners. Well they got there wish and we are thrilled with out 2009 Adult Keeners. We could not have had a better group - Brenda and Sharon from British Columbia, Charlotte from Vermont, Tara from Washington DC, Wendy from Pennsylvania and Dermot from Ireland. AK is a 2 week program whereas Keeners is 3 weeks. The logic of 2 was that most adults need to work for a living.

The program is designed to be "high end" both with instruction, food, lodging and activities. Adult Keeners not only got to paddle the magnificent Ottawa River but joined our regular Keeners for a road trip to the Gatineau River for the famous "High Tension" wave.

Adult Keeners also did a road trip to Montreal to jet boat the Lachine Rapids with our sister company, Lachine Rapids Tours. The Lachine Rapids were named by earlier Voyageurs who named them The China Rapids or Lachine in honor of their quest for the Northwest Passage.

Last Friday night I had the honor of BBQing steaks and salmon for this great group of paddlers. If it is sounds great, keep AK in mind for 2010.

Joe Kowalski

Keener "Mom" Coordinator Report

Hello again!
Its hard to believe its only been a little over a week with the beginning Keeners, it certainly feels a lot longer then that. Since my first post we have received a few more Keeners. Now Keenerville is filling up with residents such as Craig, Jamie, Miles, Jeremy, Liam, Shelby and our newest additions Stephen Forester and Justin Fraser. Last week our weekend Keener Coordinator Sam and guest instructor Tino also arrived. The Keeners are thrilled to have these two finally arrive since they are both excellent boaters and great fun! They also teach the Keeners valuable video skills every weekend. Sam sits down and teaches a video class every Saturday night. Having them here has been a great help to Joel, Phil, and myself. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both very much, your efforts are certainly appreciated.
Most things haven't changed since my first post. We all run on a tight and strict schedule since without this we wouldn't beable to accomplish half the things we have been. The Keeners are understanding the structure of the program which makes things run much smoother. Everyday they are assigned different chores and are expected to have them finished at least 15 minutes before gearing up and heading on the water. Every morning I go to each room and inspect that beds are made neatly, clothes are folded and placed on shelves and over all organization and cleaniness is impeccable. So far the Keeners have been tremendous with completely all of their chores and cleaning their rooms. Respect is a huge must at Keenerville and the Keeners are doing a noticably good job at respecting others and their supervisiors.
Every week I choose a Keener as "Keener of the Week" as I explained in my last post. Its a great award since every Keener is constantly trying their best. At some moments during the week it becomes humorous since they are constantly trying to get my attention for extra chores they do or anything extra that places them in that "above and beyond" category. So far this award has been working to my advantage since Keenerville always looks presentable and the Keeners themselves are always acting and behaving to their highest ability. I couldn't ask for a better group of teens thus far!
Instead of playing Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball or such outdoor activities, the Keeners have recently been doing after dinner paddling sessions which is better then any other activity we could be doing. I love seeing their enthusiasm and dedication to getting out on the water!
Last weeks baking class has certainly paid off since certain nights I will walk into Robertson's and see 3-4 Keeners baking cookies. Its awesome to see them putting their leadership and teamwork skills to use for such things like this. I plan on doing many more activities that involve cooking and baking so hopefully when they go home they can give Mom a break and take over the odd time ;).
Well...as you can tell, things are going wonderful and I'm possitive that this pattern will continue as our cabins fill up. Until next time, enjoy the beautiful weather and the dropping water level.
Stay tuned for the Keeners in put on their stay thus far.
Thank you again,
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."-Henry Thorea

Keener "Mom" Coordinator
Jacqueline Fraser :)

So we did the Gatineau last week and it was fun. On the one playwave, High Tension, I only got in once cuz I was a little bit of a chicken. The river in general is a lot of fun and I hope to do it again.
I just got another beat down in Big Bussy. I was going for a big bus punch and ended up going into the stickiest part. So I got surfed for a little and as I started to flip I smacked my face against another Keener's boat. I chipped a tooth, and made another tooth loose. So I decided that next time that Buseater is in I am going for another punch to redeam myself since I ended up swimming.
This coming week should be fun!!!

Shelby Stine

This is my second year in keeners I've been here for three days and so far on Thursday we went to the Gatineau which was an awesome time. We were able to surf high tension which was amazing and then on Friday we ran the Mian channel on the Ottawa and spent some time surfing Bus Eater and then made our way down river through Coliseum and had our first competition at Warm Apple Pie. Jamie was the first place winner, sick job bro. Yesterday we drove down to Wikiki and surfed there until lunch. We went to WT to eat and afterwards drove back up to Keenerville and ran the Main channel. As you can see I've only been here for three days and I'm having a great time and I'm not even close to being done yet. The amount of activities we participate off and on river leaves us with no spare time. The program is packed solid. I'd like to take this time to thank all involved in making this year one of the best: Joel Kowalski (head coach), Phil Quinn (instructor), Tino (instructor), and Jacqueline Fraser (Keener Mom - my sister) and Joe Kowalski.

Justin Fraser

This is Stephen Forster here, and I have just arrived at the Ottawa River Keener Program (http://www.ottawakayak.com) for my fifth year with this program. This year I have been traveling with New River Academy (http://www.newriveracademy.org/). This school is an accredited boarding school that specializes in whitewater kayaking. This year the school travelled to Chile and New Zealand which are two of the most impressive countries in the world. The upcoming year the school is travelling to Chile then Mexico which should be an exciting trip. This weekend Tino Specht, who is the head coach and video teacher for New river Academy, arrived to teach keeners. Also, he came with Sam Fulbright, who is a New River Academy alumni. They are both very good kayakers and hopefully they'll teach some new tricks and skills to us keeners this week.

2 week in keeners

Hey Liam here yesterday we went to y kee kee it was a very fast wave and its a good place to learn blunts. Then after lunch we went down the main and we went to tripple nipple it wasent that great because there was to much foam but it was fun to do spins on.

Liam

First Week With The Keeners

This week we had a lot of fun paddling the Ottawa and the Gatineau. At the beggining of the week we surfed Mini-Bus and played a lot of the different features of the middle channel. Then on Thursday we drove to the Gatineau river to surf High Tension and run a few larger rapids. As the water on the Ottawa started to drop we punched Buseater and then we spent some time on Wai Ki Ki and the Upper No-Name waves. Next week should be really fun because there will still be less than 10 Keeners.

-Miles

A Day in the Life of a Keener

Keeners at the Lorne.

Liam Dhillon throwin' it down, good work today!

Jeremy Antonyshyn.

Jamie Rosenberger working very hard at his air blunts. Nice work out there Jamie!

Craig Hull - being goofy since no one could express that face while surfing on such a gorgeous day like we had today!

Liam Dhillon.

Shelby Stine.

Shelby Stine showing off her big, bright smile before heading out on the water.

Miles Cree preparing for a big day at the Lorne (the Main).

The Keeners loaded up and headed to the Lorne for some play boating before lunch.

Keener of The Week - Craig Hull

More swagga in the style

Whats up everybody! everybody here is improving on things such as learning every word to "juicy', throwing and cathching frisbee, doing dishes, making muffins, vietnam history, and bring them poo turns to round houses and blunts. Its been awesome, ill make a shout out to are newest keener, LIL steve!! catch ya on da flip!

Back in Nam,
Jamie

Week 1 In Keenerville

Hey, this is 80's Craig reporting out of Keenerville. After one week of straight kayaking, I believe everyone has improved their style and swagger. In this week, we have surfed mini bus, High Tension, and a lot of other waves.This has been a fun week, and I look forward to more kayaking on the Ottawa river.

Keener of The Week

Hello again!
Wow, the first week went by so fast! The weather is still sunny, warm and beautiful. The water level has dropped dramatically today, going from 12 this morning around 9 am, to 9 this afternoon around 3 pm. Seems like the Keeners will be able to enjoy McCoys and Garb instead of all summer long bus eater sessions. Either way...the water levels are amazing and the kayaking skills are certainly improving. The Keeners continue to improve with their household and social skills. Everyone is doing great by respecting chores and duties and obeying most, if not all rules. Every week I observe how each Keener interacts with other Keeners, how each Keener listens and respects all instructors/coordinators wishes and how each Keener hustles to be the best. This week I chose Craig Hull as "Keener of The Week", he worked very hard all week to complete his chores effectively and promptly. Craig is a very respectful, enthusiastic, and mature teen and has demostrated that he deserved the honour of Keener of The Week. I awarded Craig with a small gift bag filled with goodies and snacks (we generally try our best to eat as healthy as possible, so receiving this award was certainly a treat!). Craig also received a framed photo of himself with the label "Keener of The Week". All the Keeners are doing a fantastic job and I certainly appreciate everyones hard efforts. Thank you all! Congratulations Craig, you were above and beyond this week, keep up the great work!!

Keener "Mom" Coordinator
Jacqueline :)

The First Week

Yesterday we completed the first week of formal kayak instruction and it was great. I learned how to flatwater loop, improved my flatwater cartwheels, and started to learn how to panam thanks to all the tips from Joel and Phil. Now I have a couple new paddling goals for the rest of my stay at keeners - panams and backstabs. The trip to the Gatineau on Thursday was fun and the highlight was of course surfinh High Tension. Im looking forward to more paddling on the Ottawa, and our next trip to the Rouge.

Jeremy

Joel Kowalski: Coach's Report, Week 1

Amazing first week!

I've had the joy of spending the whole week with a great group of teens. Spending the week with jamie, liam, craig, jeremy, shelby and miles has been alot of fun. They've all noticeably progressed in just one week. New to the keeners is Justin who arrived yesterday. We spent most of the week surfing the Famous Buseater wave, running the main and middle channels and roadtrip to the Gatineau River to surf High Tension. Thanks to Rob Rosenburger, Jackie Fraser and Phil Quinn for their time this week as Keener Coordinaters and keener coach, respectively.
Next week Tino Specht and I will be coaching.

-------------------------------------

Progress Reports:

Liam: Surfs Bus Eater. Masters the tow rope for minibus. Runs the Zambezi line, Big Bus and Coliseum (all done very well). Gets 2nd Place in keener comp, Nice loops!.

Jeremy: is airblunting on waves consistantly, throwing airloops on the flatwater. Gets 2nd place in keener comp.

Shelby: Drops into Big Bus on the first day (on purpose). Handsurfs minibus (also on purpose).

Miles: Surfs Bus Eater. Masters the tow rope for minibus. Runs the Zambezi line, Big Bus and Coliseum (all done very well)

Craig: Consistently throws air blunts, still working towards consistent vertical airblunts.

Jamie: Learns to flatwater loop, Airblunt. Gets first place in keener comp.

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Keener Competition:
This week's event was at the great play spot Warm Apple Pie just below our regular takeout

1st place - Jamie
2nd place - Liam
3rd place - Jeremy

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Week's Best Carnage:
Shelby wins for both her handsurf in the famous Bus Eater wave (she got her first couple handrolls but eventually fatigue brought on a swim) and her fearless surf of Bus Eater's big brother, Big Bus. Way to go Shelby!


Thanks for a great week!

Joel Kowalski
Acting Head Coach

Keener Goals

This week phil and Joel asked me what my goals were for the summer, and i said blunts an flatwater loops...welll within two days of instruction i had both, so thats pretty sweet. Keener life is sick everybody is having a great time playing frisbiee hanging out, balling all Day, and doing a lil kayaking.
-Jamie Rosenberger (all day)

First Week in Keeners

Hey its Liam here its my first time being with the keeners and the Ottawa. Our firsts day we got to surf bussy it was the best wave I have ever surfed its super steep. the second day we did the middle it was sweet.

First Week on the Ottawa

Hey, Jeremy here, today was my second day on the Ottawa with keeners. Yesterday was not only my first day at keeners, but it was my first day on the water this year. We spent the entire day sessioning mini-bus which was a blast and a great way to start the paddling season. I already learned a tonne including flatwater loops which is pretty cool... There's only 6 keeners in total which is pretty awesome cause there's no line-ups for the features, can only dream it stays this way. Looking forward to the trip to the Gatineau on thursday and more sessions on bussy.

Cheers,
Jeremy

Week 1: Shelby Stine

Hi I'm Shelby and I am from the Pennsylvania. This is my third year paddling. The boat I brought to Keeners was my lime green Rev.
This week I swam 2 times......One time was when I was trying to get onto mini bus without a paddle on the rope. I got on the rope but never completely got on the wave. I ended up flipping and my hand roll didn't seem to work, and the second time was today while I flipped while I was in a guy's C1 and I got one roll in the eddy but not in the river. I surfed big bus and it was kinda cool. The hydrolics in it are turbulant but not violant.
I can't wait for the coming weeks!

First Week in Keeners

Today was my second day on the Ottawa river in the Keener program. Yesterday we spent most of the day at the Lorne by Bus-Eater. Later on we make a quick trip down the middle channel where we had a lot of fun. Today we ran the middle all day and surfed Angel's Kiss, Butterfly, Garvin's Waves, that wave at the top of Upper No-Name and Big Smoothie. It was very exciting to be back on the river after spending the year in Brooklyn and it will be nice only having 5 other Keeners. On Thursday we will be heading to the Gatineau for our Big Water Beat-Down Thursday and we will surf High Tension. The rest of this week will be exciting and I hope to learn how to bow stall.

-Miles Cree

Day 2 At Keeners

Hey everyone, this is 80's Craig reporting on the past two days in keeners. On Monday, we had an awesome mini bus session until lunch, until afterwords Coach Phil-thy took Miles and Shelby down the middle channel, and Coach Joel and keeners Liam, Jeremy, Jamie, and myself stayed at bussy, and got some footage, and ran the rest of the main channel. Today we ran the middle channel, hitting up playspots like Angel's Kiss, Butterfly, Garvin's waves, and the upper and lower No-Name waves, of which one is called Big Smoothie. This is an awesome wave, and we threw down. I would like to throw out thanks to Joe Kowalski for hosting such an awesome program, Joel and Phil for coaching us, and our keener mom Jacqueline for looking after us. It's been an awesome 2 days and I'm looking forward for more.

Keener "Mom" Coordinator Report

Hi!! My name is Jacqueline Fraser, I have been given the opportunity to work with the Keeners this summer as Keener Coordinator. The beginning of the summer has been unbelievable with beautiful weather and high water levels. This is my second day with the 6 beginning Keeners (Jamie, Craig, Miles, Jeremy, Liam, and Shelby) and it has been terrific thus far. Everyday we wake up bright and early at 7:30 am starting off our day with a 30 minute run or a 30 minute work-out/stretch which is lead by a different Keener every time. After our work-out we prepare breakfast together as a group, for example, this morning we prepared scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, washed down with a cold glass of orange juice. The Keeners were paired up and given the responsibility to prepare each item on the menu as a team. Craig and Jamie did a marvelous job preparing the scrambled eggs, Shelby and Miles blew us away with their toast making talent and Liam and Jeremy cooked the bacon to perfection. Following breakfast everyone works together to complete their chores assigned to them, which generally includes washing dishes, wiping down all counter/table surfaces, sweeping all floors, making beds, ensuring shoes are neatly placed, clothes are off bedroom floors and neatly put away, cleaning the entire bathroom, shaking all mats, and finally turning off all lights before putting on the river at 9:00 am with Keener instructors Joel Kowalski and Phil Quinn. After paddling all day the Keeners return to Keenerville and participate in activities such as ultimate Frisbee, soccer, volleyball, anything that involves outdoor physical activity. After dinner we generally pick up where we left off and continue playing outdoor sports, once the bugs get too bad and the sun sadly lowers we gather at Robertson's and play board games, such as pictionary, scategories, and charades. Tonight we plan to make one batch of chocolate chip banana muffins and one batch of white chocolate chip cookies...mmmm! Everything is based on becoming more responsible, and well-rounded men and women. I am possitive this group will succeed in whatever it is they are faced with. Their kayaking skills are improving and so are their household/social skills. Our main focus, as many of them will tell you, is to HUSTLE everyday, all day! In the words of Abraham Lincoln "Things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle."

Jacqueline Fraser :)
Keener "Mom" Coordinator

Joel Kowalski: Coach's Report Week 1

Summer is back and the Keeners have arrived for the 2009 season! This week we have Jamie, Shelby, Liam, Jeremy, Miles and Craig. On coaching staff we have Phil Quinn, a keener graduate, and myself. The first week thus far has been exceptional. High water levels and warm weather are the perfect combo for the keeners to get out and do a lot of great boating. In just two days we've seen keeners hitting their first flatwater loops, blunts, airblunts etc. The rest of the week will be spent on both the Ottawa River as well as on the Gatineau River, another world class river only one hour away from keenerville.

Last night was speech night. As it was just the first session, icebreaker speeches were given. Everyone would stand at the front of the board room and give a five minute presentation about them and their life.

Stay tuned for more posts coming from the keeners themselves!


Joel Kowalski
Acting Head Coach