Coach confers, rowing is hard work

Hay has just completed a stellar year as a coach with his three New Zealand boats – women’s single sculls, women’s pair, lightweight women’s double sculls – all medalling at the 2014 World Rowing Championships. . The conference offered coaches a chance to learn, teach and discuss while enjoying the balmy temperatures in the home of the 2016 Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

As well as presenting his philosophies on coaching winning crews, Hay joined the panel discussion on what makes a successful coach of women. The panel included six of the world’s leading coaches who, between them, have coached in more than 15 countries  – Christine Gosse of France, Josy Verdonkschot of the Netherlands, Gianni Postiglione of Greece, Premsyl Panuska of the Czech Republic, Morten Espersen of Ireland and Hay.

Despite being initially reticent to share the difference between coaching men and women by saying they coach women and men the same, the discussion then changed to the recognition that they approach men and women differently. All agreed that communication was vital and that men and women often communicate differently. So it was necessary for different levels of communication to be understood and avoid potential problems. They also noted the physiological differences between men and women that may impact the focus of the training or the technique. But, as Postiglione commented, regardless of gender, “We maintain the positive and improve on the weaknesses.”

The conference included a Para-rowing classification workshop which , provided information for participating coaches from around the world on how the complex para-rowing classification system works. The goal of the workshop was to help coaches better identify para-rowers, so they can better assemble para boats and increase participation.

Aspects of talent identification was presented by Joerg Schorer of Germany and Chuck McDiarmid of Canada. Schorer, a German researcher, asked the question, is there talent and can it be accurately identified? Schorer’s research has focused primarily on handball, but his presentation looked also at applications to rowing. McDiarmid then showed a practical application of talent identification in explaining the complex Row to Podium programme that began in 2011 in Canada. McDiarmid estimates this programme will help the Canadian team to identify ten per cent of their rowers, while the rest will still come up through the “’standard’ track of school and university rowing.

A session on out-of- the-boat training presented three different perspectives on what this kind of training can do for the speed of the crew. Russian coach Mike Spracklen’s famous model of ‘get in the boat and row’ was in contrast  to New Zealand weight coach, Trent Lawton’s philosophy that weight training can provide significant gains for the athlete. Lawton qualified this by saying that the progress and training plan had to be in relation to endurance training and carefully monitored. Dave O’Neil, who coaches primarily at universities in the United States, stressed the importance of ‘rowing’ but also saw improvements in his team by simply adding running and body weight circuits. 

The conference made the most of being in the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games with Colleen Orsmond,  Rowing Competition Manager for Rio 2016 presenting. Orsmond talked about the progress of the venue and provided teams with essential information on boat transfers, venue opening times, accommodation and the possibility for training camps before the Olympic Games.

Orsmond’s presentation was followed by a tour of the Olympic rowing regatta venue at Lagoa de Freitas where she explained the layout of the finish tower, the floating stadium, the boat park, container storage, warm-up areas, dining, transport routes and more. The tour included a trip past the athletes’ village, where the construction of 31 apartment buildings is well underway. The village is approximately a 35 minute drive from the venue in the traffic-less Olympic lane that is currently being constructed.

“The progress on the venue is on schedule,” says Orsmond. “The 2015 World Rowing Junior Championships is one of five important test events for the Games. We are on track to deliver the completed venue by June 2015.”

The race course will span the length of the Lagoa de Freitas, a lagoon that is just a 15 minute walk from both Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. It looks up at the famous Corcovado, or Christ the Redeemer statue, one of the most iconic landmarks of Rio de Janeiro. “We are very much looking forward to hosting the rowing event in such a central location,” says Orsmond. The floating grandstand is planned to provide seating for 14,000 and due to its incredible location, the rowing venue is sure to be teeming with an incredible atmosphere.

For presentations from the World Rowing Coaches Conference, click here.