Rowing looks in the mirror

It is an ongoing discussion: How do traditional rowing nations best reach a wider cross-section of the population?

Recently United States Rowing took on this issue by setting up a taskforce on Access, Affordability and Diversity and bringing the issue to the fore with a recent workshop, “Changing the Tide: Making Rowing Acessible to Urban Youth.”

World Rowing journalist Melissa Bray talked to Task Force Chair, Robert Kidd about the workshop.

Melissa Bray: Why the push for diversity?

Robert Kidd: I rowed in the 1960s at Columbia University (New York) and it was an overwhelmingly “white” experience. I was aware at the time of this and it really hasn’t changed much since. There is a high school in Washington DC, Woodrow Wilson High School, where the school population is 80 per cent black and the rowing crew is 100 per cent white.

I think it’s time for rowing to look at itself in the mirror.

There is a core of people in the US, mainly in junior rowing, that feel strongly about the importance of opening rowing to the entire US community. The workshop was the opportunity to bring these people together.

MB: What initiatives are already happening?

RK: Through Community Rowing, Inc. in Boston there is a group, G-Row Boston for minority girls. There’s Row New York (New York City) and here in Oakland (California) at the Jack London Aquatic Center we focus on Latinos, Blacks and Asians.

In Oakland we work through the high schools in certain districts. Most of our recruits don’t swim. A lot don’t do sport at all. We’re just trying to show that it’s available and exciting.

We recruit by getting the girls and parents involved and they help recruit others. We also sell, big time, the opportunity that she’ll go to college. Every girl so far from our programme has gone to college.

MB: What came out of the workshop?

RK: It was actually a very unsettling experience. It felt like, ‘wow what was that?’ because it’s one of the first times that rowing has taken a hard look at what the issues are in diversity. US Rowing is very supportive of this initiative and there’s definitely a huge opportunity.

MB: What are the major challenges?

RK: The first one, you’ve got to interact with the community. Rowers are so insulated within US life. It’s a major issue. Secondly, transportation. Most rowing sites are not close and so they rely on Mum and Dad to drive or for the girls to have their own car. In Oakland we’ve addressed this by having a couple of vans to get them to rowing. The third factor is swimming and the fear of water. And fourthly, money, the expense of the sport.

MB: So what comes next?

RK: We’re planning another event in February 2008. We see it as an annual event. We’ll have a page on US Rowing’s website to bring people involved together. The initiative at the moment is the taskforce. In February one focus will be to address the niche of the junior market.

MB: Is this kind of initiative going on in other sports?

RK: There are things happening in tennis and golf. The US Swimming Association has a staff person called the diversity director. Also in Major League Baseball they’ve discovered they’re losing a generation of inner-city fans. They have the money so they’re doing a multimillion dollar initiative in marketing.

MB: Do you know of any initiatives going on in other countries?

RK: I know there are things happening in London. There’s a London Youth Programme.

The World Rowing team values feedback.