| Project Oarsome |
| Background |
| Project Oarsome is the flagship scheme of the Amateur Rowing Association’s (ARA), National Junior Rowing Programme. There are 50 clubs around the country who run the programme, including 3 in the West Country. The scheme links clubs with local secondary schools, providing rowing machines to be placed within the schools, and boats and safety equipment for the club. DTARC has been part of the scheme since 2001, and is currently linked to three local specialist sports colleges, South Dartmoor, Ivybridge and Paignton. |
| ‘Dry Start’ |
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The programme is advertised to all the new year 7s at the partner schools
at the beginning of the academic year, via school assemblies. An after
school or lunch time year 7 ‘Dry Rowing’ course using the rowing
machines is then set up in each school, run by a combination of club
coaches and school teachers. This is open to any year 7s that want to
attend.
Every year at the end of the Dry course the schools run a joint indoor competition where students from all three schools compete against one another. |
| ‘Wet Start’ |
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After this 10 week course those who wish to progress onto the water are
invited to come on the ‘Wet Course’, which takes place at the club
after school one afternoon during the week, and optional sessions on
weekends. During the Dry and Wet programmes, the year 7s are taught the
basics of safe rowing on and off the water, following a structured
programme, where they are able to pick up skills certificates along the
way.
Once the course is completed the juniors are invited to join the club’s existing junior section, and integrate within a squad appropriate to their age group. Since the programme was started at DTARC in 2001 the club has been able to greatly expand its junior membership via its links with local schools, with many year 7 s who joined through Project Oarsome going on to successfully compete for the club. The schools themselves are very active in supporting the scheme, and have utilised the platform provided by Project Oarsome, to set up Dry Rowing Clubs for students in year 8 and above, and have been active in using the machines as part of the PE curriculum. All three schools have had staff trained as ‘Dry Instructors’, thereby enabling them to run the Dry Rowing programme self-sufficiently within the schools. A number of staff have also trained as instructors on the water, enabling them to help the club coaches during the ‘wet’ phase of the course. The club is committed to developing this scheme further, and have recently secured funding for a Community Rowing Coach specifically to work with the club and schools.
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| Project Oarsome Contacts |
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Dart Totnes RC - Karen
Goodwin
Rowing Club 01803 863772 |
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South Dartmoor CC (SDCC) -
Dan Vile
PE Dept - (01364) 654267 School - (01364) 652230 |
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Ivybridge CC (ICC) - Kim
Eschbaecher
(01752) 698315 07739972090 |
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Paignton CC (PCC) - Andy
Delafield
(01803) 403722 |
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ARA - Tom Pattichis
07879070873 |
