Please see the following UPDATED schedule for your boating lineups and training days until CSSRAs:
Monday, June 1st: Sr. Men’s 1x – Luke Jr. Men’s 1x – Erik Jr. Men’s 2x (Justice) – Harrison & Lucas Sr. Men’s 2x (Bishop Ryan) – Max & Kieran
PM: Club 1x (Luke) option with Alethia Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x (Justice) – JJ & Cooper with Alessandra
Tuesday, June 2nd: Sr. Men’s 1x – Luke Jr. Men’s 1x – Erik Jr. Men’s 2x (Justice) – Harrison & Lucas Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x (STM) – JJ & Cooper
PM: Sr. Men’s 2x (Stocks) – Max & Kieran with Alessandra
Wednesday, June 3rd: (Derig/Trailer Loading) Sr. Men’s 4x (Ad Astra) – Luke/Max/Kieran/Erik Jr. Men’s 2x (Justice) – Harrison & Lucas Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x (STM) – JJ & Cooper *derig the Ad Astra, Justice, and Stocks after practice and load to the trailer
PM: Club 1x (Luke) option with Alethia before car-topping & transporting 1x to St. Kitt’s
Thursday, June 4th (St. Kitt’s Practice Day): Practice at LBC:
Sr. Men’s 72kg 2x (STM) – JJ & Cooper Practice at St. Catherine’s: *Luke & JJ away for graduation formal *Meet Alessandra at 11am in Westdale Secondary School parking lot by the gates to the football field. The bus will leave immediately following attendance.
Jr. Men’s 1x
Jr. Men’s 2x
Sr. Men’s 2x
Friday, June 5th – Sunday, June 7th = CSSRAs (info can be found here).
Please review this schedule carefully and contact me if you have any questions/concerns.
I’m aware that some of you are being asked to train occasionally during the PM session in order to accommodate equipment availability. Please understand that this is due to equipment limitations and boating ratio limits. If anything changes, I will let you know immediately. I appreciate your flexibility during this final week.
You’ve made it! We’re now heading into the final few days before our biggest regatta of the season, the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Championships, hosted by the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association (“CSSRA”).
Now that the races are just a few days away, I’m posting some very important information about the training, racing, and year-end party.
*Extremely Important*As explained in the document, Dina Gadsdon (parent rep) has been coordinating the food signup for the Parents’ Tent. If each family can sign up for approximately $30-40 worth of food, then food costs for the full weekend will be covered. You can sign up to contribute food items by clicking here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19QGcBLPnAkXrf_mbyEYnfRKv3XYEnkdfTfHKK-9JvIA/edit?usp=sharing
Any questions regarding food signup (explained in the Parent Info document) should be sent to Dina Gadsdon (Dina’s contact info is also listed in the info document).
TRAINING & RACING INFORMATION:
1) De-rigging on Wednesday, June 3rd All boats must be derigged on Wednesday morning and loaded on the trailer following practice.
For the Men’s Team: The following boats must be derigged & loaded on Wednesday AM:
-Ad Astra (Luke/Max/Kieran/Erik)
-Stocks (Max/Kieran/HSC athletes)
-Justice (Harrison/Lucas/JJ/Cooper)
The following boats can be derigged anytime before Thursday’s practice in St. Catharines:
-Gadsdon 1x *must be car-topped (practicing on Thursday AM)
-Heinbecker 1x *must be car-topped
2) Thursday Practice (June 4th): All athletes racing CSSRAs are expected to attend Thursday’s practice in St. Catharines, unless otherwise discussed with a coach. All athletes should meet me (Alessandra) at 11:00am at the entrance to the football field at the back of Westdale Secondary School. We will then take attendance & board the bus. I’ll be supervising the bus ride, and the other coaches will meet us there. For liability reasons, all athletes are expected to take the bus.
Practice Plan: -Arrive, rig boats & clean, eat lunch
-Session 1 (approx. 1-2:30)
-Debrief & snack
-Session 2 (approx. 3-4:30pm)
-Debrief & pack up *Each session enables crews to go in primary and secondary boats. Session time includes warmup, cooldown, and stretching. If you only have one boat to practice in on Thursday, then please bring extra homework/etc.
You must bring: -water
-food (bring a lunch & LOTS of snacks – we’ll be at the course from 12-5pm)
-change of clothes
-workout/training clothes (ideally NOT showing Westdale colours – it’s a tradition to wear non-school clothing so that other crews can’t tell which school you’re from until the day you race)
-yourself, on time (11am)
3) Preliminary Race Draw: The preliminary race draw has not yet been posted, but will be made available soon on the CSSRA website. Please check the main website to find a copy of the draw once it’s posted by clicking here: http://www.cssra.ca/
You must bring your unisuit, student ID (or photo ID with date of birth), food/water, sunscreen, and change of clothes. We also recommend that you bring a tent or place to rest in the shade. Arrival times for crews will be posted on Thursday, June 4th, once the race draw has been finalized.
YEAR-END PARTY:
Our End-of-Year Party will take place at 7pm at the Westdale Kelsey’s on Main St. West (across from the school) in the downstairs party room (basement section). All athletes and parents are invited. This includes athletes that practiced in afternoons OR mornings, injured athletes, and/or rowers that have already completed their season with the City Champs. The event is for everyone.
We will be handing out the following awards (***oooooh, ahhhh, awards!***) at the party:
-Jr. Men’s & Women’s Indoor MVP
-Sr. Men’s & Women’s Indoor MVP
-Jr. Men’s & Women’s Outdoor MVP
-Sr. Men’s & Women’s Outdoor MVP
-Men’s & Women’s Rookie of the Year
We will also be announcing any relevant information concerning Summer Rowing & Heart and Stroke Rowing opportunities.
Are you missing your favourite yellow-capped water bottle? (Featuring: water! included! FREE!)
How about your beautiful blue water bottle? (Featuring: humid precipitation droplets! included! ALSO FREE!)
Or even your lovely green Thinsulate Woods “Lite-Loft” insulation bag to carry your crucial camping gear? (Featuring: NOTHING ELSE, JUST THE GEAR! what a win! TOTALLY FREE!) BECAUSE THEY ARE MISSING YOU SO MUCH.
They want to go home. Please, give them a home. They don’t like living with me. Seriously. I’m cruel and leave them alone in the den gathering dust. This is no life for a water bottle or air-mattress carrier.
So, if these are your items OR if you think you know the items’ owners (even if they’re from another school), please contact me so I can return these sad, lonely items to your possession.
Please see below for some important notes regarding boatings, weekly workouts & coaching arrangements, and our team yearbook photo booking.
1) Team Photo for Yearbook – Thursday, April 30th @11:18am (start of lunch) meet in foyer (by auditorium doors)
We just received notice (today) that the Westdale Rowing Team is to be photographed for the Yearbook this Thursday, April 30th, at the start of lunch – 11:18am – just outside the school’s front doors. All rowers should meet in the foyer just outside the auditorium on the first floor at 11:18am sharp.Please wear either green & gold coloured rowing gear (jacket/sweater/unisuit/etc.), or other Westdale athletics gear.
2) Men’s Team Boatings & Coaching This Week
Wednesday AM: *I will be in the hospital tomorrow (Wednesday) morning for an EEG, so I’ll come to drop off the lights with Tom before heading to the hospital & Tom will coach you for practice.
Erik – 1x (Blue Pill)
Kieran/Max – 2x (Chuks)
JJ/Cooper/Harrison/Lucas – 4x (Ad Astra)
Luke – OFF Wednesday PM: Erik (1x); Will/James (StM 2x) – with Alessandra/Hudson
Thursday AM: *depends on boat availability – if reduced availability, primary crews will be sent out (4x/2x/2x)
Erik – 1x (Blue Pill)
Luke – 1x (Private)
Kieran/Max/Harrison/Lucas – 4x (Ad Astra)
JJ/Cooper – 2x (St. Mary’s) *TEAMPHOTOAT11:18AM– MEETINWESTDALEFOYEROUTSIDEAUDITORIUMIN GREEN/GOLDROWINGGEAR* Thursday PM: Erik (1x); Will/James (StM 2x) – with Alessandra/Hudson
Friday AM:
Erik – 1x (Blue Pill)
Luke – 1x (Private)
Max/Kieran/Cooper/JJ – 4x (Ad Astra) Friday PM: Arnaud/Lucas/Harrison/Will/James (Hudson 4+) – with Alessandra/Hudson
Saturday @5:45AM:*Tom will be covering for my coaching as I will be in hospital. There will be no 10am practice this day.
Max, Kieran, Harrison, Lucas – 4x (Ad Astra)
JJ, Cooper, Erik, Luke, Will, James, Arnaud – OFF
If changes need to be made to the boatings then I’ll be sure to inform you before practice. This week we’ve got some boat-juggling to do based on numbers, equipment repairs, and athlete availability given Junior National Trials, so please be patient.
3) Women’s Team Boatings (AM/PM) & Note for the PM Rowers
For the AM athletes: Mike will provide a breakdown of the women’s crews this week, but please expect to be split into smaller groups for secondary crews (i.e.: training in smaller boats), pending boat availability. Remember: Thursday at 11:18am is our team yearbook photo. Please meet in the foyer just outside the auditorium at 11:18am sharp.
For the PM athletes: Tom & Peter will be coaching you this week at the regular practice times in regular quad boatings or quad/double groups. Focus will be on rowing all four together (timing and blade depth), and learning how to “push” or connect with the legs off of the catch and during the drive. Also, please note that our team photo will be taken at 11:18am for the yearbook (meet in foyer outside auditorium).
4) Weekly Workouts:
Wednesday – 2x29min pyramid (5/4/3/2/1; 5min rest) starting SRs = 18; 20 (top SRs = 26/28) *quick turns in valley & slip
Thursday – 2x2km Time Trials (SR 22; SR 26; 5min rest); 30min tech row after TTs are done
Friday – 3x2km Leap Frog (SR 24 “off”; SR 32 “on”); focus on ratio & power efficiency at higher rate
Saturday – 2x12min (1′ hard, 1′ light); 6min rest between pieces; focus on solid pressure; follow up with tech row & practice starts (1/2, 1/2, 3/4, full, build five, hold 10, settle *can be amended slightly for each crew).
First off, CONGRATULATIONS to ALL of you for a fantastic job during your first week on the water (yes, we’ve only been on the water for a week, and we’re already ahead of where we were this time last year!). I’m proud to say that Westdale is one of the few schools that has not yet capsized, and that all our crews have been picking up the on-water rowing technique quickly.
Now that we’ve had a chance to settle into the swing of things, there are a few important things to note:
1) Launch Times & On-Dock Rules
Athletes are expected to arrive at 5:15am, set up the coach boats/oars, check their crew boats on the stretchers (this is mandatory), attach your lights, sign-out in the WSS log book, and then be ON the docks by 5:30am. Crews should be pushing off no later than 5:35am. For the Men’s Team, I’ll be timing your crews. If you need more time, then you should discuss an earlier arrival time with your crew. Launch time is 5:30am.
Please remember that running on the docks is not permitted. Crews are allowed 1 min 30 seconds on the docks (an absolute maximum of 2 minutes), so please be efficient and work with your crew to get on and off as quickly as possible without running (it IS possible). The reason for this time limit is to prepare you for regattas, where officials will limit your dock time, and to ensure a smooth flow of boat launchings at LBC. No crew wants to wait around while another crew sits for five minutes on the dock and prevents others from launching. Let’s try hard to meet these time limits – I’m confident that all of our WSS crews can do this, so let’s do it. Excellence is a habit, and it starts with what you repeatedly do on a daily basis at your own club.
2) Chili Cookoff Fundraising Tally
I’m happy to announce that our Chili Cookoff Fundraiser has raised a WHOPPING grand total of $5136 in profits. This is an HUGE accomplishment, as it is $1397 higher than last year, and the funds can be used to purchase new ergs, cox boxes, and much needed rowing equipment upgrades. A BIG thank-you to all of the parents involved (especially our coordinators, Brock & Dina), and to all of you – the athletes – for assisting in running the event so smoothly. We couldn’t have done it without your volunteering and ticket selling. We really appreciate it!!!
3) Clothing Orders
A friendly reminder that athletes interested in purchasing “swag” orders (i.e.: for optional rowing clothes/crew kit items), your order forms and money are due tomorrow at practice (AM or PM). Order forms can be found here: Westdale Rowing Apparel 2015 (Order Forms)
Please print them & return them during Monday’s practice if you’d like to receive your swag before our first regatta (this is the date by which Regatta Sport needs our order numbers). Feel free to contact Alessandra if you have any troubles with the deadline or have any questions about the orders
4) Training Plan (This Week & Monthly Plan Update)
The finalized monthly training plan will be posted later this week, but this week’s training plan can be found below. You can expect poor wind conditions this week during both AM and PM practices, so please remember that you should be bringing running shoes & appropriate clothing to every practice in case of a dryland training day.
Trying to carry a boat in the wind, it’s like…
We’re already ahead in terms of “number of days on-water” in comparison to where we were last year, but we still have a lot to accomplish despite this advantage. Improvements can be made during dryland workouts too, so just remember that every day between now and CSSRAs is important – regardless of the wind conditions that greet us. You can make a difference by committing to each practice. This is our opportunity to really push ourselves as a team and work hard to reach our goals, both on-water and off. You know what you want, both personally and as a crew. Let’s work for that.
*This week’s boating lineups (i.e.: crew members) for the Sr. Women’s 8+ training days can be found here.
Monday: Water – (FOCUS=POSTURE): Warmup; C6 Row 60min; 2x6k r20; add C1 8x(10-10-10) (1/2 boat takes 10 hard strokes, other 1/2 takes 10 hard, all take 10 hard together) *low rates Dryland Backup – Men on tank/weights first half of practice (60min), Women on run & stairs (60min); then switch.
Tuesday: WATER –(FOCUS=SHIFTING RATES TOGETHER) Warmup; C4 row 90min; 2x”Bridge-Blockhouse-Lifts” (BBL), rates 18/20/22; 20/22/24 (rates “lift” at bridge and blockhouse; start in Valley each time). Dryland Backup – 60min LDR followed by “House of Pain” using track near LBC.
Wednesday: Water – (FOCUS = DISTANCE & HAND LEVELS) Warmup; C6 row 70min; 12-15k, steady state; add trip of (10-10-10) on square Dryland Backup – Ergs (2km) & Core & Run
Thursday: Water – (FOCUS=ACCELERATING TOGETHER ON THE DRIVE) Warmup; C2 row (2x8min; 22/26spm); C6 Tech Row Dryland Backup – fartlek runs + 7 sets of stairs at highlevel bridge; stretching & core
Friday: Water – (FOCUS=BODY SWING & SHIFTING TOGETHER) Warmup; C5 row 70′; 2xBridgeBlockhouse-Slip Pyramid (BBSP) (rates 18/20/22/24 both times; change rates at bridge, blockhouse, and entrance to slip) Dryland Backup – 300 & 40′ run
Saturday: Water – Intro to Race Day -Skills (Turning, Backing, Start Sequencing, Technical Row) Dryland Backup – 45min run; Core Circuit 1; Flexibility Session
5) Men’s Team Boating Schedule for Primary/Secondary Boats *2x from Mike’s crews will join as required:
Monday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Monday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Tuesday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Tuesday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Wednesday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Wednesday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Thursday AM – Sr. M4x, Sr. LWT M2x, Jr. LWT M2x (L/H)
Thursday PM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J), Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x,
Friday AM – Luke 1x, Erik 1x, Sr. LWT M2x
Friday PM – Jr. LWT M4+, Erik 1x, Luke 1x, Jocelyn 1x
Saturday 5:45AM – Luke 1x, Erik 1x, Sr. M2x, Sr. LWT M4+
Saturday 9:30AM – Jr. LWT M2x (W/J)
Sunday 5:45AM – Sr. M2x
Sunday 9:30AM – TBD as required
Crew boats are as follows (a reminder):
Sr. M4x = Luke, Max, Kieran, Erik
Sr. LWT M2x = JJ, Cooper
Jr. LWT M2x (L/H) = Lucas, Harrison
Jr. LWT M2x (W/J) = Will, James
Jr. LWT 4+ = Arnaud (coxswain), Lucas, Harrison, James, Will
Sr. LWT 4+ = Arnaud (coxswain), Lucas, Harrison, Cooper, JJ
Sr. M2x = Kieran, Max
Singles = Erik 1x; Luke 1x; Jocelyn 1x
*If availabilities change, then this schedule will be ammended. I’ll explain the schedule in person tomorrow morning, so if you’re uncertain about something, then please ask me questions and I can explain it all at practice.
1) The Chili Cookoff ticket money is due tomorrow (Wednesday) at the latest. Please send your athletes to practice with either a cheque or cash for the tickets sold (we’re counting on each athlete family to have sold 8 tickets, amounting to $160 per athlete family). If you have unsold tickets, you must also return them tomorrow. This should be done before your practice begins. Ticket money and/or extra tickets should all be given to Brock Gadsdon OR to Alessandra Gage.
2) There will be NO after school practice on Thursday due to the Chili Cookoff. Setup begins at 4pm at Leander Boat Club/Bay City Music Hall, and we want to ensure athletes have time to arrive and assist. Arrival time for setup volunteers = 4pm Arrival time for other volunteers (e.g.: front table, raffle tickets, etc.) = 5:00pm/5:30pm Arrival time for food items = as early as you can while still keeping the Chili hot!
3) Training Plan – The schedule for outdoor season was posted over a week ago and many have forgotten, so I’m reposting the training schedule & plan for the remainder of this week to avoid any potential confusion. To be clear:Afternoon boats training with Alessandra are the singles (Jr. National Team/Spring Trials athletes) and the doubles (girls & boys).
Wednesday, April 15th:
-AM crews @5:15-7:40am at LBC (long distance & tech work – focus: clean finishes & body swing)
-PM crews *JNT/Trial singles & doubles* @3:30-5:30pm *crews with Alessandra off by 4:30pm (I have to work)
Thursday, April 16th:
-AM crews @5:15-7:40am at LBC (long distance & tech work – focus: recovery timing with feathering & squaring)
-CHILI COOKOFF @6pm at Bay City Music Hall (2nd floor of LBC – setup starts at 4pm, event starts at 6pm)
Friday, April 17th:
-AM crews @5:15-7:40am at LBC (mileage & pressure – focus: accelerating together as a crew through the drive to setup balance on the recovery)
-PM crews *JNT/Trial singles & doubles* @3:30-5:30pm
Saturday, April 18th:
-Session 1 (6-8am) at LBC – drill challenge
-Session 2 (10am-12pm) at LBC – drill challenge *crews attending this practice will be posted on Thurs/Friday*
Sunday, April 19th:
-10am-12pm Sculling session with Alessandra & Tom *only specific crews*
Future weeks will be posted this upcoming weekend. Do not expect a plan to be posted before that time, as we are still awaiting information on availability of athletes, boats, and coaches.
4) Videos & Tech Feedback/Analysis – Sr. Men’s 4x, Jr. Men’s 1x, Sr. LWT Women’s 2x
Video analysis for the PM crews (Jr. Men’s 1x & Sr. LWT Women’s 2x), plus the Sr. Men’s 4x from the AM crews, can be found here. Men’s Team & PM group: I will be rotating through footage of all of you, so you’ll all have an opportunity to get video feedback. Please be patient as I complete the rotations.
I hope you’ve all had a relaxing long-weekend. Now that the docks are in we are officially able to get on-water this week. Our first on-water day will be Saturday, April 11th. This is based off of cold-water rules arranged with Steffan, as well as the timing of boat rentals arriving (some of which we require to get on-water). This week is also the coaching swap, so the women will be coached by me (Alessandra), and the men will be coached by Mike.
We’re switching!
A friendly reminder to all parents & athletes: Outdoor Fees must be paid before getting out on-water. Please ensure that you speak with your athlete’s primary coach if you require an alternate payment plan, or if you have any questions about the outdoor fees. Chili cookoff sign-up sheets will be made availabletomorrow as an online Google document, so keep posted for that, and I will also be posting an overview to the blog of the important info from the Chili cookoff presentation tomorrow at that same time.
Training Plan: Monday, April 6th (TODAY, OYOT): ALL ATHLETES – 50-60min run on your own time (long distance, category 6, cardio workout)
Tuesday, April 7th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min warmup jog in middle gym; 20min stair run (basement to 4th floor, in stairwell nearest weight room); 30min House of Pain (3rd floor in partners); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – 10min warmup jog in middle gym; Juniors = 2km erg testing; Seniors = cardio circuit (TBExplained at practice); stretching & debrief with Alessandra
Wednesday, April 8th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min warmup run; dynamic stretching; 2x30min erg w 5min rest (Cat 5 – 6km split + 8s); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – 10min warmup run; 20min stair run tag-team game (3rd floor); 30min House of Pain (3rd floor in partners); stretching & debrief with Alessandra
Thursday, April 9th: 6:30am @WSS *coach swap* Men – 10min suicide & core switches (warmup); Day 1 Weights (original circuit – NOT intensification phase); 20min run (time pending); stretching & debrief with Mike Women – Goal Setting Discussion & Crew Challenge (on the erg) with Alessandra; stretching & debrief
Friday, April 10th: 5:30am***LATER FOR THIS DAY ONLY @Leander Boat Club Men (ALL) – Boat Cleaning & Final Rig Checks; Crew Run & Stairs; Team Meeting with Alessandra Women (AM athletes only) – Rigging of the Rental 8+; Team Meeting with Mike
Saturday, April 11th: 5:45am @LBC Men (AM athletes only) – practice from 5:45-8am Women (AM athletes only) – practice from 5:45-8am Men (PM ATHLETES ONLY – TODAY ONLY DUE TO FIRST ON-WATER DAY): 10:00-11:30am
A friendly reminder that we have our Outdoor Rowing Parents’ Meeting tonight at 7pm in the WSS Library. This meeting is mandatory for all athlete parents, and athletes are also strongly encouraged to attend if they’ve got questions about training schedules (but it’s not mandatory for the athletes). Please ensure at least one parent per athlete (or per family, for parents with more than one athlete on the team) is present at the meeting.
The meeting will last approximately 30 minutes, with some extra time for questions at the end.
We will cover the following:
Rowing fees & waiver requirements + deadlines
RCA/LBC registration
Training schedule (arrival times/departures/mornings vs. afternoons/primary coaches)
Safety requirements (includes cold water rules & coaching ratio restrictions)
Important dates
Chili cookoff logistics (our big outdoor-season fundraiser)
Again, the meeting will last approximately 30 minutes. If you are unable to attend, then please contact your athlete’s primary coach (Men’s Team = Alessandra; Women’s Team = Mike Roche) as soon as possible.
Welcome back from March Break & to the official start of outdoor season training! 😀
WOOHOOO OMG WOOHOO
IMPORTANT DATES FOR PARENTS & ATHLETES:
-Wednesday, March 25th, 3-4pm:SWIM TEST FOR ALL NOVICES @ Dalewood Swimming Pool *mandatory for all new rowers* athletes must wear cold-weather clothing for the swim test in order to mimic falling in the water during the outdoor season – this means LONG SLEEVES & LONG PANTS. Due to the timing, rowers completing the swim test are asked to leave their last period class about 10-15minutes early to give enough time to walk to the pool. -Thursday, March 26th, 7pm:Parent & Athlete Meeting (Outdoor Season Waivers/Chili Cookoff/Training Schedule) @ WSS Library *mandatory for all* -Sunday, March 29th, 12-3pm:Tank Session (*mandatory for all*) @ Welland International Flatwater Centre (directions here: https://goo.gl/maps/ZLgb9) -Wednesday, April 1st, 3:30-5pm: Women’s Team Rigging & LBC Rules @ LBC *women’s team only* -Thursday, April 2nd, 3:30-5pm: Men’s Team Rigging & LBC Rules @ LBC *men’s team only* -Saturday, April 4th, 9-11am+ CREWLUNCH: Docks In @LBC, followed by a crew lunch (whole team). Coxswains & bow-persons will be taken in the coach boat during the docks-in session for a loop around the harbour to observe traffic patterns & safety spots if clear. If required, I can provide a ride for coswains & bow-persons to the crew lunch (if your rides have already left). ***Steffan will also hold a special coxing/bowing clinic from 1-3pm for new coxswains & bow-persons only. I highly advise new coxswains & bow-persons to attend (you can go right after the crew lunch).
NOTE: To the men participating in the MCC exam, I also have my OSCE dry-run on April 2nd at 6pm, so I can bring you all to McMaster Hospital if you need a ride post-rigging at LBC. Just let me know in advance.
TRAINING PLAN MARCH 23rd-29th: *Testing & Movement Screening Week*
Monday, March 23rd: Men – Team Meeting, 30min Erg (20/22spm) + 10min Tech Erg, Stretching & Debrief Women – Team Meeting, Warmup Run, Weights, Cooldown & Stretching/Debrief
Tuesday, March 24th: Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Overview of Movement Screening; Weights/Movement Screen; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; Tech Erg Rotations with Core Circuit (300 circuit/25min tech erg); Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Wednesday, March 25th: *Swim Testing @3pm (Dalewood Pool)* Men – Warmup in Middle Gym, 2km Erg Testing, Core Circuit, Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; Weights; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Thursday, March 26th:*Parents & Athlete Meeting @7pm (WSS Library)* Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Weights & Movement Screening; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; 2km Erg Testing; Core Circuit; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Friday, March 27th: Men – Warmup in Lower Gym, Cardio & Core Circuit; Movement Screening; Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief Women – Warmup; 25min Tech Erg Rotations (run/erg/core); Cooldown & Stretching; Debrief
Saturday, March 28th: OFF
Sunday, March 29th: *Tank Session in Welland* ALL ATHLETES – 12-3pm Tank Session at the Welland International Flatwater Centre (directions here: https://goo.gl/maps/ZLgb9)
Tomorrow – 6:40am (safety video):
A friendly reminder that you should arrive by 6:40am (10min later than normal) for tomorrow’s practice, and you can wear regular school clothes. We will ALL be watching a mandatory safety video for on-water rowing. This is mandatory for every athlete rowing on-water this year, even if you’ve seen it before. Please be on time so that we can start the movie right away. Later in the month we’ll be asking everyone to complete a swim-test. For those of you that have completed bronze cross/NLS/etc., you can skip the swim test ONLY if you bring in a recent, valid, photocopy of your certification. These photocopies/images can be handed to your coach.
Help Needed: Coaching Assessment of Alessandra (quick survey)
I’m in need of honest feedback from athletes I currently coach (not parents) as I’m completing my RCA performance coach certification. Feedback is given through an anonymous survey (so you are encouraged to be honest and specific), and you’ll be asked to identify my weaknesses in addition to assessing my coaching abilities.
Please note:this survey is intended for current athletes that I coach/have coached. If I haven’t coached you, please do not fill out the survey – I need the responses to honestly reflect my coaching abilities (and weaknesses), which can only be done if you’ve had me coach you before. This means all of the men’s team is eligible to participate, and some of the women’s team will be able to participate, but only if I’ve coached you during practice.
Also, please read the survey carefully & please keep it real – I’d appreciate not having prank answers submitted. Here is the survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RLHDRHW
If you can complete the survey by this weekend then that would be extremely helpful – THANK YOU!!! 🙂
Westdale Rowing Community 