Our youth group has grown from members’ children to friends of theirs and their peers at school who wanted to try rowing and through maintaining a profile within the local communities. As one of the club coxes, I enable the youths to get on the water as often as they are available and want to row, to keep them engaged in rowing and club activities. It’s great to see they have an opportunity to safely engage in positive, healthy responsible team activities; encouraging them to be part of an unique and growing coastal rowing community. At the heart of this community is the encouragement of competition through racing. Training for competition is essential and structured and hopefully for most of the youths results in winning. We also focus on the benefits they get in keeping fit, going to and meeting other clubs at regattas, making new pals and having fun. I enjoy seeing the youths take a respectful and disciplined role in equipment, techniques, commands, procedures to ensure safe rowing while being able to have fun with enjoyable banter with their teammates and other club members.
