We are proud to have Ellen Law as part of the USHPDB programming staff. Her depth of experience, unmatched competitive record, and long-standing commitment to athlete development make her an exceptional resource for our high-performance community.

Coaching Philosophy:  To develop athletes to become technically precise, tactically smart, and mentally prepared to perform consistently at the highest levels, with an emphasis on increasing paddler IQ and turning new skills into reliable habits under race pressure.

Ellen is USDBF Team USA’s most successful female coach and one of the most accomplished U.S. steerers in the sport. Over a 27-year international career, she has earned more than 100 IDBF World Championship medals as both a steerer and coach, and has represented Team USA at every IDBF World Championships since 1999.

As a coach, her Team USA crews have captured 5 gold, 14 silver, and 14 bronze medals, establishing her as the most decorated female coach in the program’s history.  She has served as TEAM USA Head coach for the 2025 World Championships in Brandenburg Germany (Senior Women A&B, Standard and Small Boat; Senior Women C, Small Boat), the 2023 World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand (Senior Women A&B, Standard and Small boat), and the 2021 TEAM USA program (Hong Kong event cancelled due to COVID). She also served as Head Coach at the 2019 World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand (Senior Women B, Standard and Small Boat) and the 2007 World Championships in Sydney (Senior Women B).

She is also the most in-demand steerer in U.S. dragon boat racing, having been selected by over 17 different Team USA head coaches to steer their crews at the IDBF World Championships.  At the national level, Ellen holds 19 U.S. National Titles and 1 Canadian National Title, reflecting sustained excellence across multiple competitive environments.

Since 2000, Ellen has served as Head Coach of the New Jersey Dragon Boat Club, the state’s first dragon boat team, where she continues to lead athlete development and competitive programming. She is also ERDBA’s primary steering clinician, having coached hundreds of steering candidates and coaches, ranging from novice to elite levels, across the Eastern Region, California, and Florida.

In addition to her coaching and competitive achievements, Ellen brings extensive experience in race operations and officiating. She has founded and directed four dragon boat festivals across the United States and was a certified international race official, providing her with deep insight into race management, rules application, and competitive standards. She has hosted coaching workshops, steering clinics and paddling camps across the US. She is also a long-standing USA Volleyball certified official, a role she has held since the early 1980s, reflecting decades of experience in sport governance across disciplines.

A former collegiate athlete, Ellen competed in Tennis and Softball at Seton Hall University, bringing a multi-sport foundation and high-performance mindset to her coaching approach.

As a USHPDB Staff Coach, Ellen is committed to developing technically sound, tactically intelligent athletes capable of performing at the highest levels of international competition.