We need to map an athlete pathway for masters. All other parts of rowing have this as it guides federations, funding, coach resources and competition. Why don’t masters have a pathway?
Timestamps:
01:00 Rebecca’s advocacy work to get masters taken seriously, our needs to be noted. Speaking out on behalf of masters as the fastest-growing part of the rowing community. Would people who run the sport and set policy acknowledge the needs of masters?
We are not the same as youth rowers – what’s right for them is not right for us.
02:30 A pathway for masters
This is one aspect of big-picture policy setting for masters. Pathways guide policy for sport and I hope this will enable masters to be part of the overall plan for sport in your club / region / country.
04:00 Systems thinking is a framework we can use to find answers for masters needs A call for a working group to create the pathway and change our sport to become masters-friendly. Rebecca’s slides are below.
06:00 Systems Thinking for Masters Rowing speech
The situation in 2019 – what is broken in masters rowing? The Frustrations of Masters Rowers article.
08:45 How masters come to the sport and how the sport of rowing organises around masters – clubs and federations’ roles. What is needed for “Rowing For Life”? 1
0:15 Four things that help us to solve the problems faced by masters rowers. A list of solutions already in place to help masters overcome the frustrations listed earlier.
Three of the 9 solutions are:
- Too few masters regattas
- Ignorance of rigging
- Reducing friction in club administration
15:15 The Athlete Pathway for masters
As it is now – starting with learn to row. The learning journey is not smooth and needs to include intermediate stages where athletes masters parts of what’s needed to race well in competition. It’s rare for someone to jump up these levels.
16:45 A Masters Pathway proposal
Includes 2-5 years of racing with people whose learning is equivalent to yours. Masters train fewer times a week compared to young athletes and so it takes us longer to acquire the same level of skill and capability at the end of a novice year.
Federations should acknowledge this as a status – providing credibility. Clubs need to continue learn to row classes. Regattas should offer racing in these classifications. Hyper-local events are needed for this group of new masters learning to race.
19:45 Without Masters diversity initiatives fail
Diversity and inclusion fails if it doesn’t also include anti-agist work for masters.
20:45 Get the free advocacy articles for yourself or your club.
Please invite Rebecca to speak to your group and hear this presentation.
