|
Post by Oldreliable on Aug 9, 2010 10:09:19 GMT
I'm just curious to see what peoples thoughts are on the September Championships?
Are people who raced in July still motivated to go on until September or was the old way the best?
|
|
|
Post by catchup on Aug 9, 2010 10:24:59 GMT
I think if people take on board that you don't train through the summer and you take your 2 week break it is very doable. There is a guide to training just gone up on the union website that helps you plan your training.
|
|
|
Post by overseer on Aug 9, 2010 11:12:14 GMT
The season should have ended at the end of July with all the events at one regatta.
Rowers and coaches get their break and the new season starts in September or October. How many rowers will be changing clubs between the two championship dates due to starting at university, leaving university or leaving school. Should a rower not be moving on? Might they be prevented for competing for a school/college as they have finished the course? Who does a junior now signed up for a college compete for?
|
|
|
Post by mhughes on Aug 9, 2010 12:13:31 GMT
Re Overseer..... the season did not end in July because the clubs of Ireland decided on the matter at the last AGM. That was how it was ordained almost a year ago and now we must adjust and get on with it regardless of our personal feelings on the issue.
As long as the rower is registered with their "new" club in sufficient time (which is very soon) they can choose to compete with either their old ore "new" club in September. That is an athlete's freedom of choice given the situation that now prevails. We must let the athlete make their own mind up on this one I feel.
There is another possible benefit for juniors who were J15 in July, may also be moving on to compete J16 in September in preparation for their 2011 season as an example. Likewise J14 going forward to J15.
|
|
|
Post by bowman on Aug 9, 2010 13:14:46 GMT
I think the old format is much better because rowing 12 months of the year is just too much.
|
|
|
Post by sculler1 on Aug 9, 2010 13:35:40 GMT
I have been training for the last 10 months solid with no break. Twice a day every day. Really starting to hate rowing. Cant take a break after champs because we have to start training for trials. Tell me how thats fair on me? I have had absolutely no summer and I wont have a summer next year either. Where i row our junior membership has dropped since big boat champs and i can see membership dropping even more next year. Its a good job we have a few rowers who are very dedicated to the sport or we would have no club left.
Sorry for the rant at the start.
|
|
|
Post by Oldreliable on Aug 9, 2010 13:58:59 GMT
Most rowers I've spoken to who are training for the September Championships have had the same kind of rant and I don't blame you.
I might be wrong in saying this but I just get the feeling that the people who voted to run two seperate championships are no longer rowing and they are probably administrators of the club. If the vote was put to the athletes themselves I think the result would have been a totally different outcome.
|
|
|
Post by stonecold on Aug 9, 2010 14:01:39 GMT
I, and most rowers and coaches in our club, think that the season has just been too long. We have some rowers continuing to September but I really hope that the Champs revert back to one event next year, in July/Aug/Sept, whenever clubs decide at AGM. Am I correct in thinking this is just a trial for this year? If so, when would clubs prefer the Pot to be held, July as before? The introduction of Grand League is a success (overall) with some teething issues, but generally good addition to calendar. We tried the split of Champs and general feeling is it isnt going to work this way..personal opinion, put them back together over 2/3 day event (Thurs-Sat)
|
|
|
Post by waughboy on Aug 9, 2010 14:12:38 GMT
Put em back together..
Or atleast rotate the order the 2 champs go. This year the big boat events were the first champs and the small boat champs will be the september champs. This means people who rowed the big boat champs can have there summer break as per usual while the scullers cant. So if ya rotate it next year scullers will have a break and sweep rowers wont have a break.
Just an idea, a bit of give and take to find a balance of some sort.
|
|
|
Post by mhughes on Aug 9, 2010 14:44:10 GMT
If I am permitted a personal opinion on this subject........
I would prefer a single event situation, 3 days and maybe even a fourth to work the programme through but I would pitch it in the middle of August instead of July. 2nd or 3rd weekend of that month.
There is a huge cost associated with the double event that will not be sustainable and this more than anything will force the issue in my opinion.
However, I think that going back to mid-July is not an acceptable situation either so we must continue to expand the season somewhat and keep making improvements to our domestic calendar. Mid July is "reverting to type" which is not necessarily a good thing normally.
We have taken a step away from the old ways so let us keep going.
|
|
|
Post by overseer on Aug 9, 2010 14:44:12 GMT
Rotate the order of championships!
This would be even worse! Look at the number of universities and schools racing in championship events for VIIIs and IVs. How many of them would be able to stay together during the summer break?
The Junior and Senior worlds should mark the end of the season.
The September championships are dead in the water.
|
|
|
Post by Oldreliable on Aug 9, 2010 15:01:52 GMT
I think a mid-July Championship is ideal for a number of reasons. It's just before all the main International events which in the past the results of the Championships helped with final Junior selection for The Coupe / Home Internationals. Crews who go to Henley Royal can hold onto their form and don't have to peak again. You get a proper break for the summer. The rowing clubs can start recruiting beginners in August and get them on the water when the weather is good and the necessary people are available.
|
|
|
Post by mhughes on Aug 9, 2010 15:42:55 GMT
Oldreliable.... I disagree (but not too vehemently I hope).
your quote: "I think a mid-July Championship is ideal for a number of reasons. It's just before all the main International events which in the past the results of the Championships helped with final Junior selection for The Coupe / Home Internationals."
.... I think that we managed fine to pick these crews for these events prior to the 2010 championships this year, and now that we have a system of selection that does NOT rely on championships there is no logical link.
your quote: "Crews who go to Henley Royal can hold onto their form and don't have to peak again."
.... As a Rowing Ireland person, I cannot see the relationship between HRR and the Irish Championships which is a confined event. If you prefer HRR to a Championship win then that is YOUR choice but RI treats a HRR win as a status win for the athlete and no more.... The Irish Championships win is a matter for the record books of the administration of our sport. RI cannot and should not have to pander to the minority of rowers (less than 70 usually) who compete at HRR however worthy it is. RI must cater for all Irish rowers.
On the Summer break syndrome: this is one that I personally have never fully understood....and I know that to some it appears even more important, than HRR or even rowing itself..... I can make my life fit around my sport without any great difficulty and I take my breaks (in Summer) like everybody else.. I just don't have to do it in a particular pre-determined time slot in the year in some pre-ordained life cycle from an in-built biological time-clock. It's pretty obvious that this argument does not fit into my head, ever, and I know it always irritates me because I feel that it's relevance to the Sport is tenuous in the extreme. I would debate all other arguments except this one.
If the necessary people are available in August to coach beginners and when the weather is good ....... so there IS no issue after all.....
|
|
|
Post by socrates on Aug 9, 2010 16:21:04 GMT
It will all become clear in a few weeks when we see how many people turn up and what the standard is like. Personally I think (and hope) that it will be a disastrous entry, and we can go back to having the championships in July.
As for mhughes, you boast that you have no problem fitting sport around your life for 50 weeks a year. Are you training twice a day for three quarters of that time, and faced now with getting back in a boat now for a September championships, followed by the start of the trials process etc? It is not the ability to fit something into your life - it is the fact that I am sick of it, as are many in my club, and need a break before hitting the training schedule again, which whether you like it or not, will co-incide 100% with the UK training and racing calendar - ie. peaking at the start of July for Henley.
|
|
|
Post by Oldreliable on Aug 9, 2010 16:47:12 GMT
M Hughes - I dunno why I'm getting into this but I never stated in any of my points that I prefer Henley Royal Regatta over the National Championships. I was simply stating that crews who do go to Henley, can hold onto their form when they return to Ireland and don't have to do the peak training again for the Championships. A later Championship means the crews have to wind down and build themselves back up to compete at a peak for the championships.
"I think that we managed fine to pick these crews for these events prior to the 2010 championships this year, and now that we have a system of selection that does NOT rely on championships there is no logical link" - I agree but I wasn't questioning the selection process / I was merely stating that the Championships is a good tool for selection finalisation, as in theory the best oarsmen/women in the country should be winning their national titles.
With regards the holiday break - it is a personal choice yes but the summer months are when normal people like to get away for a break. Or in a students situation go home for the summer after they have finished college and not to be hanging around until the end of the summer to only get home for the two weeks before college starts again.
My point about August is that the coaches who would normally help out with recruitment in that month, their time is now taken up looking after their crews for the later championship, therefore the recruitment is lacking the resources it would normally be able to avail of.
|
|