It is with excitement that I share with you the appointment of Sue Chapman Popa as the Richmond Specialist Coach (Mentor)
Many of you know Sue already. She runs the Rowing School Victoria.
Sue has been involved in the sport of rowing at many different levels. From competing to coaching. Sue has represented Victoria several times at elite level and Australia at the World Rowing Championships. Sue won medals at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Continue reading “Welcome Sue Chapman Popa”
Redevelopment Update 6 August
Access continues to be restricted – members enter through the RRC bay and up the back stairs and may only access the changerooms. Thanks to everyone for observing the safety requirements of having building works ongoing while we use the building. It remains very important that no-one enters the building site section of the building.
The building is starting to look more like the finished article but there is still lots of work going on inside to get it finished off. The builders are still about 5 days behind schedule meaning that completion will be end of August. However, there are some external works that will be completed after this date as we have to replace the fire service main. This requires road excavation and is expected to be done in late September.
We expect to have power back after 14 August. Please note there will be no power at the boathouse on 13 August while the new power connection is made. Continue reading “Redevelopment Update 6 August”
Club Colours – free delivery
With the launch of the new season comes the ideal time to invest in some club kit to wear your club colours with pride. I’m pleased to annouce that we have negotiated a two week free delivery bulk club order period starting today!
We have extended our RRC range with designer paintworks to include everything you could possibly want or need for the rowing season at Richmond. Anyone wishing to compete must purchase a zootie to meet Rowing Victoria’s uniform guidelines and then there are multiple other garments available for all that extra training or for just looking great on the bank while drinking coffee.
Go to their club shop to view everything and place your order through their website as normal, you will automatically not be invoiced for delivery if the order is placed by August 10th.
Items will be delivered in two batches to the club and distrubuted after squad training sessions:
T-shirts, hoodies and caps etc. have a quick turn around of approx. 1-2 weeks (after ordering window coses).
The JL range including jackets and vests will take longer, 4-8 weeks for delivery.
Example products, more available online. Happy Shopping
Only 7 Weeks till Spring Camp at Nagambie (12 – 14 September 2014)
Now that the days are getting longer, I bet you’re thinking about getting back into training on the Yarra, if you haven’t already done so – well done to the 32 rowers who were out this morning!
No doubt you’re now keenly anticipating Spring Camp at Nagambie – a weekend of lots of rowing interspersed with social activities.
Sign up for Spring Camp now
Pay by 8th August 2014 (we have to pay to secure the cabins) – email the Treasurer, [email protected] if you need to pay in instalments
SUMMARY DETAILS
Who: All Club members are invited; those competing in the Head racing season are expected to attend
When: Friday 12/9 evening arrival at Nagambie through to Sunday 14/9 late afternoon boat unloading at the club (Thursday night boat loading)
Where: Nagambie Lakes Leisure Park accommodation and the Nagambie Peninsula Rowing course and Goulburn River for on water activities
What: On-water training sessions – 3 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday plus social activities
Why: Improve your rowing/coxing skills; get ready for Head racing; have fun and make some new rowing friends
Continue reading “Only 7 Weeks till Spring Camp at Nagambie (12 – 14 September 2014)”
Redevelopment and access update
We are pleased that we will have access to the changerooms again commencing this Thursday 24 July. The boathouse is still a building site so please note the following arrangements:
– The site will be opened by authorised persons only – Barry and Justin – as this requires access through the building site
– Entry for other members is through the roller doors into the boat bays
– To access the changerooms, go through the boat bay, up the back stairs
– Please leave via the boat bays and the authorised person will lock up
– Please do not attempt to access any other parts of the boathouse. The builder will hoard off and put up notices, but there will be doors that must not be entered by members.
– There may be restrictions on power and hot water. We are confirming these with the builder and will let you know. If so, we will request to continue access to Mercantile changerooms until we have full power and water back.
It is great that we will have the changerooms back ready for our season launch on Sunday morning. We look forward to seeing lots of people down.
MLC commence their rowing program on Thursday afternoon and are expected to be down some afternoons and Saturday mornings.
Works expected in the next 2 weeks:
- Carpenters will continue framing and plastering
- Concreter will screen terrace
- Plumber continuing rough in and external fit offs.
- Plasterer continuing to hang and stop plaster in both new and old areas.
- Stair 2 (rear stair) will be open to RRC/MLC as of 24th July. This will provide access to the upstairs change rooms via ex Bay 2. Hoarding will be provided to prevent unauthorised access to the works areas. RRC/MLC should not access the work areas at any time unless under direction supervision of the Builder.
- Electrician will commence installation of light fittings. New switchboard will be installed
- Painter will continue painting in the old section.
- Floor coverings to old section will be completed.
- Bay 2 will be cleared out to provide safe access for RRC/MLC to the rear.
New Season – Training changes as of Sunday 27 July
The club’s new training season officially starts this coming Sunday. Please read this post to find out what is happening. As you will have seen from previous posts, the committee and a bunch of volunteers have been working hard to make this coming season a good one for the club in every sense.
We will launch the season plans as part of the AGM this Saturday. Be there for more info. Straight after the AGM, there will be the first coaches meeting for the season to discuss the plans from the coaches’ perspective generally, and to go through the details for the first few weeks.
There will be a few changes from what we’ve been doing up to now, and the new routine should shake you out of winter’s torpor and maybe even a few bad habits.
As of this Sunday, weekly training will be: Continue reading “New Season – Training changes as of Sunday 27 July”
Redevelopment and access update
Massive thanks to everyone who helped out this morning and congratulations on a smooth operation to fit everything back into the RRC bay. We continue to have access to most of our fleet so people can continue to row when the shed is open as advised previously.
Can I ask people to take extra special care if using the Rod Henley or Lucy Crunden which have been returned to the top rack of the East wall. Please be aware due to the new eye beam at the front of the shed the clearance height to get the Rod Henley down is quite small so take note.
Also a reminder that we still require people to complete the sign in/out book when taking a boat from the shed. This is now located on the steps on the left hand side of the shed near the eights.
Great job again everyone today and hope to see you all down at the sheds again soon, with the building work making great progress it won’t be long until we are fully functional in a beautiful boathouse.
Coaching with RRC: A Fresh Approach
- Do you have a spare hour or two once a month?
- Have you been away from the club for a while, and would like to ease your way back onto the scene?
- Have you had inspiring coaches in the past, and feel you could share your rowing tips?
- Have you been coaching (or wanted to) but found the time commitment and organisation was beyond what you could give?
If any of this is you, then we have some great news.
This season we are proposing to run a new rowing structure – one that allows coaches with almost any level of experience and time commitment to be involved with the club, and to contribute to a team coaching culture.
We plan for the squads to move to bigger, more inclusive groups. To give you some idea of how things will be run:
- Winter training will have a skills and fitness focus. Squads will be mixed and will not train in set boats or by sweep/scull only.
- The head/sprint/masters phases are aimed at maximising the competitive experience of our sport. We will focus on boats chosen across the squads and with an equal priority.
- Coaches will primarily coach the squad, not the same boat, working in pairs so that each rower gets the benefit of each coach’s experience (as does the other coach).
- Boats will not spend the entire session with one coach, moving between work with the coaches and away on their own.
- In each competitive phase of the season, as key regattas approach coaches will work more often with specific boats, although the group approach will remain.
- We will have set weekly club training sessions. Squads will be run using a combination of online sign-up boards and dedicated squad organisers.
- Training plans will be set for the entire squad, so coaches available for any particular week simply need to deliver one of the session plans allocated for that week.
Full details of the squad and coaching plan will be presented at a coaches meeting this Sunday, 13 July 2014 at 10am. As the boathouse is still closed for redevelopment, we will meet at the usual Southbank coffee stop (outside Coffee Minded) and find a place to talk once we’re there. Any changes to that location will be posted here on the blog. Subscribe for updates!
So if you’re interested in helping coach at RRC this season, a little or a lot, please come along and find out more. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to participate.
So if you’re interested in helping coach at RRC this season, a little or a lot, please come along and find out more. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to participate.
AGM – 11am Saturday 26th July – Change of Venue to Mercantile Rowing Club
Unfortunately we have been informed by our builders that due to the current site works occuring at the Richmond Rowing Club and due to a lack of power to the building we will be unable to hold this years AGM within our boathouse.
We have however been kindly offered the use of Mercantile’s boatclub and so we will be relocating a couple of doors down for the meeting on Saturday 26th July at 11am. Please see the previous blog post for details of the meeting and items to be discussed. We hope to see as many of you as possible present. We will be taking the opportunity to discuss some of the work that has been ongoing to plan for the upcoming season and update everyone on the progress.
Access update and help required this Saturday – 12th July 9am
As many of you will be aware we have been working hard to enable those people still wishing to train over the Winter break to have access to the fleet during our redevelopment project. The builders are making progress and you can see the huge scale of this project now but unfortunately the upstairs of our shed still remains unaccessible and entry is only possible through the boat bay roller doors (which are however new and shiny).
We have been accessing our fleet in the MLC bay while works proceeded however MLC will be returning to rowing next week (Thursday 17th July) and as a result we need to move everything back into our original bay THIS WEEKEND. Unfortunately our hardworking captain has been whisked away to Manilla for work and so I am looking for volunteers to help me do this on Saturday morning, 12th July from 9am. Many hands make light work so I am hopeful it will not take too long.
Whilst Barry is away only Michelle Joy has a key to open up the shed, she alone has been inducted for the worksite and therefore is the only member of RRC with permission to open the boatclub. Currently the shed will be open for those wishing to row on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 6am, Saturday’s Winter sculling and Sunday all club training from 8am. Please remember to use the signout book if you are rowing at these times. If you have any questions regarding this arrangement or wish to offer your help on Saturday morning please contact me, [email protected]. Everyone’s help, understanding and patience during this time is really appreciated. We will keep you updated on any changes to this situation as soon as they become available.