Rowing as a sport has two forms, on the water and on the rowing machine. It is also a sport which has been struggling to grow with variations of on water competitions not reaching the ultimate success and growth that was hoped for such as the Power8’s, a prospect which had huge potential . Because of this there could be a greater push for implementing rowing on the ergo into the wider audience. This has started to be done by individuals such as Kieran Clark who is bringing formal rowing coaching into the CrossFit world as well as Alex Gregory who is raising awareness of the rowing machines benefits to overall health and fitness through his company Fluenta. Moreover, British Rowing have recently partnered up with Association of Colleges Sport (AoC Sport) in the ‘Introducing’ Campaign to improve the uptake and accessibility of indoor rowing for college students.
Firstly, campaigns in schools, colleges and universities are vital for introducing children and young adults to a sport they probably haven’t been exposed to unless they have been to a private school. This can make students look into to finding their local rowing club which will allow them to try out rowing on the water therefore increasing the uptake of indoor rowing but also having a positive knock-on effects on the local rowing clubs and the attendance of rowing on the water. In fact, as part of the National School’s Games, indoor rowing competitions have been set up in several counties since 2013, engaging an estimated 10,000 young athletes each year, but even when in partnership with British Rowing, why is it that these numbers don’t translate to the water?
Moreover, improving the public’s understanding of indoor rowing such as the most efficient technique or possible workouts to complete on the machine will ensure that gym goers and rowing machine owners make greater use of the machines. The more of the public that can commit to purchasing and/or using rowing machines the more they will learn and understand the benefits of rowing. This may then entice people to try rowing on the water at their local club which will see a high intake for learn to row courses therefore bringing in more money for the small local clubs to grow.
Other sports may also benefit from indoor rowing training either because there is indoor rowing within their sport such as CrossFit or their sport uses the same or similar muscle groups such as swimming and rugby. Time could be spent by rowing coaches to help incorporate indoor rowing into the training programmes of CrossFitter’s, swimmers and rugby players. This will further increase the exposure of rowing and the benefits of it to other groups of athletes and may raise their attention to take part in indoor rowing events and begin to spectate on-water rowing events.
Overall, indoor rowing could have the potential to increase the popularity and publicity of rowing in general. With the opportunities for rowing coaches to further their coaching to other sports and the general public, the awareness for the sport will accelerate. Indoor rowing is much more accessible than on-water rowing due to ergo’s being located in most gyms and having the potential to be located within individual’s homes. This means that there is a larger potential market to expand the sport into and once they are introduced to the rowing machine, the chances that they will then want to try on-water rowing will certainly increase.
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