World Class Start
Durham ARC was one of the pioneering clubs for this ambitious scheme, finding success with Harry Scarr, who was one of the first to medal at international level.
The World Class Start and Potential Programme is aimed at the potential elite athlete, the vision is to build the future of GB Rowing by identifying and developing potential Olympians.
This talent identification programme is applied to local networks and delivered via clubs, universities and schools in partnership with the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA). The selection procedure involves a proven battery of tests designed to estimate the long term (Olympic) ability to be successful in rowing. Tests are administered by the World Class Start team.
Each project is located at a local host club or clubs, who are in partnership with the ARA in the scheme. Talent identification testing and recruitment occurs within a 5 - 10 mile radius of these host clubs. Athletes who are identified by World Class Start join one of the host rowing clubs. For example here in Durham all the athletes identified in the 15 - 16 years age bracket join Durham Amateur Rowing Club. The athletes train and compete as club rowers. These athletes are introduced to the club and rapidly forge friendships with other members, attending dinners, bbqs, local regattas and where appropriate race in club crews as well as in the single sculls.
Do you have what it takes?
To give you an idea of the type of person World Class Start are looking for look at these minimum heights:
Open Weight 15+ years
Women - More than 178cm (5'10")
Men - More than 188cm (6'2")
Lightweight testing only 18+ Years
Women - Approx 170cm (5'7") Weighing less than 64Kg
Men - Approx 180cm (5'11") Weighing less than 78kg
There are three areas in which potential is assessed in Stage 1 of the Talent ID phase, these are anthropometrics, strength and endurance. Once identified an athlete’s training is carefully planned by his or her ARA Talent Development Coach. Training is dynamic and involves a mixture of land-based sessions and on water work and is based on their current level of fitness and what experience they have of training in general and sculling in particular.
Initial water sessions are aimed at perfecting the technique in a single sculling boat. Land sessions are aerobic training sessions such as swimming, running, football, netball, cycling, squash etc.
The challenging training increases steadily on the water and on the land and includes resistance weight training and ergometer (land based rowing machines) training. Two months into the programme new rowers might expect to be training 3 - 4 times a week for 6 - 8 hours, a mixture of on land and on the water in a sleek racing boat. By the time athletes progress to Olympic level they can expect to be training more than 22 hours per week.
As a World Class Start athlete, you will be expected to attend aprox 9 testing camps a year. The aim of these camps differs slightly from a normal training camps. Whilst technical progress is an accepted part of such intensive training, the main objective is to test the athletes’ technical and physiological progress and then monitor improvement from month to month. The athletes are tested in three main areas; sculling skills, technique/performance and physiology.
If you think you have what it takes then why not contact us at enquiries@durham-arc.org.uk