PHOTOS; TOP TO BOTTOM; ALASTAIR RIDDLE, GLEN REICHARDT, CHRIS PEARSON, ROB FRANCIS, EJ REICHARDT,LUKE SIMPERINGHAM

Rotorua Rowing Club’s Coaching Team - a winning combination.

Rowing NZ’s ‘Club of the Year’ for 2010-2011. RRC awarded ECNZ Trophy.

RRC is a small rowing club which supports a Masters team of 16, and 54 school rowers from 6 Rotorua District school squads: - Rotorua Girls High School (RGHS), John Paul College(JPC), Rotorua Boys High School (RBHS), Rotorua Lakes High School (RLHS), Western Heights High School (WHHS) and 5 rowers now at University.RRC has a dedicated team of 7.

Last year the Coaching Team took a turn away from an individual school training program and trialed a club squad training program. This has proved to be a successful solution to a potential problem. Some schools were short of rowers and novices and some were short of coaches. RRC decided to team up and train together as a squad. At the more novice and junior levels; School rowers separate into ‘School crews’ for School regattas and looser combinations of ‘Mixed School crews’ for other regattas. The senior rowers row for their school or club or as composite crews for the Bay of Plenty ; Bay Coast, Tauranga and Whakatane crews, which extends them to their potential.

Head of Coaching at RRC; Alastair Riddle coached Julia Edward while she rowed for Rotorua Girls High School. Julia is a member of the Under 23 Lightweight Double crew going to Belarus this 2010 World Championship season. This year Alastair guided Riordan Morrell (WHHS ), to a win in the BU18 coxed Quad at the

‘North Island v South Island Regatta’. Alastair Riddle has coached at RRC, for 12 years.

“Seeing Athletes develop is my reward

for the time put in.”

Alastair, himself, rowed at High School in Christchurch. Alastair’s best tip for rowing:

“Imitate a squat jump –

everyone can do that without thinking”

Liz Harte’s reward this year has been seeing Laura Fischer (ex-Rotorua Lakes High School) gain a place in the Women’s U23 Quad going to the 2010 U23 World

Rowing Champs in Belarus.

Coach Rob Francis‘s affiliation to John Paul College’s senior rowers has resulted in success this year for JPC student; Nigel Van Den Akker. Nigel is a member of the 2010 JUNIOR coxed four to go to Racice, Czech Republic this July. Rob coached another senior JPC student; Claudia Hyde won the U17 Single at the NZ Secondary School Championships and went on to win the Girls U18 single and be part of the winning Girls U18 coxed Quad at the ‘North Island v South Island’ Regatta. Last season Rob Francis had 2 rowers selected to trial for the 2009 Junior Team; Jeff Francis and Nigel Van Den Akker.

Coach Chris Pearson rowed for Sacred Heart College in Auckland, in 1972 and 73 and was coached by Br Terrance Costello.

“I got into coaching after my 13 year old daughter

started rowing and they did not have a coach.”

Chris has coached at RRC for 12 years and the BOP Interprovincial Teams in 2008 and 2009.

“It is great being involved with youth

who are prepared to work hard to achieve

their goals in a good healthy environment.

It is great to help them achieve their dreams and

to see them develop and leave as young adults.”

Chris inspired his girls JPC seniors to Silver in the U19 Double sculls at the 2009 North Island Rowing Champs and a Silver for the U18 Double Sculls at the 2009 North Island Secondary School Champs. In 2008 Anna Colby represented New Zealand at the U21 Youth Cup and won Silver at the NI Rowing Champs in the lightweight Women’s Double Sculls and a Bronze at the NZ Rowing Champs in the double. Chris Pearson coached the Girls Quad win their 2008 Interprovincial event and coached his JPC Novice boys to wins in 2006 for the U17 Novice Quad and the 2006 North Island Club Novice Double Sculls. Chris’s best tip?

“While on the water don’t just drift along

for the sake of spending time on the water.

Make every stroke count.”

Coach Glen Reichardt has coached JPC and club for 6 years . Prior to coaching Glen had never rowed or coxed. The highlights of his season were a Gold at 2009 MAADI for U16 2X and all the JPC rowers this year either in an ‘A’ or ‘B’ final at MAADI. His tip?

“Fast hands and in time catches”

Glen’s daughter EJ Reichardt rowed for JPC and now coaches with her Dad.

“I began coaching in 2007 after a wrist injury

during my final school season and could no longer row comfortably,

 but I still wished to be involved in the sport.

So I would go out in the boat with Dad on the weekends”.

She had 3 seasons coxing and 3 seasons rowing and is a valued young coach. This will be her 4th season coaching.

“ I love seeing the students doing a sport

that they really love and I also enjoy seeing

them grow up, from Novice to Senior years.”

EJ ‘s highlights of her 2009-10 season were…the Gold for the U16 JPC Quad at 2010 North Islands and the Bronze at the 2010 Maadi Bronze. EJ’s advice for her rowers is…

“ Make sure the rowers are always enjoying what they do.

Enjoyment will mean that they want to put more effort in.”

Harry Ashby coached JPC boys last year and this year is coaching intermediate Club Boys. Harry started rowing at school and started coaching when his daughter took up the sport.

“It seemed like a good idea to help out where I could.

It is also the ultimate team sport and is such a positive environment

that is simply fun to be involved with.”

We have 3 new coaches joining the team this season, bringing the total to 10. Emma Cooper will be coaching Rotorua Lakes High School. She used to row for Rotorua Girls High School about 12 years ago. Anna Richardson; an ex-rower , is teaching at RGHS and will be training this year and Luke Simperingham ; a 17 yr old student has 3 yrs rowing with Rotorua Boys High School, behind him. Luke is a trainee coach at RRC until his hopeful entry into the NZ Air Force mid 2011. Luke’s advice;

“Train to race and race to train. If you lose a race,

you should see it as good training and while you’re training,

you should always push your hardest”

The results have been very pleasing this season’s end for Rotorua. RRC were 9th in the Centennial Oar and 7th in the Centennial Sculls.

New Zealand Representatives NZU23 Team ; Julia Edward,Laura Fischer ,NZ Juniors ;Nigel van den Akker

New Zealand High Performance Representatives North Island U18 ;Claudia Hyde,Riorden Morrell BOP Inter-provincial team; 13 rowers.

New Zealand Rowing Championships Rotorua rowers were part of teams that achieved 14 medals; 4 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze from 16 events entered. Julia Edward was awarded a Yellow Coat for her win in the Lightweight doubles.

North Island Secondary schools 31 events and made 11 ‘A’ finals ;4 Gold medals, 2 Silver medals,1 Bronze

New Zealand Secondary School Championships Entered in 19 events and made 7 ‘A’ finals ;1Gold medal, 3 Bronze medals In past years we have a number of rowers who have trialed for the U23s, Juniors, NZ University, U18s, Youth Olympics and Youth Cup teams. Laura Fischer and Harry Simperingham attaining Junior honours, Elisabeth Travis NZ University honours and Julia Edward and Anna Colby Youth teams. Harry has also gone on to attain a rowing scholarship to Yale University.