We are proud to include Beth Gitlin as part of the USHPDB programming staff. A long-time athlete, coach, and program builder, Beth brings more than a decade of high-performance dragon boat experience spanning national teams, club crews, and athlete development initiatives.

Coaching Philosophy:  I believe in building excellence from the ground up:

• Teaching disciplined fundamentals while intentionally developing teamwork at every stage
• Elevating coaches through purposeful leadership development
• Designing strategic, sustainable programs that last with the goal of building programs and athletes capable of progressing from developing crews to consistent international competitors.

Beth is the Founder and Head Coach (now Emeritus) of Heart & Soul Dragon Boat Club in Melbourne, Florida, a role held since 2014. Under their leadership, the program evolved from a developing club into a nationally competitive organization, producing athletes and crews capable of competing successfully on the international stage.

As a Team USA Assistant Coach, Beth has supported Senior A Women (2023, 2025) and Senior B Women (2023, 2025) crews. As an athlete, Beth is a two-time Team USA representative, competing at the world championship level while also serving in leadership roles, including Boat Captain.

At the club-crew level, Beth  has coached and steered crews to consistent podium finishes. Highlights include silver medals at CCNC 2025 in the Senior C Women Small Boat division, earning a berth to CCWC 2026 in Hualien, Taiwan, and significant program growth demonstrated by advancing from the bottom quartile at IBCPC 2014 to the top quartile at IBCPC 2018. Regional successes include gold medals at the 2017 SRDBA Regional Championships in Senior B Women across all race distances.

As a Team USA athlete, Beth earned multiple medals at recent world championships, including podium finishes in Senior C Women and Senior C Mixed at the 2025 World Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, and a strong gold medal performances at the 2023 World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand, where she also served as Boat Captain.

In addition to national-team competition, Beth has an extensive record as a Club Crew athlete, earning medals across CCNC, CCWC, Pan American Club Crew Championships, and IBCPC events from 2017 through 2025, including multiple gold-medal performances in Senior Open, Mixed, and BCP divisions.

Beyond their home program, Beth is a highly sought-after invited coach, contributing to Space Coast Dragon Boat Camps (2019, 2025, 2026), Sarasota High Performance Camps (2022, 2024), and working with clubs including Black Heart Dragon Boat Club and Hell Gate Sea Dragons.

As part of the USHPDB programming staff, Beth is committed to athlete-centered development, long-term program growth, and preparing paddlers and coaches to meet the demands of high-performance international racing.