Over the 5 years I have rowed, I’ve experienced most enjoyable and rewarding moments from rowing, from my first win at Birmingham Regatta in Year 9, to trialling for Henley Royal Regatta in Year 11 in a joint crew with Monmouth School. It is races like these that make me continue rowing after some disappointing results such as just missing out on a medal at a small race, or a place in the final at National Championships Regatta.
My time trial result at last year’s Wales Trials was unsuccessful and I just missed out on an invitation to the final trial. The result drove me on to come back this year and hit the this year’s opportunity (my final chance as a junior) hard. At the beginning of the season, it was looking to be another disappointing result with some Year 11 athletes performing better than me. Throughout this, season, whenever there was a time trial amongst the boat club, I performed at bottom end of what is expected for one of the most experienced athletes. It was only about a month before trials, when training was primarily for the event, did I start to show the form necessary to make the cut to get invited to the final trial.
One of the key experiences that brought me to this point was the Level 2 qualification in coaching rowing. This has allowed me to be much more analytical with my rowing and progress throughout the year, and proved successful in the large improvement. Because of this, and the large improvement over the season just before Wales’s trials, the nerves hadn’t really hit me, until the row up to the start on the day. In the back of my mind, I was thinking “This is it, my last chance in represent Wales” and I feel the pressure of it, even during the race I was thinking “this is a terrible row” and that the only way to make the cut is if everyone else did really bad as well, but one shouldn’t doubt themselves, and if you work hard and make the most of your training, anything is possible.
The result from this year was far better than expected, ranking 8th fastest Junior Single Sculler in Wales, fasted from the boat club. I was tremendously encouraged the week before in an internal trial, but there was the concern that my strong result was a fluke, a possible “one-off”. To affirm this high level of performance on a day when it really mattered was a great relief and gives me confidence to succeed at the final trials. This would see me race in a crew at the National Championships Regatta in Nottingham, in a composite crew with other successful athletes, and then hopefully representing Wales at the Home International Regatta in Strathclyde at the end of July.
The National Sculling Head at the 2012 Olympic Course was the second rowing event I have been to. I was racing in a quadruple scull and in my boat there was Molly James at bow, Natasha Bradley at 2, me at 3, Zoe McCarroll at stroke and Sam Royston, our cox.
When we got to Dorney Lake our main priority was to help rig the boats that were to be used in the first set of races for older athletes. After a few hours of supporting people from our school race and cheering them on it was time for us to start warming up. At this point the nerves had started to kick in.
There was no opportunity to warm up further on the water so once we pushed off from the landing station we only had a few quick seconds before we started the race. We got ourselves straight down the course and then we were off. I knew that I had to keep focused right from the start, and maintain that focus throughout the entire race. As I got more tired this got very difficult!
When we finally got to the end of the first of two laps, were all exhausted but we knew that we were only half way there; we quickly turned the boat around and began making our way back down the course. I knew the race was almost over and hearing the cheers from the crowd I pushed even harder. As we crossed the finish line I didn’t really mind about the position we finished in as I knew that we had all rowed well. As I got out of the boat I went to hug the rest of my crew mates and congratulated them as we had just rowed on the Olympic Course!
Cold mornings, blisters on your hands, at least three training sessions a week, hard work and even the potential to capsize on a chilly day. Rowing is often seen in these terms, so why do students row and keep rowing for many years (the local rowing club has an active, competing group of rowers aged in their 70s)?
Racing
Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club is a racing club that prepares
athletes for competition and develops athlete performance from the first win at
a local event to racing for Wales. Becky Large’s article on her first row in
this magazine gives an insight into the nerves, adrenalin and exhilaration of
race day. We race at 20 events throughout the school year, winning regularly.
Yet winning is not our prime motivation. Rowing is not a sport such as football or hockey where the opposition’s performance can determine our own. We cannot control what they do, there are no tackles or face to face situations. We seek to be the best that we can be, because we can only control our own performance. We can check our equipment before the race to prevent a malfunction, we can rest well before race day, eat wisely to fuel for performance. During the race itself we try to reproduce the very best work from our training sessions with that extra buzz of race day. If we lose, yet have produced our best race performance to date with the boat flowing and running underneath us propelled by powerful strokes, then we should be happy, albeit with a drive to return and do better next time. To win feels fantastic, and although rowing is physically very strenuous, I have many times heard athletes in post-race debrief say that it they felt no pain just exhilaration when all their hard work comes together with a win.
Wider values
Rowing is at heart a team sport. There is total reliance upon your
crewmates. Substitutions are not possible part way through a race and to lessen
your own efforts will only place greater demands upon your friends and crew
around you. You have to try and provide the strength to sustain their efforts
and they need to do the same for you. The “high” when this is achieved is huge
and massively rewarding as you have met the challenge together and this will
draw you closer together and make you stronger for the future.
Falling short
In all walks of life, we will fail from time to time. Handling failure,
showing character and bouncing back are key elements of being successful in our
world. Rowing crews have only certain number of seats in the boat and sometimes
you will not be good enough. In our trials, this has been by less than a second
over 7 minutes or more, a tiny margin but there are still no more seats. It is
gutting to miss out, to see the crew row without you and succeed without you
when you were so close. We have witnessed this many times in our club, yet we
have also frequently seen the athletes show the resilience necessary to come
back, supporting these efforts fully through motivation and coaching. The
satisfaction of having come through hard and challenging times and gaining
prized selection for a boat, going on to produce race performances to be proud
of is very special and will always give greater confidence to meet setbacks in
the future. A true life skill.
School work
So why do so many schools offer rowing? It is not cheap and needs careful
safety management. The prestige of sporting success is certainly attractive for
some schools, but all sports offer this potential, from squash to rugby to
hockey, so what extra element can rowing provide?
To be the best you can be in rowing requires an intricate cocktail of physical fitness and mental focus to balance the technical needs of the sport in moving a boat as fine as just 25cm wide and 6 metres long to a speed of up to 5 metres per second. The focus and attention to detail required to develop and maximise performance on the water in considerable. These concentration skills are invaluable in the classroom for students to gain the very best outcomes from their schoolwork, whether in lessons or for homework.
In rowing, it is a simple yet tough to achieve equation of “hard work brings worthwhile rewards”, focusing upon each stroke in each outing and organising your time to gain sufficient opportunities on the water to develop your skills. There are no “natural” rowers, all the technique can be learnt for an essentially repetitive action, enabling anyone with a drive to succeed to perform at a high level. At school, these core skills of focus and organisation, re-used across the curriculum are invaluable and need to be learnt. Rowing provides an excellent development ground for this learning.
How do I start?
This article is not written as a “recruitment poster”, more to try and explain
something of what the athletes gain from rowing, but I am often asked “How do I
start rowing” and this is useful time to clarify the entry route. MCS offers
rowing as a PE option at Years 8/9 and these sessions give a basic grounding in
navigation and stroke technique in a controlled environment. For those who wish
more and to gain the greater benefits of rowing outlined above, the Junior Club
runs every Summer Term for Year 8 primarily (although others are welcome),
progressing to race preparation as a member of the full squad with year round
training. The club runs a total of 9 separate sessions per week, with athletes
rowing up to 6 times a week depending upon experience and goals. Our website at
www.mcsbc.co.uk will tell you more.
For all these reasons and more, Monmouth Comprehensive School has a thriving rowing club, from those starting in the sport at Year 8 to the 23 crews that are entered to race this weekend (as I write) at Monmouth Regatta.
I was able to row at school and benefited hugely in many ways. It is an enduring pleasure to be able to give the same opportunity to our students at MCS.
"My First Regatta" - Becky Large on her first ever race and a win!
My first race was to be at the Birmingham Regatta on the 7th May 2011. Needless to say, having missed a couple of months worth of training due to illness, I was really nervous, knowing that we were expected to do really well (as the club did so well last year!).
The day of the race arrived and after a hiccup with the bus, we were on our way! Driving through heavy rain, I was feeling nervous, scared and excited
Once on the water though, I started to concentrate and the adrenaline took over. I was lucky to have great crew mates in our quad. Molly James, Briony Waycott, Bethan King and our Cox, Matt Royston.
Our first race against Worcester RGS resulted in a win for us after a rocky start - what a feeling! We then raced against another MCSBC crew and won again (just)- we were on a roll now. Our third was against Worcester RC.
We were feeling the pressure but gave it 100%, dead focussed all the way, getting our third win. After all this, we were shattered, but I felt so proud of the crew and myself! I had no idea that we were going to get a Gold Medal, but as we had won 3 out of 3 races, it was great to get one. All those hours training had been worth it, (thanks Mr & Mrs Cowton) and the club won 8 out of 11 events.
A letter from a Year 9 rower, Charlie Burge to Rowing, the national magazine for all rowers.
Start of the 2010-11 season - Beth Lloyd, Vice Captain
As always, Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club, as always, began its new season on the first day of term. This prompt start, along with the usual regular training programme has rewarded us with a productive and successful start to the term.
After only 3 weeks preparation the club undertook the rarely enjoyed challenge of an event upon our own waters; Monmouth Autumn Head. The weather, for once, did not live up to the Welsh reputation and remained bright and wind free. Four of our crews which took part were rewarded with winning medals for Josh Kings, Jed Tattersdill, Harry King and Harry Righton enjoyed an impressive victory, who as J16s (yr 11), won the J17 (yr12) category decisively. Both Alex Thomas (yr11) and Isabel Marsh (yr10) won their single scull events, whilst Meaghan Sturgess (yr10) with her partner Mary Pickard (yr 10) also proved their prowess with a win in the double scull. Although the day did contain some frustrations for older members of the squad, overall the event proved to be a rewarding exercise which for many reignited their competitive ‘bug’.
Just a week later, the squad set off for their next event Worcester Small Boats Head; a course, as many athletes will tell you, famous for its overhanging trees and seemingly endless length. However 5 of our crews once again triumphed. Josh Kings and Jed Tattersdill was this time joined in their quad by Alex Thomas and George Jones, with the new combination proved to be another winning formula. Isabel Marsh and Mary Pickard swapped roles, with Isabel joining Meaghan in the double, and these three athletes once again proved their worth. With another win for the Yr11 quad at Pangbourne just after half term and many strong performances against strong schools and clubs, the club is well set for the term’s finale at Wycliffe in December.
During the remaining weeks before half term the squad continued to iron out the rusty elements which a long summer can cause and athletes across the squad were rewarded for their efforts via a series of time trials. The senior squad had a joint time trial with Monmouth School for Boys which produced, for many, encouraging results alongside a friendly rivalry.
Of course last term cannot be summarised without mention of the inspiring charity 500m rowing machine challenge between staff and students. It took place on the recent non-uniform day and in aid of Brake (the road safety charity), the school’s charity of the day, in the school hall at break time. Students crowded in making a great atmosphere. Five brave athletes and teachers rose to the challenge which arose originally from banter between form tutor Mr Price and a member of his form, Jed Tattersdill. Many of the races were extremely close but the students did manage to win all five. Many thanks to Mr Price, Mr D Williams, Mr Penny, Mr Evans and Miss Biddle who raced Jed Tattersdill, Dave Harris, Alex Thomas, Richard Russell-Broome and Georgia Hancock for willingly committing themselves to a brilliant cause, for which almost £1,000 was raised from non-uniform, cake sale and bucket passing at this rowing event.
Ben Metcalfe and Seamus Cooper after their best row yet at Pangbourne
Sculls.
Ella Phillips, Evie Clarke, Beth Lloyd, Holly Smith, Issy Shan after a tough, but very rewarding day at Pangbourne.
Monday 7th September, the new school year got underway with a rowing club meeting as everyone began to plan their preparations for the year ahead. Feelings in the club where mixed as everyone became aware of the winter training that was around the corner, some looking forward to the circuits, running, weights and other land training. Others, not so much. This year to soften the blow for those not so enthusiastic about land training there was a pleasant game orientated twist to Friday evenings. Be it basketball, dodge-ball or hockey these games were not only a very effective way of increasing fitness when the river was impossible to row on, they also helped bring us together as a team.
The first race of the year was a local one, Monmouth Head, which meant a large number of boats could easily race, even with the rust gained by most athletes during the summer, as it is our home water (and therefore knowing where to steer wasn't an issue). A total of 21 boats were entered and, although a number couldn't race due to illness as is common at the beginning of the year, there were 4 wins overall.
The next two heads in the winter season were Worcester and Hampton (this replaced Pangbourne Junior sculls which was cancelled) , both relatively low in terms of numbers of athletes who went but both valuable racing experience and good training for all those involved. Another 4 wins were gained at Worcester head, which is 7 more wins total on the same point last season.
Saturday 5th December was a big day for the club as it was Wycliffe Small Boats Head. This is a big event for the club every year and was the first race for a number of the WJ14s, which made the event all the more exciting for them. 4 silver and 4 bronze medals where won adding more to the medal tally of the season so far.
After Wycliffe the land training really kicked in hard to increase everyone's fitness in preparation for the spring/summer season where the regattas start rolling in. There where a number of head races before this to help prevent rust from building up including Wycliffe Big head and Avon County head, where another group of J14s had their first races.
On the 12th March 6 crews raced at the National Sculling Head for selection for the Junior Inter Regional Regatta on the 25th April where the J15 boys crew with Alex Thomas, Josh Kings, Jed Tattersdill, Cole Telford cox Beth Lloyd raced the 2000m course at Nottingham to come in a well deserved 3rd place. Well done boys (and Beth!) and keep up all the hard work.
The Half Marathon to Henley, a major fundraising event for the club, was another success where over £4,000 pounds was raised by all members of the club being sponsored to run, walk or mixture of the two along a 13.1 mile course on the river Thames finishing at the site of the Henley Royal Regatta course. So a huge well done to everybody who took part and thank you to all the coaches, teachers and parents who organised and supported the event. The money raised will go to the MCSBC Friends to be used to help the athletes to succeed by funding equipment, race entry fees and transport costs.
Junior club induction 2010 has now begun, and the enthusiasm and persuasive abilities of the year 8 students wishing to row raised the limit from 30 to 35 students who have all now been on the river in the plastic training boats and some may soon see themselves with the daunting move into the finer boats. These students are being coached by one adult coach and two sixth formers, also with coaching qualifications to provide a good quality, informative experience for all. Those who wish to continue next year will be most welcome to continue and start the real training and competing.
More information on the club can be found on the website www.mcsbc.co.uk.
Why Coach? (April 2010) - Lucy Clarke (6th form & Level 2 Rowing Coach)
Last year the opportunity arose for me to go on a Level 2 coaching course for rowing and sculling. This would mean that I would be qualified to coach to all abilities, as an independent coach from the age of 18. I had already been a member of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club for 4 years, so had first-hand experience of the demands rowing as a sport can have. Being a member of a very competitive club, I have competed in many events from Monmouth Regatta to the National Championships of Great Britain.
Preparing for such events heavily involves the coach; they train you to your very best physical and technical standard, motivate you so you are mentally ready and reassure you on race day to help calm the nerves. Having been through the training and racing process myself, I felt that I could have a positive effect on those athletes that are less experienced by delivering structured and focused coaching sessions which draw upon my own experience.
Having previously enjoyed helping out with the junior beginners’ club, I thought that completing the coaching course would be an ideal opportunity for improving my rowing knowledge and to provide more coaching to the junior club which would be beneficial to their development as an athlete. It looks good on a personal statement for university applications! To gain the qualification it involved numerous different tasks and assessments including:
Show competence in setting up a boat for an individual rowers needs, using a
range of specialist measuring tools.
Completing a risk assessment for several different rowing venues, detailing how
to minimise risks and concluding whether risks were acceptable.
Passing exams covering first aid, child protection and rowing technique in
general (these were all taught in an intensive week of classroom work).
Planning and delivering a series of 6 coaching sessions to meet the needs of a
specific athlete, demonstrating clear evaluations of each session and
progression through the sessions.
Completion of a log book detailing all these experiences and more.
A year on after gaining the qualification, I have been really surprised at how
it has affected my own rowing technique as I now think a lot more about what I
would say if I was coaching myself, so my development has very much improved
according to my coach.
However, the benefit that I feel I’ve gained most through completing the course is watching those athletes that may have struggled to start off with, progress in fitness, technique and confidence through my coaching of them. Also having a larger number of qualified coaches in the rowing club (there are now 6 qualified student coaches with the completion of the latest course) means that more students from the school have the opportunity to participate in rowing from beginner level to National competition and racing for Wales. For those children that may find it harder academically, like I did, it gives them the chance to excel practically and get away from the classroom as well as getting the chance to make new friends, and travel the country competing. I am pleased that I completed the coaching course because I can now relate to younger members as a rower myself but also have a coach’s point of view at the same time.
Junior Inter-Regional Regatta (April 2010) - Alex Thomas (J15)
The regatta season for myself, Josh Kings, Jed Tattersdill, Cole Telford and our cox Beth Lloyd got off to a flying start after at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta on Sunday the 25th of April. After a two and a half hour bus journey we arrived at the Nottingham water sports centre and as we drove past the rowing lake and I saw people getting ready to race my nerves suddenly increased.
After getting off the bus and preparing ourselves and our boat for the first race of the day we got on the water. We would be racing in the semi final against 5 other regions, out of 12, for 1 of 6 places in the ‘A’ final and the chance to win a medal. Our semi final race went well enough for us to come 2nd place with the 3rd fastest time out of the 12 regions but we would need to step up in the final to keep that position.
We got off the water and rested for the final, watching some very quick races which inspired us to step up and put everything in to our final race. The time came where we were lining ourselves up next to the 5 other crews and the nerves turned to adrenaline. We straightened up and the marshal shouted ‘Attention, GO!’ We drove ourselves forward and quickly took 3 crews to be in 3rd position; we pressed on Thames Upper to try and take 2nd place and in the process left the 3 crews behind us a huge challenge to catch us. Over the last 500 meters we drove on but couldn’t catch 1st or 2nd and as we crossed the line we comfortably took 3rd place with a 14.6 second gap between us and 4th place. After such a fantastic row and knowing that we had won a medal our feelings of joy blanked out the pain and tiredness that ran through our bodies.
We turned and rowed up alongside a pontoon to be presented our medals by Ben Hunt-Davies, an Olympic gold medallist at rowing in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. We then got out and took our boat back to the trailer buzzing with adrenaline and great feeling of pride. We had a Brilliant day and ended a fantastic weekend after other members of MCSBC won 6 events at Birmingham regatta on the Saturday.
My first race experience (March 2010) - Ben Metcalfe (J14)
On Saturday the 6th of March I had my first experience of a rowing race. This race involved me being in single scull and racing down the 1500 meter course on the river Avon. We had to be at the school by 7am and we arrived at Avon at about 8:30. Next we unloaded the boats that were to race in the first division, including mine, and rigged them ready to race. Once my boat was ready I took my blades and followed a very helpful senior rower down to the water’s edge where he explained to me where I would have to start from and where the finish was.
Getting in the boat was probably one of the scariest parts of the race, because I was so nervous, but I did it and set off to the start line 1500 meters up river. After a long wait in line at the start the marshal called and off I went.
At the time it felt like the most ferocious, physical, heart racing thing that I had ever done, and it probably was. I blasted down the course as fast as I possibly could with a double in front of me and a single behind, but towards the last 500 meters the single began to catch up and over take. This caused me to lose focus on what I was doing, and I missed a stroke with one of my blades causing the boat to steer off course. This gave the other more experienced rower the chance he needed, and unfortunately for me he took it and overtook me. But I didn’t give up, I straightened up my boat and chased him all the way to the end but because of his extra experience of race conditions and my loss of concentration he beat me to the line. I came 3rd out of 3. I didn’t and I still don’t mind where I came, although it would have been nice to have done a bit better, I am still happy that I got down the course as fast as I could without falling in. My coach was also very happy with my performance said it was the best he had seen me row.
And that was my first race experience.
MCSBC early 2009 review (Mar 2009)
Worcester Head on the 21st of February was a very positive day for the club as we took home four wins from six events! From these results crews were then chosen to compete at the National Junior Sculling Head (9th March) held at Dorney Lake in Eton, the venue chosen for the rowing in the 2012 Olympics.
This again was a great day for the club with great efforts by all the crews
to produce the best racing performances of the season so far. We had three top
10 finishes, exceeding our previous best by some margin. One of these crews was
the Junior Boys under 14’s coxed octuple, where it was their first major
national event. They came seventh out of forty-eight in their category beating
some big names such as Kingston Grammar School, Henley Rowing Club and Windsor
Boys School. So a huge well done to the boys and to keep up the good work!
Above is the J16’s quad at the National Sculling Head, finishing 7th and selected to row for Wales & West of England this Summer
Also recently a major fundraising event that the club held was a Half Marathon to Henley (Sat 14 March). This took place along the River Thames, finishing in Henley-on Thames that is home of the famous regatta. All athletes took part with the seniors running the distance and the juniors a mix of running and walking throughout! So a huge well done to everybody! Also thanks to parents/coaches/teachers who supported the event by the organisation of check points and transport. All money raised from this event will go to MCSBC Friends to ensure success over the coming year, with aims of supporting the rowing club with equipment, race and transport fees.
From the fundraising of MCSBC Friends last year, we were able to purchase a fast single sculling boat made by “Wintech”. The boat is to be used by athletes preparing to race in it at major events oncoming to this year. The single scull was named after Stephen Moore. Stephen is the Chairman of the Friends of MCSBC and a Governor of the school. He has been at the heart of the Friends since its inception three years ago and we wanted to recognise his contribution and thank him by naming the boat after him.
Junior Club 2009 is also now under way with taster sessions for the new rowers being organised for the Summer Term. This year, we are focusing on Year 8, with just 40 places available to ensure a good quality of experience for all – three qualified coaches will be at each session (one adult coach and two student coaches who passed their coaching qualifications before Christmas). Then they will continue into the main squad, improving their rowing and competing.
All information on the club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.
Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC
Response to Beacon Letter (February 2009)
The Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club is parents’ support organisation for MCSBC. The Friends organisation is run independently of the Boat Club with the charitable aim to support the young rowers of MCSBC (Registered charity number 1120581).
From the fundraising of MCSBC Friends we were able to purchase a fast single sculling boat made by “Wintech”. The boat is to be used by athletes preparing to race in it at major events oncoming to this year. The single scull was named after Stephen Moore. Stephen is the Chairman of the Friends of MCSBC and a Governor of the school. He has been at the heart of the Friends since its inception three years ago and we wanted to recognise his contribution and thank him by naming the boat after him.
The Friends provides significant financial and practical support to MCSBC throughout the year by organising activities and events. The next events are of a Quiz and Curry night held at Monmouth Rugby Club on Saturday 31st January 2009. The other is a “Half Marathon to Henley” on Saturday 14th March 2009, along the River Thames, finishing in Henley-on Thames that is home of the famous regatta. All athletes will be taking part with the seniors running the distance and the juniors a mix of running and walking throughout! All money raised from these two events will go to MCSBC Friends with aims of supporting the rowing club with equipment, race and transport fees. Information about sponsorship of this event and information on the club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.
Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC
Beacon Article (February 2009)
I am writing in reply to a letter in last week’s Monmouthshire Beacon (4-02-09) from E.James, which compared the appearance of the ‘class of 88’ and today’s pupils at Monmouth Comprehensive School.
I would like to point out that the ‘class of 1988’ was a formal official school photograph with obvious attention to smartness and uniforms. The recent photo this is compared to was taken during a busy school lunchtime at the naming of a new Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club (MCSBC) boat. Admittedly pupils are wearing coats, have school bags on their backs and are not formally lined up, and may not look their smartest. However the purpose of the occasion was to celebrate the great achievement of the Friends of MCSBC and club members, through hard work, support and fundraising to be able to purchase, and name, a new boat.
This ‘scruffy bunch’ has successfully represented their school at prestigious events, with dignity, pride and enthusiasm against many nationally well known and well funded private school boat clubs. We take pride in both our appearance and performance on these occasions. We are proud of our school and being able to represent it with high standards of behaviour and maturity at training sessions and events.
Please don’t judge these comprehensive school teenagers solely on appearance as many people seem to do, but appreciate instead how committed to our sport we are, and what we achieve.
MCSBC is the only comprehensive school based rowing club in the country and has a fantastic record of achievements in Heads/Regattas and National Events, with past and current members having achieved selection for Wales. MCSBC is about dedication, commitment and teamwork.
I am proud to be a member of the boat club and of a group of fun-loving, responsible and committed athletes and coaches to whom appearance is not always the top priority. I only hope that others don’t make similar assumptions on appearances and instead celebrate our achievements.
Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC
Newsletter (November 2008)
Racing for Wales At the end of the Summer, three senior athletes from the school Boat Club, trialled for the Wales team and won places. Han James and Jo Clarke won a bronze medal racing for Wales at the National Championships in the coxed four, whilst Louis Paterson won a superb gold medal. This was the first National Championships gold medal ever won by one of our athletes.
At the Home International Regatta on the following weekend, the athletes raced on Wales’s home course at Cardiff Bay with great style and Louis once again won a gold medal, this time racing in the “blue riband” eights event against the Home Nations of England, Ireland and Scotland. This was the first time in the 30 year history of the event that Wales had won the eights event
For our home event at Monmouth in September, the school entered 19 different boats from Year 10 to Year 13. Amongst many good performances for the early season, Georgia Hancock won her J16 class with ease.
Pangbourne Junior Sculls is a major early season event with 450 boats from many different schools (we were the only comprehensive school!). At this event several Year 10 crews went rather well, with Amelia Greenstreet, Katrina Stockton, Molly Brett, Kim Morgan and Sam Royston (cox, Year 11) coming 6th our of 16 entries. Georgia Hancock again won her event by 13 seconds in a time of 12:21, despite a collision on the course with a girl unwilling to let her by! She teamed up with Hana Jones to take a splendid 2nd place in the double sculls event.
Training is now well underway for the club’s largest ever event with 47 athletes due to race in 25 different crews at Wycliffe near Gloucester in early December. The picture shows the Year 10 athletes working on their fitness and technique on the “ergo” rowing machine in preparation for the event.
Full details of the Boat Club’s activities and the invaluable support provided by the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.
School Magazine (April 2008)
MCSBC “Half Marathon to Henley”
The athletes at Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club are always looking for more ways of fundraising for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club Charity. The boat club had set two world records on the rowing machine having risen over £12,000. So when a Half Marathon was suggested, the thought was that it would be good to try something new and take many rowers out of their comfort zone of the rowing machine and make them run!
On the 1st of March after a week of cold wet weather the morning dawned sunny and surprisingly warm for the time of year and 45 members of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club embarked on a half marathon. The regattas at Henley are major targets for our athletes and represent a peak of athletic achievement, so the town provided a suitable focal point for what was a tough, but achievable challenge for all our members. The route followed the River Thames to Henley.
The day itself had many perks with, every member completing the distance be it walking or running in small groups. I myself had never run anything of that kind of distance before, and was very scared at the prospect of a Half Marathon, My group and I battled on and also managed to get lost around Marlow running around the town centre for what felt like forever! We even managed a sprint finish! The day was enjoyed by all, with everyone feeling as if they had achieved.
The early paper total is close to £4,530 being with a possible £700 alone from the Gift Aid raised for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club. I am extremely proud of their athletes for all their hard work and efforts, and would like to thank all the parents and coaches that helped make this day a very enjoyable one for all.
Kirsty Usher MCSBC Captain
Newsletter (March 2008)
Wycliffe Big Head In early February, the Year 11 crew of Susannah Price, Meghan-Rose Rigby, Lucy Clarke and Kathryn Ing won their event by a huge margin of 47 seconds in a time of 18 mins 28 secs. This was a great reward for a lot of training done over the Winter and they beat a crew that has frequently beaten them in previous years.
Half Marathon to Henley This sponsored event was the rowing big annual fund raising event. Held on the 1st March, 49 students completed the event along the banks of the River Thames finishing at the home of rowing in Henley. Many athletes ran the distance, with the event being supported by many parents (several of whom also ran). The final total is estimated at a fantastic £4,800 raised including Gift Aid for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat, who support rowing activities at the school.
Avon County Head In mid March, a Year 10 crew of Oliver Usher, Sam Dawson, Tom Scrivens and George Horn coxed superbly by Sam Perkins won their event and gained selection for the school in the Wales & West of England team at the Inter-Regional Regatta in April. Florence Newsome, Year 8, won her first event in the single scull.
“Why Do I Row?”
When I am asked this question I always struggle to come up with a simple answer. Friends and family see the chapped, blistered hands, the muscular shoulders, the constant training, and think themselves the sensible ones and us slightly insane.
Yes, there are times when I agree with them as the muscular shoulders start stretching tops, and the tan-lines across the biceps and thighs from those sunny race days as the lycra race kit is engraved on you. Also the slightly haggard look that comes from early morning training on 6am alarm calls and the windswept weather-beaten look that you can never quite get rid of.
So why do we get involved in this sport? Common answers are, “I was tall so someone told me I should row” or “My brothers and sisters have done it so thought I would have a go”. Most mention their competitive streak, or refer to inspiration from a particular sportsperson. Mine was mainly that I wanted to try a new sport and to experience a different type of water sport.
For me, the pull of sport has always been getting out into the open air, being part of a team, the intensity of competition and the drive to do your best. Not for the slog of training, but for those moments of magic, when it all comes together and produces a performance better than you had thought possible. I suppose that’s why so many people follow their football or rugby team with such passion. Those extraordinary moments in sport, when you feel part of something special and something bigger than yourself such as when Wales beats England in any sport but especially in rugby during this current ‘Six Nations’.
So why rowing? Why this incredibly demanding, time-consuming, exhausting,
unglamorous and most frustrating of sports? To be proud of being part of
probably the hardest sport under the sun (and rain, and wind…), but more
importantly to have a laugh with your crew mates and to take the mick out of
each other whilst you’re doing it. To end with a confusing pleasure and pain
after a 20km training session in single sculls is ‘fun’; and the side by side
regattas of 2km that you push yourself to the point of vomiting in racing
‘hilarious’. But truly an amazing sport that keeps you healthy and boosts your
self-esteem to become not only confident in yourself but also in sport as well
as increasing your pain threshold. Rowers are a weird bunch, but I love being
one.
Hannah James on the left and Laura Riddell on the right.
Hannah James, Girls Senior Squad
The “Anna Woodman”
As rowing at the school continues to grow, we have looked to expand our fleet of boats enabling as many students as possible to row at the highest standards. The most recent purchase is a high performance racing double scull. In its first race shortly before Christmas, the boat was sculled to a win by Jo Clarke and Meghan Rigby.
The boat has been named “Anna Woodman” after our recent captain. Anna made a major impact on the club during her time as a student, with two years as Club Captain. Amongst her major achievements was the organisation of our 24 hour world record, which still stands 3 years later. We were delighted to invite Anna to name the boat after herself in traditional style. Anna is now a qualified coach and accompanied us on our annual training camp to Belgium.
Newsletter (November 2007)
The school Boat Club had an excellent end to Summer 2007 with wins at Llandaff Regatta in Cardiff for three crews and several athletes gaining their first win!
Congratulations to Louis Paterson and Rhian Truman on becoming the latest members of the club to represent Wales. Louis is now preparing for Great Britain trials this winter.
The new season has started very well with a record racing membership of over 50 athletes. With wins in our first few events against strong opposition and plenty of very good performances, hopes are high for even more wins in the months ahead.
The Boat Club has recently applied for and received a grant from the Community Chest for £1,000. This invaluable funding has been matched by a further £1,000 from the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club and has been used to purchase two very stable training boats. The “Friends” are our parental support group who have recently been registered as a charity. We are very grateful for their continued support.
Newsletter (Oct 2006)
The end of the Summer Term saw Merryn Roberts (club captain) gain her second cap rowing for Wales at the Home International Regatta. The club has now had continuous representation on the Wales team for the last four years.
With more athletes in the Boat Club than ever, this year promises to be to offer plenty of variety both in training and in competition. We welcomed a significant number of new members to the Senior Club. These athletes started rowing in our beginner sessions in the Summer Term. Some of these members have already raced for the school and we hope to see many more of them racing in the months ahead.
More experienced members of the club have got the season off to a successful start; Ryan Price (Year 13) and Andrew Ing (Year 12) won Senior 4 double sculls at Monmouth Autumn Head of the River Race. Susannah Price and Lucy Clarke (both Year 9) had excellent rows at the same event, with Susannah unfortunate not to win due to a quirk of the event organisation.
At Worcester Head of the River Race, just two weeks later the sixth form girls had a very successful time with Jo Clarke, Hannah Clarke, Merryn Roberts and Kirsty Usher all winning in double sculls, with excellent rows. The event also saw the Year 10 girls’ quadruple scull of Lucy Clarke, Meghan-Rose Rigby, Kathryn Ing, Susannah Price and cox Lucy Amos win their event against local rivals Haberdashers’ Girls School and Kings Worcester.
Over the Summer, the club refurbished several boats in its fleet at a cost of some £2,000. This was paid for totally by fund raising by members combined with invaluable support from the club’s parents’ support organisation, the Friends of MCSBC. We are very grateful for their continuing support.
The opportunity to start rowing at the school is open to all students from Year 8 upwards. Swimming tests are held at the end of the Easter Term, with rowing sessions being held weekly throughout the Summer Term for beginners.