In support of junior rowing in the U.K. Oarsport are pleased to announce that the 2016 Oarsport Junior Sculling Head will be our eighth year of major sponsorship for this very successful and rapidly growing event which shows the strength and breadth of junior rowing developing across the country. The event, to be held on Friday 18th March at Dorney Lake, gives aspiring young scullers the chance to perform on the 2012 Olympic regatta course in a safe environment with excellent facilities for athletes and their supporters alike, not to mention the fantastic spectacle of around 90-100 octuples out on the water all at once! Probably the greatest concentration of octuples ever seen.
These junior scullers are our future World and Olympic Champions as well as club captains and coaches, and it is important to encourage them to prosper in the sport, especially with the momentum that has gathered since the London 2012 Olympic Regatta and that “wall of sound” experienced by the GB Rowing Team from formidable home support. From experience, we know that our sport will lead to fitter, healthier, more disciplined and well rounded individuals learning important life skills along the way and we support this wholeheartedly. Indeed, most of the Oarsport staff rowed together in the very successful and top level Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association until it amalgamated with Nottingham Rowing Club in 2006. From training and racing together at this level to working as colleagues in business, we can highly recommend that a rower from this level in the sport will prove to be a major asset to any company. Employers should take note. Drive, determination and discipline comes as standard!
In an effort to encourage youngsters, it is important that they progress within the sport with equipment that is suitable for them in that it is size specific and set up for them to use correctly. It is a big advantage to have access to their own equipment or exclusive use of club equipment where possible. Although some budgets can’t facilitate this, WinTech have produced a range of boats that suit low to higher budgets without being disadvantaged over hull shapes. From Olympic medals to National Schools titles and World Best Times, WinTech have succeeded with each of their three construction types. Commonality of this equipment is also a plus point so that technique or coaching doesn’t have to change too much to get the best out of a boat, and so moving from a lower grade boat to a stiffer and lighter top grade WinTech should not present any problems for rower or coach alike.
Electronics also have a part to play in awareness of what is happening in the boat. From fairly simple StrokeCoaches to SpeedCoaches and other telemetry equipment, if used correctly and data understood and acted upon, electronics can play a large part.
But, regardless of equipment, it is the athlete that is the engine needing to fire on all cylinders, be as close to technically perfect as they can, have the drive to complete the training required and then go out and put that all to the test and hopefully beat thousands of other people with the same mission. Many hours are invested by young people to realise dreams of becoming World or Olympic champions. We can make their journey easier with great equipment, support them through hard times and celebrate with them winning races. The Oarsport Junior Sculling Head is one such vehicle for encouragement and a chance for future GB rowers to shine.
2015 Boys Victor Ludorum Winner – Windsor Boys School
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