The first 31 days of the new season, forgotten by July, no races of any significance, scores terrible. Yet not only does it provide the conditioning base for progress in November and the rest of the meat grinder that is Winter and early Spring but it is the month when the club is reborn. On October 1st 99 newcomers and returners came to a lecture theatre, one month later about 60 of them are still active with the club. Not a bad retention rate when you consider total beginners have had 10k runs, circuits and relatively early mornings thrown at them. Most University sports clubs consider 2 sessions a week to be training, as a novice in this sport 5 sessions a week is only just enough and the seniors are on 9 with that figure due to rise..
In 31 days the club has grown in population, there has been a flurry of activity by the new committee. The novice manager, armed only with a clipboard and coloured spreadsheets has ensured the beginners are always in the right place at the right time. On the first weekend every single beginner turned up to their water session, I don't think I have ever known this to happen before. The club has also tucked a fundraising bag pack under it's belt, not the most lucrative but we can't do anything about that and it has been followed up with a campus bake sale- tasty cinnamon pastries by the way. I have also heard that there has been some social interaction, a vital element, party hard, row harder.
31 days have also seen the arrival of six more rowing machines and today further excellent news regarding equipment, but more of that in the near future. The first month of the season, forgotten but essential. The bedrock of success, success that will now depend on the consistent hard grind of the next five months. 5 months that will no doubt spit out a few more but also begin to make men and women out of girls and boys.
In 31 days the club has grown in population, there has been a flurry of activity by the new committee. The novice manager, armed only with a clipboard and coloured spreadsheets has ensured the beginners are always in the right place at the right time. On the first weekend every single beginner turned up to their water session, I don't think I have ever known this to happen before. The club has also tucked a fundraising bag pack under it's belt, not the most lucrative but we can't do anything about that and it has been followed up with a campus bake sale- tasty cinnamon pastries by the way. I have also heard that there has been some social interaction, a vital element, party hard, row harder.
31 days have also seen the arrival of six more rowing machines and today further excellent news regarding equipment, but more of that in the near future. The first month of the season, forgotten but essential. The bedrock of success, success that will now depend on the consistent hard grind of the next five months. 5 months that will no doubt spit out a few more but also begin to make men and women out of girls and boys.
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