Club Committee

2002 - 2003 Manifestos

Men's Lower Boats Captains

MATT CHAMBERLAIN, HUGH COLVIN, DAN HOLLAND and FAN ZHANG

About Hugh

About Dan

I am a first year PhD student studying chemical engineering. I noviced in Lent term and rowed for the Lent 4th VIII. In May term I will be rowing for the 3rd VIII.

About Fan

I am a first-year compsci. I noviced in the 3rd boat in Michealmas term and rowed for the 4th VIII in the Lent term and May term.

About Matt

I am a first-year compsci. I noviced at 1st and 3rd in Michaelmas, rowing in the 1st Novice VIII, the 2nd Lent VIII, and the 3rd May VIII. I have gained experience of Boat Club organisation this year through my administration of the Second Trinity Challenge Sculls, and believe that these same skills will be useful as a Lower Boats Captain.

Term aims

Given the potentially-variable profile of novice rowers, we do not intend to commit to quantitative levels of novice performance. However, we very much recognise the value of success as a motivator in rowing. We want novices to acquire a taste for victory, which will both spur on their rowing development and, later, be passed on to the Club as a whole.

We have therefore identified the Clare Novice Regatta and Novice Fairbairns as the highpoints of the novice term, in which we will aim to encourage the highest possible levels of performance from all novice boats.

Novice Recruitment

The major recruitment drive will take place during freshers' week. The established novice recruitment plan - comprising 1st and 3rd representation at the Chaplains' Squash, followed by a dedicated Rowing Squash at which novices can sign up for ergo, bank-tubbing and tubbing sessions -works well, and we would propose to follow this plan next year. We would also like to send flyers to all under- and post-graduate students, catching those (potentially second- or third-years who did not row as freshers) who fall through the net.

We would also put effort into attracting new novices throughout the year, and integrating these rowers into the main squad as soon as practically possible.

Novice Training Plan

The novice training plan will be structured to achieve the twin aims of good technique and a high level of fitness. We believe that this combination will put our novices into the best position to win races.

Good technique will be promoted from the start, beginning with the ergo, bank-tubbing and tubbing sessions. Every outing will be preceeded by a crew chat, identifying the points of technique to be worked on, and concluded by an analysis of how well the outing went. Furthermore, use will be made of crew books to record this information, thus allowing points of technique to be identified and worked on. Smaller boats will be used frequently to build technical skills.

We are keen to guard against over-training, both because this is detrimental to performance, but more importantly because it reinforces negative stereotypes as to the commitment required to row. We have an opportunity, with novices, to instil an anti-faff attitude which should propagate to the Club as a whole, reducing the time commitment required to achieve a given training benefit.

Physical fitness will be developed by a light land-training programme. An attempt will be made to promote a club-wide aerobic circuits night, at which the novices can train with, and meet, the senior rowers. Furthermore, activities such as running and light weights will be organised. Weight induction sessions will be scheduled to facilitate this.

Crew selection will be made the week before the Queens' Ergs Competition. This would be based on rowing technique, fitness and (to an extent) enthusiasm and ability to attend training. The higher novice boats will be encouraged to train and perform to the highest level; in particular the first novice boat will be viewed as a top-level performance zone for those rowers who are looking to work their way into the top boats in subsequent terms.

We will also strive to ensure that all of the novice boats are coxed to a high standard. We will achieve this by ensuring that novice coxes are made to feel an integral part of the crew. Particular emphasis will be placed on proper training for coxes. To this end, we have liased with Andrew Fisher to ensure that coxes will receive high-quality instruction from experienced Cam coxes.

We have also been discussing novice training with Robert Ascott, a past member of the club who is interested in coaching novices in Michaelmas Term. We are hoping to work closely with Robert, so that he can best use his time to offer coaching to the novices.

Social Events

In order to make rowing fun and exciting for novices, it is important to organise a number of off-water events. In particular, we will endeavour to arrange formal halls with women's novice clubs. We will also encourage novices to attend 1st and 3rd Formal Halls, the fireworks BBQ and the Fairbairns Dinner and Bop.

Novice Retention

It is obviously important for the future of the Club to ensure that the maximum possible number of ex-novices continue to actively participate in rowing through the Lent and May terms.

We hope that the measures outlined above will make rowing a popular activity, and that novice rowers will see that they do not need to dedicate all of their time to rowing in order to succeed. Furthermore, we will take every opportunity at the end of Michaelmas to sell the concept of continued participation in the sport, so as to achieve the greatest possible roll-over of novices into senior rowing.

Subsequent Terms

In the Lent and May terms, we will build upon these foundations to promote a strong Lower Boats squad, leading to success in both Bumps. We will start in a squad environment, building technique via smaller boats work, before making crew selections. Each crew will then work to a customised training plan, designed to achieve maximum development and consequent impressive results.

Proposed: John Earl
Seconded: Jon Davies