Education and Rowing in Great Britain

1. Education and Rowing in Great Britain Ryan Demaine Headington School Oxford

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. ROWING English Education System Structure:

6. 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. English School Education System

7. Learning and Rowing Skills Play Competitive Rowing Exploration Sculling Investigation Schools / Scullers Head National Schools Henley

8. Co-exist

9. Where is the talent pool? • 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. • Independent Schools • Generally rowing schools. • Extra curricular or part of the curriculum. • Higher academic expectations. • Fee paying parents. • Social pressures.

10. Where is the talent pool? • World Class Start Program & Sporting Giants. – Talent Identification program “Building future Olympians” • IDENTIFY TALENT – in non rowing schools / other sports clubs. • PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT – tests: Arm Span, Height, power etc. • TECHNIQUE – GB technical rowing document. • PHYSICAL TRAINING – develop capacity to train safely. • PERFORMANCE/ CAREER – lifestyle. Time management. School liason. Academic support. Family liaison. • PERFORMANCE EDUCATION – Nutrition, hydration, physiology etc. • PATHWAY TO OLYMPICS – Motivate, support, guidance?

11. Challenges“Know your enemy”

12. Challenges in Schools in the UK

13. Friends • Parties • Relationships • Peer Pressure • Social • 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). Social Challenges

14. Smoking • Drinking • Drugs Drinks: The Independent: 18th February 2007. Drugs: The Guardian: 30th December 2009. Smoking: Cancer Research Foundation: 2008. • What is “cool”? What is “Cool”?

15. Media In school common rooms On TV – adverts, movies, the radio. Western Image. Stereotypes and Perceptions VS • Stereotypes and perception • Media • Body awareness • Time restraints • Hard work / pain The Perceptions are not reality!

16. Stereotypes and Perception: The Reality?

17. Pressures • Pressures • Timetable • Expectations • Exams / Events • Extra Curricular

18. Rowing and Education in the UK Events VS Exams Schools Head (March) National Schools Regatta (May) Henley Regattas Exams & peak rowing events

19. Are these really challenges to Rowing Or is rowing a pathway to shaping a better lifestyle.

20. Culture of Rowing and Education State Schools Independent Schools HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO EDUCATION HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO TRAINING

21. National rowing Federation Communication HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO EDUCATION HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO TRAINING

22. Philosophy and Values Coach 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.

23. Discipline • Goals Through core development of these • Leadership • Commitment • Motivation Rowing Values: These values are developed • Rowing • Achievement • Disappointment • Team work • and • interdependence • Independence • Self Awareness Culture / ethos of rowing and high performance.

24. The GB Pathway: Rowing Hoops? A DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY 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.

25. The GB Junior Rowing pathway:

26. The GB Junior Rowing pathway:Why is it successful in Great Britain? 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 JurganGrobler and lead coaches NOT from “back-bech managers”. COMMUNICATION and DIRECTION Communication and discussion is key. Ultimately someone has to make a decision and this needs to be respected. Strategy meeting and document

27. Successful rowers and coaches have an awareness of Scale – Does winning at Nat. Schools always mean that you are ready to take on the World?

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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)

31. 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)

32. 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)

33. GB Rowing:

34. 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

35. 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!

36. “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)

37. LIFESTYLE / PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS IN SUCCESS • 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 self-belief that they can succeed in their dreams. This can make them CHALLENGING to work with!

38. National rowing Federation Communication HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO EDUCATION HOLYSTIC INTERGRATED APPROACH TO TRAINING

39. “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

40. QUESTIONS? rowing@headington.org