Learn2Row @ Thames RC
The course typically focusses on the following steps. There may be slight alterations to this depending on the availability of external resources.
Session 1: Capsize Drill Session 2: Boathouse Orientation, Know where changing rooms, toilets, sign out book are. Ergo Basics. Know where certain positions of the stroke are. Session 3: Ergo Push not pull main focus is to get this right . Boat carrying and care. Participants should know parts of boat by end of the session. How to boat on a tidal river. Participants should be able to tell the direction of the tide and how to work out which way is is flowing. Session 4: Confidence drills and skills in quads/doubles including emergency stop. All participants should be able to perform the emergency stop by the end of the session Session 5: By the end if this session, all participants should be able to back down with one hand, and with both hands. Session 6: All participants should be aiming to turn the boat with full strokes, rowing on and backing down. Session 7: Participants should be able to turn a boat using both hands at the same time. Session 8: All participants should be aware of where they should be turning on the river Session 9: All participants should be able to turn the boat in both directions with full strokes Session 10: Participants should be able to turn the boat using both hands at the same time in both directions Session 11: Participants should be aiming to get into a single scull Session 12: Participants should be aiming to complete all confidence drills, full strokes, backing down and turning the boat on the spot in both directionsEvery Tuesday the participants of the Learn2Row are also expected to join in on Cross training evening. This is a Whole Junior Club evening that is about fitness and also meeting the other members of the Junior Squad. Why fitness? The fitter the participants get the more successful they will be on the course.
To ensure a participant gets the most out to of the course we suggest that they stretch regularly at home. In the first week we show them several stretches that they can only benefit from not just in rowing but in life. If you can re-enforce how these can support what they get out of the sessions it would be most helpful.
At Thames we do a different and longer Learn 2 Row course than is standard to other London Youth Rowing centres.
This is due to 2 reasons. Firstly, Thames RC does not have them same availability of big wide boats (these boats are certainly not essential but do have greater stability) that other centres have and Secondly, due to the speed of the water on the tidal Thames, the feedback the participants receive from performing the actions of the rowing stroke are different to those who learn on still water.