Education and Rowing in Great

Britain

Ryan Demaine

Headington School Oxford

Ryan Demaine• Director of Rowing Headington School.

• WJ 8+ gold at World Junior Championships ’10.

• WJ 2- gold at the Youth Olympics ‘10.

• Top rowing school at the National Schools Regatta ‘10.

• Information, Communication and Technology.

Views, philosophies and opinions expressed here are my own, not that of GB rowing or that of Headington School Oxford.

Contents – Education and Rowing

• Great Britain (English) Education System.

• Rowing in Schools and clubs.

• The talent pool.

• Challenges the Great Britain Rowing schools / clubs face.

• Culture and ethos of rowing.

• Communication.

• Core values and philosophies.

• The GB pathway.

• The rowing lifestyle.

We spent the whole war looking for the magic

technological bullet. We never found it. Battles

continued to be won or lost on the basic fighting

ability and courage of the man on the ground.

General William Westmoreland ‘A Soldier Reports’ (Vietnam Memoirs) 1981

English Education System• Structure:

ROWING

English School Education System

GCSE – General Certificate of

Secondary Education

GNVQ – General National

Vocational Qualification.

A-Levels – General Certificate of

Education.

GNVQ advanced – vocational A-

Levels in ‘applied subjects’.

2-3 AS units and 2-3 A2 units.

• Course work approx 20-30%.

• Units can be taken through the

course.

• Re-sits allowed.

Learning and Rowing

Skills

Competitive Rowing

Schools / Scullers Head

Exploration

Investigation

Play

National Schools

Henley

Sculling

Co-existMonth Accademic Domestic Season International Season

October Head of the Charles Potential Camp

The Armada Cup

November Early ID Trials

December GB Nantes Camp

January Exams

February February Long distance trials

March Schools Head

April Rowing camp Spring Assessments

May Exams National Schools Small boats assessment

June Exams Henley Final Trials

July Henley Final Trials

National Champs Coupe

August Wolrd Junior Championships

Where is the talent pool?

Independent Schools

• Generally rowing

schools.

•Extra curricular or

part of the

curriculum.

• Higher academic

expectations.

• Fee paying parents.

• Social pressures.

State Schools

• Generally club based

rowing.

•Schools would not

know or understand

pressures.

• Depending on school,

rowers would have to take

greater ownership.

• Financial stress?

• Social pressure.

Where is the talent pool?

• World Class Start Program & Sporting Giants.– Talent Identification program

“Building future Olympians”

1. IDENTIFY TALENT – in non rowing schools / other sports clubs.

2. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT – tests: Arm Span, Height, power etc.

3. TECHNIQUE – GB technical rowing document.

4. PHYSICAL TRAINING – develop capacity to train safely.

5. PERFORMANCE/ CAREER – lifestyle. Time management. School liason. Academic support. Family liaison.

6. PERFORMANCE EDUCATION – Nutrition, hydration, physiology etc.

7. PATHWAY TO OLYMPICS – Motivate, support, guidance?

Challenges

“Know your enemy”

Challenges in Schools in the UK

Social Challenges

41,325 girls under 18 in England

and Wales fell pregnant in 2008, a

drop of 13%, but the government

target was 50%

• Parties / Clubbing

• Relationships – good / bad?

• Peer Pressure: Talk rowing.

• Girls / Women’s rowing.

“Rowing is the ultimate get out of

anything clause”. – Lily Van Den

Broecke (Cox of worlds eight).

What is “Cool”?Drinks: The Independent: 18th February 2007.

Drugs: The Guardian: 30th December 2009.

Smoking: Cancer Research Foundation: 2008.

Teen drug treatment by substance, 2005-09

2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

Cannabis 9043 10824 12021 12642

Alcohol 4886 7039 8589 8799

Cocaine 453 655 806 745

Heroin & other opiates 881 755 651 547

Solvents 210 301 305 284

Other 174 183 241 270

Amphetamines 332 323 346 229

Ecstasy 325 432 438 210

Crack 200 137 155 110

Total 16504 20649 23552 23836

% Change 25.12% 14.06% 1.21%

Stereotypes and Perceptions

The Perceptions are not reality!

VS

Media; In school common roomsOn TV – adverts,

movies, the radio; Western Image.

Stereotypes and Perception: The

Reality?

PressuresNov J13s J14s J15s J16s Snrs

2010 28 30 24 12 9 7

2009 30 23 20 8 8 8

2008 48 42 19 10 10 6

2007 34 32 26 12 10 10

2006 32 28 26 5 5 4

2005 30 29 26 8 3 2

2004 34 32 30 16 2 1

33.71 30.86 24.14 10.43 6.43 4.57

2.86 6.71 13.71 4 1.86

Rowing and Education in the UK Events VS Exams

Exams & peak rowing events

Schools Head (March)

National Schools Regatta (May)

Henley Regattas

Are these really challenges to Rowing

Or is rowing a pathway to shaping a better lifestyle.

Culture of Rowing and Education

Independent Schools State Schools

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

EDUCATION

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

TRAINING

Communication

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

EDUCATION

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

TRAINING

National rowing

Federation

Philosophy and ValuesCoach or Rower: values and philosophies, known or unknown

are prevalent.

•FISA’s core values: • Team work: the common goal.

• Educational: Self discipline, motivation and commitment to fair play.

• Focus: the ultimate objective

• Traditional: shared experiences to future generations.

• Environmental: Respect and safeguard the water and its surroundings.

• Global, Influential and Ethical.

•Values improve the experience.

•Values allow goals to be achieved.

•Values foster personal growth.

Rowing

Discipline

Goals

Commitment

Motivation

Team work

and

interdependence

Independence

Self Awareness

Achievement

Disappointment

Leadership

Rowing Values:

Through core

development of these

These values are

developed

Culture / ethos of rowing

and high performance.

The GB Pathway: RowingThe GB Pathway: Rowing

Philosophy – your view can dictate the outcome.

Values can contribute to the means by which you attain your goals.

Coach and athletes – challenged by this process.

The GB Junior Rowing pathway:The GB Junior Rowing pathway:

The GB Junior Rowing pathway:The GB Junior Rowing pathway:

Why is it successful in Great Britain?Why is it successful in Great Britain?

COMMUNICATION

and

DIRECTION

Strategy

meeting and

document

All events:

Emailed

instructions.

Briefing

Ultimately, it is a clear structure for all coaches, rowers and parents.

-Coaches know their role and tasks from the outset.

-Coaches respect the “chain of command”.

-Because it comes from Jurgan Grobler and lead coaches NOT

from “back-bech managers”.

Communication and discussion is key. Ultimately someone has to

make a decision and this needs to be respected.

Successful rowers and coaches have an awareness of Scale Scale –– Does winning at Nat. Schools always mean that you are Does winning at Nat. Schools always mean that you are

ready to take on the World?ready to take on the World?

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

The Junior ‘Pathway’

?? Participation, Competition, High Performance ??

� Participation: Club group, wide base?

� Competition: Domestic Racing?

�Local Regattas

�Regional Championships

�British Indoor Rowing Championships

�National Schools/National Championships

� High Performance: GB Trials

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

Aims of GB Junior Rowing?

� Specific Role: Performance Success

� To provide rowers to the U23 and Senior Teams

� To be the most successful Junior Rowing Nation

� To be as high up the Medal Tables as possible

� To send as full team as possible

� To educate as many juniors as possible in the

sport of Rowing – ‘Traditional’ Route

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

GB/France Match

� J16 Match – used to be Anglo/French Match

� In past = North + South Teams

� GB = Domestic and International J16s

� Club combinations (except the VIII)

� Became GB Event in 2001

� Team event

� Always full team:

- JM: 8+, 4+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x, sp 1x (28)

- JW: 8+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x, sp 1x (23)

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

Coupe de la Jeunesse

� 1985 = First event

� Team Event over two days

� 12 member Nations

� 2010 > 350 Juniors racing

� GB have won the overall event 11 times

� (France: 8 times; Italy: 6 times)

� Team event

� Always ‘full team’ from GB:

- JM: 8+, 4+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x, spare (23)

- JW: 4-, 2-, (8+), 4x, 2x, 1x, spare (14)

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

World Junior Championships

Pre 1985 = FISA Junior Regatta

� 1985 = World Junior Rowing Championships

� 2010 - 67 Nations

- 13 Events

- 216 Entries

- 680 Competitors

� Team selected according to performance

� Max. team size:

– JM: 18 + 7 (8+, 4+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x)

– JW: 14 + 7 (8+, 4-, 2-, 4x, 2x, 1x)

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

JWC Summay of Placings 2000 - 2010

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2- 8th 9th 5th 7th 16th 12th

JM

4- 14th Silver 7th Bronze Gold Gold 5th Gold Silver

2+

4+ 5th 4th 9th 5th Silver 7th 9th Silver 5th 14th

8+ Bronze Bronze 8th Gold 10th 8th 4th 7th 5th Silver 5th

1x Gold 19th 27th

2x 4th 7th

4x 13th 6th 12th 5th 6th 4th

2- 5th 10th 9th

JW

4- 4th 6th 4th Silver 6th Bronze 6th Bronze Silver

8+ 6th Bronze Gold

1x 9th 4th 12th

2x 6th 9th 5th

4x 6th 8th Bronze 10th

GB Rowing:GB Rowing:

Support for Junior Rowing

�Funding

- Lottery, SportsAid, Local Council

- Schools’ Head/National Schools’ Regatta (??)

- Kitchin Society (??)

�Subsidy: Camps, Events

�Loan of Boats

�Education

�Training Days/Camps

The link between rowing and

education?

Good systems are born out of passionate, dedicated coaches,

athletes and parents.

The schools impact – driven or supported?

Coaches need to be teachers!

“THE WAY YOU TRAIN IS A REFLECTION AS

TO HOW YOU WILL RACE”

“THE WAY YOU LIVE WILL AFFECT HOW

YOU TRAIN”- Warren Boltler (‘96)

Observation of the JUNIOR Medallists

•Self-disciplined and organised. Able to balance/prioritise a high volume and quality of training with academic/work and social pressures.

•Able to take responsibility for their health, well-being and recovery.

•Able to set and maintain high standards, especially over and above those set and practised by others around them.

•Able to deliver when it really matters and produce performances on the day that can surprise even them!

•An ability to balance their international aspirations with their club/school programmes

An unrelenting, defiant and resolute selfAn unrelenting, defiant and resolute self--belief belief

that they can succeed in their dreams.that they can succeed in their dreams.

This can make them CHALLENGING to work with!This can make them CHALLENGING to work with!

LIFESTYLE / PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN SUCCESSLIFESTYLE / PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN SUCCESS

Communication

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

EDUCATION

HOLYSTIC

INTERGRATED

APPROACH TO

TRAINING

“If you win the hearts and minds of the

people, you win the war”- James Briggs

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to

war, while defeated warriors go to war first

and then seek to win.”-SunTzu: The Art of War

QUESTIONS?

rowing@headington.org