Row House’s Post

Insightful Rowing News article authored by Madeline Davis Tully regarding the state of assistant coaches in rowing. One theme that caught my attention the most was regarding the women in these positions — pay is so low, that family planning is often impacted and coaches choose not to have children. This also impacts the number of women who stay in coaching. If you can't support a family, and the benefits associated with your position don't allow for a maternity leave or childcare support, women will leave rather than continue coaching. If we don't support our women coaches, they can't support our women athletes. As cited by row2k, "of the 150 head women's rowing coaching positions listed for the 2015-2016 season, 99 were men and 49 women. The ratio was about the same for the 2007-2008 season, the first season with available comparative figures, at 93 to 52. At the assistant coach level, the numbers are reversed; there is an abundance of women who work, or have worked, as assistant collegiate rowing coaches compared to men. The NCAA data base shows that during the 2015-2016 season there were 213 women working as assistant coaches compared to 96 men." Would love to see how these stats have been impacted following the pandemic. Women left the workforce in droves, and the 9 female rowing head coaches who left coaching at the end of last season points to more of the same. How do we fix this?

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"Hello, parents of high school rowers! As you plan your child's summer rowing camps, consider the perfect duo: rowing camp and elite coaching on the erg. These two elements can work hand in hand, creating a harmonious and highly productive experience for your son or daughter. While rowing camp offers valuable on-water experience, adding elite coaching on the erg ensures they master the technical aspects crucial for success. With this combination, your child can seamlessly transition between land and water training, maximizing their potential. Why? Well, for better or worse, the erg score often plays a significant role in your child's future, from making the first boat to getting recruited. Seat racing may come into play, and it's only fair to pick athletes who can truly move a boat efficiently. The good news? What your child learns on the erg translates seamlessly to the water. So, adding elite coaching to their summer lineup won't interfere with rowing camp—it'll enhance it. With this added support, your son or daughter will be poised to excel faster than ever before. Don't miss out on this opportunity to give them a competitive edge!"

This article by Caragh McMurtry OLY is a must-read for anyone seeking inspiration and valuable insights in neurodiversity. While it focuses on the world of rowing, the lessons it imparts are just as applicable to the workplace. Take a few moments to read and reflect on the wisdom shared in this thought-provoking piece. ! #inspiration #lessonslearned #workplacewisdom

Caring is Good, but Loving is so Much Better! Two weekends ago, the annual Boat Race between centuries-old rivals Oxford and Cambridge took place along the Thames River course in London, England. If you’re unfamiliar with the race, it’s a gruelling 4-mile course with side-by-side racing that takes 16 to 20 minutes to complete on average—ouch! It was featured live online, but you can still catch it here on YouTube if you missed it. If you’re not a huge rowing fan, no worries, I get it. Watching a rowing race at the best of times can be like watching bread dough rise. Besides, it’s not really the race per se that I want to highlight. In fact, the only reason I went to have a look was an article I read in the Guardian by Cath Bishop. If that name rings familiar, I’ve referenced her before. She’s a multiple GB Olympian in rowing who won a silver medal in the pair at the 2004 Games in Athens. She’s also an important voice in the evolution of sports culture as she continues to challenge the tough-guy paradigm and help transition the way we coach to a more holistic, athlete-centred one. And if you haven’t read her book, The Long Win, you should. Cath’s article shone a light on the coach of the Cambridge women’s crew, Paddy Ryan. What caught my attention was learning that seven months ago, when he began coaching the Cambridge squad for the first time, he challenged his athletes to build a culture based on “care as a guiding principle of everything we do.” Hmmm, now that’s different! Well, it’s different from what you might hear from a traditional coach, where the years’ purpose and motivating force would likely be built around more traditional themes like “crushing” the competition. And the only time you might hear the term “care” referenced is in describing what they care about… winning! Continued in my Substack. Link below. Enjoy...

In life, the right support can make all the difference. Last year, I had the honor of running a 5k race alongside a remarkable gentleman in his 70s. At the starting line, he looked at me and said, “You look like you're ready to run. Don't leave me too far behind.” I chuckled and replied, “I'll still leave some people for you to beat at the end.” Going into the race, I was filled with nervous energy, driven by thoughts of competition and the desire to do my absolute best. I reflected on the hard work it took for me to lose 40 pounds and reach this level of fitness. As the race progressed, something amazing happened. That man's words of encouragement, combined with the uplifting community of runners around me, propelled me forward. I achieved my personal best time that day. When I crossed the finish line and saw my time, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride. I owe that success to a few simple yet powerful words of encouragement and the supportive environment that surrounded me. It was a poignant reminder of the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who recognize our progress and push us to excel. After the race, I made sure to find him. We embraced and snapped a photo together, a keepsake of that unforgettable day. Even though we were in different age brackets and running at different paces, we were united in our pursuit of the same goal. This experience taught me a valuable lesson about teamwork and community. On our teams, we must remember that we are all running the same race. No matter our pace or path, we must work together to acknowledge, encourage, and support each other across the finish line. #Community #Teamwork #Inspiration #PersonalBest #RunningTogether #SupportEachOther #KeepPushing

“We don’t have a revenue problem in college sports, we have a spending problem,” Texas A&M's Athletic Director Trev Alberts said when asked about the impact on athletic departments from the NCAA v. House settlement provisions. Last week, I discussed reducing NCAA Swimming and Diving roster sizes as a means to cut costs. The SEC proposed roster limits of 22 men and 35 women for their swimming and diving rosters. Ultimately, I believe even those numbers are too high, and won't be enough to keep programs around long term. The University of Florida would need to reduce it's men's roster of 41 in 2024 by nearly 50% to get to the 22 proposed. In looking at the 41, only 20 of those athletes (16 swimmers/4 divers) competed at the NCAA championships this year. We have allowed roster sizes to grow far too big with no profitable return. In looking at the budget of a Power 5 swimming and diving program (men's and women's combined), budgets currently range anywhere from $1.1M to over $2M+ depending on the school. With only 14 scholarships on the women's side & 9.9 scholarships on the men's side, most of the athletes have little to no scholarship money. For a non-scholarship athlete on a Power 5 roster, it is estimated that those athletes account for ~$75k annually. That includes goods (meals, gear, suits, etc.) as well as services (academic support, mental health services, etc.). Even small Division I schools are spending around $600 per athlete strictly on team-issued gear. It is a lot of money to spend on a non-revenue generating entity. I'd argue that a corporation would not keep one of its' nonprofitable divisions afloat year after year just because it had been around for a long time. Especially when there is seemingly no effort being made to find a revenue-generating solution. It is crucial to address these challenges quickly to ensure the longevity of the sport. #LinkedInSports #Swimming #NCAA #SportSustainability

Umpiring at rowing regattas is a great opportunity for extended practice at honing and managing micro-interactions. Over the course of a regatta I come into contact with dozens of crews, and hundreds of competitors. My interaction with each might last anything from a few seconds up to perhaps a minute if I’m checking their boat, weighing in, marshalling or answering questions. Even for those for whom I officiate their race I will only see them for around six minutes. Yet their experience with me can affect their whole regatta. Do they experience me as kind, helpful and supportive, or officious and annoying? Is my communication clear and concise, or muddled and confusing? Is my tone calm and even, or unnecessarily harsh? Does our interaction leave them able to focus on rowing their best race, or distracted and irritated? No matter if it is the 50th crew I’m dealing with, no matter if I’m tired, hungry, too hot or my feet are aching, I want to give each and every crew I interact with the very best experience. It’s vital that I sweat the small stuff, because it matters. That’s my responsibility, and my opportunity. And it’s what I’ve been practising over this past weekend at Henley Women’s Regatta, alongside a very talented and dedicated bunch of umpiring colleagues, all committed to the same. Did I always get it right? No. But I made amends in the moment, and I reflected on and learnt from those moments to do better next time. Nonetheless the awareness, thought and intention behind each interaction is part of what makes me (I hope) a good umpire. And I take the learning with me into the rest of my life and all the interactions I have there too. What I do know is we had some absolutely brilliant racing and lots of positive feedback from crews and coaches that they’d had a wonderful experience. I’m proud to have played a small part in that. #dosweatthesmallstuff #smallstuffbigimpact #microinteractions #leadership #executivecoach #rowingumpire #volunteerlife

My #MondayMotivation newsletter is out! Among the highlights: • This past weekend I did the Hungerford Trail Races 45K, wait no, it was the 15-miler but it was actually 45K. Confused? Check out the newsletter to learn what went down and how I chose joy as I switched to a training day. Also in this issue: • Coping with the emotional aftermath of races. • The benefits of a smaller road race • How to use running as your go-to remedy for stress relief.

⛳🪩Today, we're hitting the golf course! Balancing work and family is key, and moments like these make it all worthwhile. Here’s to making memories and enjoying the game. 🏌️♂️💙 #FamilyTime #Golf #GlobeLifeLifestyle #Kids #GolfGirl #GolfSwing #DaddysGirl #TheJenkinsAgencies #WorkLifeBalance #InsuranceAgent #Career