Masters helping youth rowing

For more than 25 years, masters rowers have been helping youth rowers. Every year the World Rowing Masters Regatta donates 1euro per seat entry to youth development. This initiative called the World Rowing Masters Fund for Youth Rowing has helped youth rowers and rowing programmes throughout the world with a focus on developing nations and getting rowers to the World Rowing Under 19 Championships.

“It’s a symbol of one generation supporting the next,” says Ron Chen, chair of World Rowing’s Masters Commission. “Masters rowers at our regatta typically rowed in their youth and they are happy to assist the next generation. They’re very supportive and it makes them feel part of a larger community around the globe.”

The amount raised depends on the number of entries at the masters regatta and Chen says there’s been a growth of entries over the years and with that a growth in the Masters Fund. The regatta in Bled, he says, in 2017 was a bumper year for entries lending itself to around 18,000 Euros.

“Currently most of the fund goes to development programmes for youth rowing,” says Axel Mueller, chair of World Rowing’s Youth Rowing Commission. “We support a local coach for two years to bring a team to the World Rowing Under 19 World Championships.

“Most of the Federations that we’ve supported had never participated in a world championship and they go on to become active rowing members, showing up at regional competitions and championship events.”

The Youth Commission also invites the coach to their annual Youth Coaches Conference and Mueller says this helps them to continue their coaching education and become part of the coaching community.

“It helps them network with other international coaches as well,” says Mueller.

Mueller highlights a few of the recent success stories. Uruguay’s Ruben Scarpati received funding in 2006 after moving from being a national team rower for Uruguay to coaching. He is now head coach at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro and a development expert for World Rowing.

Chokri Ben-Miled of Tunisia received funding in 2002. As well as being a head coach for Tunisia, Ben-Miled is a World Rowing development coach making coaching his life-long career.

Rocio Rivarola rowed for Paraguay at the 2004 Olympics as a 17-year-old. She made history by being the youngest and first women to be the flag bearer for Paraguay at the opening ceremony. Rivarola received funding from the Masters Fund in 2011 and two years later competed again internationally for Paraguay. She then moved on to work for Paraguay’s Olympic Committee.

Mueller says the Youth Commission has seen success with most of the coaches that receive support have remained with rowing as a coach or, in some cases, as an official or sports manager.

“Thanks to this money provided by the Masters Commission, many coaches have now passed through the scholarship coaching programme to become full-time professional coaches in their own national programme.”

The choice of who gets funded is a decision made by the Youth Commission with input from World Rowing’s development director.

“We look for development countries where such a youth programme could have an impact on their global development,” says Mueller.

When the World Rowing Masters Regatta was held in Africa for the first time, in Tshwane, South Africa, the Masters Fund at the conclusion of the event stayed local with the Soweto Rowing Club receiving the benefit.  The club brings rowing to Soweto children to introduce them to the sport of rowing. These funds were used to purchase rowing machines. https://worldrowing.com/2023/10/17/soweto-rowing-club-benefit-from-masters-rowing/

As the Masters Fund for Youth Rowing continues to grow and adapt, there is now discussion now to include coastal / beach sprint rowers.

“This will open it up to countries where Classic Rowing can’t be practiced like island countries,” says Chen.