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2015 Schools Rowing

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L

LBA

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I am in the boat now Barry.

Some of the GPS Basketball games were boycotted due to talent being acquired. Think that was Scot's if my memory serves me correctly.

So in reality all this huff and puff about the HOR is one race on one day! The majority of the boys then leave the sport. What a shame!

A friend told me she meet a Lorretto Kirribilli coach at McDonalds on her way to SIRC and he was an old Shore boy who was coaching now. So other boys might coach at schools.

The pathways program is for boys and girls interested in pursing a spot in the NSW Crews isn't it. So no talent scouts go to the GPS Regatta's and look for up and coming rowers. Individual rowers would have to attend the selection programs?

So in reality the AAGPS HOR is a very special part of the rowing season but it is two hours of racing on one day. Have decided that I will attend by then I will know my way around SIRC.

Because not all of the racing occurs at SIRC - some are on Iron Cove and Hen & Chicken ?? The boys will end up with harbour / river racing experience as in no lanes and SIRC - held starts and allocated lanes. Good cross section of racing experience then.

I am going to sound like a broken record but what an exciting season ahead of us.
 

behindtheshed

Billy Sheehan (19)
(LBA) The pathways program is for boys and girls interested in pursuing a spot in the NSW Crews isn't it. So no talent scouts go to the GPS Regatta's and look for up and coming rowers. Individual rowers would have to attend the selection programs?

(Barry) In theory, the pathways program is for both boys and girls. NSW Rowing are rounding up the top schoolgirls this Sunday to try out for a pathway eight squad. I think they have thrown the boys pathway eight in the too hard basket as none of the GPS coaches want their rowers to participate in it. The girls are aiming to do a few rows over the course of the season so that they increase their chances of being competitive. The boys may end up rounding up crews to try out for National selection, but it looks like it will all be done after the National champs. This is a whole subject matter in itself, and suffice to say our recent results at junior world champs speak for themselves (17th in the coxless four last year). We are up against countries that put their best junior rowers on the team, and we are not sending away our best rowers from NSW, let alone the rest of Australia.

.........just when I thought you'd forgotten the girls........and Loreto (with one T thanks) is celebrating 25 years this season; don't forget way back in 1988 in mixed races they SMOKED the boys!!!! Now that's something I'd like to see re-introduced at school regattas like PLC/Kings!
 
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behindtheshed

Billy Sheehan (19)
Well, I guess we will see what Skipper and Gilligan can produce with their 3-hour-tours out of the Rose Bay shed. If it was any other school I would think it was creative thinking and training but with Cranbrook somehow it always rhymes with banker.
 
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L

LBA

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My understanding that rowing anywhere near the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House is off limits - the only time that you can row there is on Christmas morning. Clubs have a Christmas morning row - other than that it is a no row zone.

To be frank it sounds bloody dangerous - can you imagine a cruise ship spotting a single sculler - bloody hell. Where is Maritime do they know about this?

There is a world class rowing facility approx 1hr away - I know you have to hire it but if a lot of school got together they could hire the venue for a day. Safety first I say.

I have watched the St Augustine's coach riding a bike and pushing her daughter in a pram - that is dedication and commitment. That little girl has grown up watching Regatta's - I take my hat off to her and the results the school has achieved.

Sorry for the two "t"s in Loreto previously behindtheshed. I will not make that mistake again :)

I think it would be great to have mixed races - bring it I say - can you imagine that. Barry I would ride to the start to see that. I might have to get a lift back but - it would be a 4km round trip. :eek:

My understanding is that the Joeys 1st VIII and 2nd VIII would have had time to bond with their new coaches, just like other crews who have new coaches. But as we have discussed there are so many variables to winning a race - so like I said in the very beginning it might be the crew that makes the least amount of mistakes on the day. If they are all good crews that might be the only difference.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
1. Some of the GPS Basketball games were boycotted due to talent being acquired. Think that was Scot's if my memory serves me correctly.

2. So in reality all this huff and puff about the HOR is one race on one day! The majority of the boys then leave the sport. What a shame!

3. A friend told me she meet a Lorretto Kirribilli coach at McDonalds on her way to SIRC and he was an old Shore boy who was coaching now. So other boys might coach at schools..

Re some of your points above:
1. Yes, Scots. See the School Sporting Scholarship thread ad infinitum for more details.
2. I know of the extreme dedication the top rowers put into GPS rowing, and I am sure some leave the sport just to have a break from the heavy demands placed on elite rowers. Additional reasons for leaving the sport include less extrinsic motivation, a wider range of social attractions, and the "why the heck try so hard when I'm not in the top echelon" excuse. Some gravitate to surf boat rowing and are eagerly sought after by clubs and boat sweeps.
3. Lots of "young old boys" coach in many GPS sports, especially in the younger age groups, while attending Uni. Good pay, hours to suit, keep in touch with the alma mater, etc.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
If the boys train out at SIRC next week, they can find out what it is like to be Loreto Normanhurst - that is their regular training venue, and they spend a lot of time on the bus.
For many years Scots used to bus their rowers from Bellevue Hill to Gladesville early in the morning; they would train on the river and then bus it back to school just in time (hopefully and traffic permitting) for classes to start. It was a debilitating exercise; many rowers slept their way through the school day.
A recent upgrade to the shed at Gladesville included a dormitory where rowers could spend the night. They would bus it out to the shed in the afternoon, train, eat, do supervised homework/study, sleep, get up early and row, and bus it back to school in plenty of time.
it cost a packet but was better for the boys - and results started to improve at that time too.
 

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Thought so - saw it one of the cricket stores on the weekend
31250-cricket-australia-terry-towelling-bucket-hat-740.jpg
 

alfred

Bob McCowan (2)
I am getting excited for the Newington Regatta. I know by this stage the boys are edging to put their training to the test. It will be good to see some results and base judgements for the remainder of the year around these results. I have high hopes that Shore and Joeys will be close competition, however Scots could be darkhorses with a few boys from last year's 8 returning that improved throughout the season and finished 3rd at HOR.
My predictions are:
1. Shore
2. Joeys
3. Scots
4. Riverview
5. Newington
6. Grammar
7. Kings
8. High

I do not know enough about the Cranbrook crew, however from previous posts would rank them between 5 and 7.
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
Thats the one, they dont stay pure white like that for very long. They used to blow off in the wind, and the shrink a fair bit. But then you wet them and they would fit quite well. I cant wait to see the Joey's boys bring back the pink ones.
Joeys never had a pink hat for obvious reasons apart from the fact that it isn't cerise. They traditionally had white terry towelling hats for decades. Stupid assertion. They moved to blue cotton bucket hats before the Legionaire hats came in but the boys hate them and tuck up the flaps. Their choice. Hi vis hats for the crews that train in the early morning are used for obvious reasons.
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
Is it just me or is there a love in between LBA and Barry that may be better suited to eHarmony or Cougar Life?!! Whatever happened to pithy comments based on innuendo, half truths, scurrilous rumours and healthy disdain for other GPS schools??!
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
I am getting excited for the Newington Regatta. I know by this stage the boys are edging to put their training to the test. It will be good to see some results and base judgements for the remainder of the year around these results. I have high hopes that Shore and Joeys will be close competition, however Scots could be darkhorses with a few boys from last year's 8 returning that improved throughout the season and finished 3rd at HOR.
My predictions are:
1. Shore
2. Joeys
3. Scots
4. Riverview
5. Newington
6. Grammar
7. Kings
8. High

I do not know enough about the Cranbrook crew, however from previous posts would rank them between 5 and 7.
Should we be making comments about non-GPS schools on this forum? Cranbrook intentionally don't want to be GPS but love to tuck into the silverware in lower grades. Same with Augustines and Kinross. All good about their programmes but it ain't GPS. Go TAS!!
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
I am in the boat now Barry.

Some of the GPS Basketball games were boycotted due to talent being acquired. Think that was Scot's if my memory serves me correctly.

So in reality all this huff and puff about the HOR is one race on one day! The majority of the boys then leave the sport. What a shame!

A friend told me she meet a Lorretto Kirribilli coach at McDonalds on her way to SIRC and he was an old Shore boy who was coaching now. So other boys might coach at schools.

The pathways program is for boys and girls interested in pursing a spot in the NSW Crews isn't it. So no talent scouts go to the GPS Regatta's and look for up and coming rowers. Individual rowers would have to attend the selection programs?

So in reality the AAGPS HOR is a very special part of the rowing season but it is two hours of racing on one day. Have decided that I will attend by then I will know my way around SIRC.

Because not all of the racing occurs at SIRC - some are on Iron Cove and Hen & Chicken ?? The boys will end up with harbour / river racing experience as in no lanes and SIRC - held starts and allocated lanes. Good cross section of racing experience then.

I am going to sound like a broken record but what an exciting season ahead of us.
The main problem is that GPS schools pick crews ASAP and try and stick with them depending on discipline or enthusiasm. It creates a rarified environment where crews bond (or fracture) and the world revolves around them. It's not dissimilar to GPS rugby where 1st XV players drop away at club level because clubs don't blow smoke up their proverbial. Rowing clubs traditionally form squads for rowing. The selection if often shared around during the season until a final selection has to be made for a state entry or final race.... There are tears but you have to man up. Rowing NSW have to make more effort to approach school rowers. At the end of Year 12, rowing seems years away and the boys are coming straight off rugby. The rugby clubs get in quick and approach them quick smart. More effort is required from Rowing NSW to talent identify rowers and get them into rowing clubs.
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
Based on last weeks Downer Cup it appears that Newington are also in the mix. Saturday will give us the first ideas.
Some random thoughts on The Newington regatta
- it's good to see both st Augustines and Cranbrook with lots of entries. St Augustines have a yr10 VIII entered which I don't think I have seen before
-Kings don't have a 4th Iv entered and their 3rd VIII is mainly the yr10 4th VIII as they have a number of injuries and boys away on exchange
- heard rumours that because of back to back SIRC Saturday regattas some crews will be training there next week. Lots of hours in traffic there
Really?? Surely you can't leap to conclusions about a two horse race on RMS highway... Rowing NSW wouldn't umpire an internal match race. Their time was spent with the HOTP.
 

alfred

Bob McCowan (2)
The main problem is that GPS schools pick crews ASAP and try and stick with them depending on discipline or enthusiasm. It creates a rarified environment where crews bond (or fracture) and the world revolves around them. It's not dissimilar to GPS rugby where 1st XV players drop away at club level because clubs don't blow smoke up their proverbial. Rowing clubs traditionally form squads for rowing. The selection if often shared around during the season until a final selection has to be made for a state entry or final race.. There are tears but you have to man up. Rowing NSW have to make more effort to approach school rowers. At the end of Year 12, rowing seems years away and the boys are coming straight off rugby. The rugby clubs get in quick and approach them quick smart. More effort is required from Rowing NSW to talent identify rowers and get them into rowing clubs.

This may be the case for boys who play rugby and rowing who are decent at both, giving them a choice. But the main percentage of boys not continuing rowing from 1st and 2nd VIII's I would say wouldn't have both rugby and rowing as focus'
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
Cranbrook have been trying for years to row in the GPS, not sure where you got that fact from. They are rowing in the 1st VIII event, so not sure where the lower grade comment comes from.
Pretty sure it's part of their foundation. The point is this is a GPS Rowing forum not CAS. Some comment about their participation is ok but let's not go over the top about them.
 

fpiglet

Darby Loudon (17)
This may be the case for boys who play rugby and rowing are are decent at both, giving them a choice. But the main percentage of boys not continuing rowing from 1st and 2nd VIII's I would say would have both rugby and rowing focus'
The point is still that Rowing NSW or the clubs don't do enough to encourage continuity. With schoolies, HSC and rugby fresh in their minds, more effort needs to be made. The GPS system isn't an easy pathway to club rowing. Clubs leave it up to the rower to truly commit, they assist as much as they can but they are adults and ultimately make their own decision unlike schoolboys who are probably rowing because their dad did.
 
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