Well the new year is now under way and this is our review of the first couple of weeks. Sadly this report will no longer be weekly as the responsibility now falls on my shoulders and shall we say I am not a natural at report writing. I will endeavour to put together a missive a couple of times per half term.
The Launch Evening on Thursday 20th was a great success and we were delighted with the turn out. It is great to see the youngsters and their families coming along and getting a flavour of what is instal for them over the coming year. Mike Cooper was very impressed and enjoyed meeting our new young rowers. A special mention must go to UAW for their turn out, full numbers and all in uniform, a great start.
Mike Cooper of Bubble Clothing has now produced his kit package and you should all have details of the bundle. It looks great value and will help greatly with the appearance and suitability of their clothing. If by chance you have not seen this offer please let me know.
Nearly all schools have now started and by next week we will be under way with all our new athletes. The first session that we delivered to the novice rowers was an introduction to the sport and a safety briefing that was hidden within a boathouse quiz. Some of the schools also spent time in the gym, getting a flavour of the basics.
The second session for the schools involved an introduction to the boats and tentative first steps to becoming rowers. We might have called this a taster session but sadly Sir Thomas Boteler boys literally got to taste the river. They capsized due to a combination of factors that included trying them in racing boats from day one. This is a practice that is used a lot, by many rowing clubs, even so we will be reverting to the wider more stable boats for the next sessions. I do hope this incident did not put any of the youngsters off.
The boat that was involved in this incident is going to have to be replaced as it suffered high levels of damage during the capsize. There is absolutely no blame for this on the people involved, it is simply a matter of fact. It was an old boat, perfectly safe but it does though illustrate the costs of this sport as the new boat will cost £13k.
The move to year 8 looks like a good move and I do hope we can hold onto them for a couple of years, there are certainly some characters emerging already. Warrington Rowing Club have asked me to try and recruit some of these new rowers into the junior ranks of the club. I will be watching and extending invites over the next few months.
It has been a great pleasure to see some of last years athletes return as year 10’s.
A reminder that its Capsize Drill for the next two Mondays. Please be on time and the times listed below are poolside times.
Most schools should by now (or by 5pm today) have qualified launch drivers. Can I thank the schools for arranging time and cover to ensure that your staff get this vital qualification. Most schools should also have a qualified coach and the combination of these two factors will make a huge difference in time, allowing us to expand our numbers.
Can I remind you of a couple of things?
We need as many testimonials as possible!
Fundraising dinner on 16 November to pay for our trip to London for The National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships. We have just purchased the train tickets at £750!
The WhatsApp Group for leads is working well, please let me know if anybody needs adding.
Schools of The Week
Week One – UAW – Great turn out at Presentation Evening
Week Two – Penketh – Good turn out and strong numbers.
Week Three – Sir Thomas Boteler – Especially the boys for reacting well and doing the right think during the capsize!
Kind regards
Richard