Tyne United

Learn to Row

The first ‘Learn to Row’ (L2R) sessions are scheduled for April. There’s a Junior Taster Day on Tuesday 6th April 10am-3pm followed by a  L2R course over the subsequent 3 days (7-9 April) from 9am-4pm each day. For the adults there’s a Taster Evening on Tuesday 6th April from 6pm-8:30pm followed by a 5 week L2R Course run on consecutive Saturdays and one Sundays and finishing on a Thursday (i.e. 10 sessions) from 10th April to 13th May.

The Taster sessions are free for both juniors and adults. The L2R courses are £154 for adults and either £62 (Yrs 8 & 9) or  £88 (Yrs 10-13). Adult fees include temporary membership of Tyne United, coaching, use of equipment and facilities and membership of British Rowing, whilst junior fees include temporary membership, coaching and use of equipment and facilities. Subsequent dates are listed on the L2R pages as well as in the linked L2R 2010 poster.

Training schedule

Mondays:

Junior Squad session 6pm – 8pm

Tuesdays:

Outreach/Recreational Rowing sessions 9am – 11am
Outreach/Recreational rowing sessions 12pm – 2pm
Sport Unlimited Session (Hookergate) 3pm – 5pm
Open session 4pm – 6pm
L2R session 6pm – 8pm
Open session 6pm – 8pm (Men’s and Women’s squads priority)

Wednesdays:

Outreach/Recreational Rowing sessions 9am – 11am
Outreach/Recreational rowing sessions 12pm – 2pm
Sport Unlimited Session 3pm – 5pm
DUBC Wednesday afternoon
Junior Squad session 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Open session 7pm – 8.30pm (Development squad priority)

Thursdays:

Outreach/Recreational Rowing sessions 9am – 11am
Outreach/Recreational rowing sessions 12pm – 2pm
Sport Unlimited Session 3pm – 5pm
Open session 4pm – 6pm
Open session 6pm – 8pm (Masters’ squad priority)
L2R session (once every 5 weeks) 6pm – 8pm

Fridays:

Outreach/Recreational Rowing sessions 9am – 11am
Outreach/Recreational rowing sessions 12pm – 2pm
Sport Unlimited Session 3pm – 5pm
Junior Development Squad session 6pm – 8pm

Saturdays:

Masters’ session 8am – 10am
Men’s session 8am – 10am
Women’s session 10.30am – 12noon
Juniors’ Session/Adult L2R session 1pm – 3pm

Sundays:

Juniors’ session 8am – 10am
Men’s session 8am – 10am
Masters’ session 10am – 12noon
Women’s session 10am – 12noon
Development Squad/Adult L2R session 1pm – 3pm

For those who haven’t been following the news reports on the Tyne United website (if not click the link!) a squad of school kids from Gateshead made the trip down to London to compete at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships at Battersea Evolution Park on Tuesday 16^th March.

Throughout the school year, children all over Gateshead have been taking part in a schools virtual indoor rowing league, operated by the Gateshead and Whickham Schools Sports Partnership. From the results of the online league, schools have selected their best indoor rowers to take part in a number of competitions – starting from a Gateshead Schools competition, then a Tyne and Wear event, then up to a region wide event and finally the Nationals.

The Gateshead Schools Squad was selected from those athletes who competed at the Tyne and Wear finals as well as a number of Gateshead based athletes that Gavin Coates, Community Sports Coach for Rowing at Gateshead Council, has been working with. The National Junior Indoor Rowing Event (known as NJIRC!) is run by London Youth Rowing and has grown into the biggest junior indoor rowing competition in the world. The standard of competition ranges from school kids giving rowing a go to high performance athletes trialling for the GB Rowing Squad.

While Gateshead may not have been the only group from the North East heading down, we were certainly the biggest (nothing like being the trend setters…!) with a squad of 30 heading down to take part all day.

After the long trip down and later than expected arrival, the group had their meal (when we eventually found the place!) and headed back to the hotel for a good night’s rest (except for the room containing the Tyne United girls…). The staff remained vigilant for any crazy goings on, but the squad behaved well on their night in London.

The next day saw the squad up, ready and dressed and wide awake at breakfast – except for Hannah Herriot who seemed to be falling asleep into her cornflakes – ready for the days racing.

When we eventually turned up, having rebooted the satnav, we got all of the lanyards for the competitors (no lanyard no race!) and found a place to make our own and watch the days racing.

So what to say about the event? Massive! Very well organised and run and a hell of a lot of fun. Loads of support for those racing from the spectators and also the guests from the Cambridge and Oxford University Boat Club crews and more GB Rowing medallists than you can shake a stick at (Gav’s highlight was accidentally barging into Elise Laverick – oops!)

Hannah H supported by Molly, Jo, Hannah D and Katherine Grainger

So what of the results?

Well if people hadn’t heard of Gateshead Schools before, then they sure did afterwards! Amy McCarthy stormed to a Silver medal in the Year 8 girls’ event – leading for most of the way – she missed out on Gold by 1 metre!!! But still 2^nd out of 193 isn’t too bad…!John Cain came a whopping 8^th out of 176 in the Year 8 boys, Adam Kelly 22^nd out of 147 in the Year 9 boys, Chris Fleming coming 6^th and Liam Edwards 11^th out of 181 in the Year 10 boys, Amber Osbourne and Hannah Dean coming 9^th and 11^th in the Year 11 girls event.

All of the Gateshead Schools Squad did exceptionally well with everyone achieving personal bests on the ergos in their individual events. But proving just how much of a team they all were, they not only did their own events but the team relays as well with the boys’ Year 10 team coming 5^th out of 84 in the team relays and the girls 29^th out of 90. With some tripling up in events taking its toll on fitness both the boys and girls it was time to do the Boat Race relays – the finale of the event (some of the girls finished their individual events and then stayed on to do the relays). While the results weren’t as impressive as the sprint relays, the spirit and determination was still on show.

The final question really was this – was it worth it? Yes… All of the Gateshead competitors had a fantastic time and this really proved how the indoor rowing in Gateshead can work by starting off with indoor rowing in your school and eventually making it to a national event. Many of those who took part now want to prove their fitness on the water so it’s going to be an interesting summer term for the kids in Gateshead!

Finally, a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes to make this trip happen so special thanks has to go to the Sport and Physical Activity and Development Team (Lewis and Liane) at Gateshead Council, the Gateshead and Whickham Schools Sports Partnership, members of the Tyne United committee and some others who shall remain nameless but most certainly aren’t forgotten for their part in getting this off the ground.

For the full set of results, you can go to the London Youth Rowing website and all of this years NJIRC results and photos will be on there.

Sunday 7^th March saw the culmination of a lot of blood (knuckles), sweat (just about everywhere), tears (1500m tests) and sick (Josh…) with the Northern Regions trials for the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta. It would be a day of excitement, drama and some crashes – but more about the trailer later…!

The Junior Inter-Regional Regatta is a national event in the rowing calendar and is seen as an ideal test for those wishing to compete at the National Schools Regatta, the National Rowing Championships or those getting onto the first rung of the GB Junior Rowing team ladder. In a unique way, the JIRR is the only event where you find athletes representing their region and not their club so competition for the places on the regional teams is always high.

This year was no exception at the JIRR trials, held at Cambois Rowing Club near Morpeth.

For Tyne United, this was our first attempt at the trials and hopes were high. At the start of the year, Gav had set an ambitious target for the junior athletes and the coaches in wanting a crew from Tyne United representing the North East at the JIRR.

The coaches have taken to working their athletes to the limit with some relish. Andrew, fully embracing Gav’s philosophy of “If they aren’t ready to be sick by the end of a 1500m test then they haven’t worked hard enough”, has fostered a serious sense of competition in the boys with athletes fighting for their seats (not literally we would like to add…). Alex, meanwhile, has ensured that the technical accuracy and boat speed has been present on the water by chasing the juniors up and down the Newburn straight with his orange launch.

In the end the competition for seats was tight and after a serious amount of deliberation the coaches selected Sam Pearson and Patrick Cree for the J15 2x, Sam Pearson, Patrick Cree, Leon Lofthouse and Josh Pringle for the J16 4x-, and Luke Dixon for the J16 1x and a J16 4+ composite with Durham School and Cambois.

First up on the day was Luke in the J16 1x. Luke had been giving everyone the inside knowledge of the Wansbeck, when not rowing for Tyne United, Luke was also a member of Cambois, so the athletes soaked up the info on where best to steer…

Luke’s main opposition was Kessell from Yarm School and it would come down to a duel between them. Luke had a near flawless race other than the fact he clipped the bridge (there would be some ribbing of his “tactical” knowledge later by the other juniors…) In the end the difference was three seconds with Kessell coming in first and Luke in second.

Luke: J16 Single

Now hears where it all gets complicated. As Kessell had also won in the J16 2x he had the choice of racing in his double or single. As he chose the double, that meant Luke had the option of taking the single’s slot. So we had our first boat in for the JIRR – but we would wait to see how Luke’s four went first.

So over to the boys double. For Sam and Patrick, this was a bit of payback. The previous year they had competed at the JIRR trials and found the whole process not exactly thrilling. Gav had promised them that this wouldn’t be repeated at Tyne United. The boys were ready for this, a serious amount of training had gone in to make this boat fast and all the coaches were quietly confident of a win.

Sam and Patrick saw off Yarm with ease and then moved in for the kill with QEHS and Chester-le-Street in front – the aim being to close the gap enough to come out with a faster time. Sam and Patrick not only closed on the QEHS double but rowed through them, forcing them wide as they pushed hard through the bridge. Patrick took a perfect steering line while Sam kicked up the power and the rate.

Pat & Sam: J15 Double

All the coaches needed to know was whether they had done enough to beat the very high rating Chester-le-Street double. “I think you’ll want to have a look at this”, the Coaching Commissioner grinned as she passed the doubles results to Gav. A win for Tyne United by 13 seconds! Sam and Patrick had not only won their event but stormed through with a massive margin. There were cheers all around for the boys – two crews through to the JIRR!

Next up was the boys J16 quad. The coaches had decided to make a last minute substitution with Finn replacing Patrick in the quad. Testament to the spirit in the boys’ squad Patrick was there with them all the way helping the boat onto the water. This would always be a difficult race. For Leon and Josh, this was their first competitive race so a real baptism of fire into one of the most competitive categories. The boys found themselves rowed down by Yarm School and in the process experienced some technical difficulties (a bit of the red mist descended in the crew and technique was replaced by brute force and aggression). Unfortunately there was a few choice words said between the Yarm boys and the Tyne United crew and a re-row for the quads was needed later.

Finn, Josh Leon & Sam: J16 Quad

For the boys’ quad, this was a harsh lesson on needing to keep your cool when the racing gets exciting. Andrew ensured that some apologies were given. Gav was quick to chalk it down to experience that the boys could use for the forthcoming season.

So finally, back to Luke. The day was getting late and it was time for his J16 4+. Gav hadn’t seen the boat row (they had only had one practice paddle together), however with the boat being coached by John Williamson from Durham School, there was a feeling that it would be a serious contender. Luke’s four stormed down the course and won the event by 10 seconds, meaning that a choice had to be made; the J16 1x or J16 4+. After a bit of a chat between Gav and Luke, the decision was made: the four it would be. So Tyne United would be racing in the J15 2x and the J16 4+.

So at the end of the day, it was a huge success for the boys’ squad at Tyne United. They had come away with two wins and some lessons learned for the forthcoming regatta season:

1. Churchillian salutes to Yarm School are best not done in front of umpires…
2. Don’t park your car near the Tyne United trailer unless you want a repair bill…

It seems a long time now since we first sowed the seeds of future comfort at TURC. Long ago, before the biting cold winds of February, even before the long snows of January; indeed, many had forgotten about the promises of warmth, shelter and comfort that would come to us, starting to believe the old superstitions of this area instead: that those who don’t work hard on the Ergo cannot sit back and enjoy the view. Could it really be true that there was no new growth because the vets (sorry, masters) hadn’t improved their splits???

But then we saw it. That first glimmer of a shiny bolt attached to steel girders, and we could now almost feel the firm, concrete foundations under our wellies. Surely the roof and walls would soon follow, with the windows just a stone’s throw away.

The Tyne United rowers came out of their cold, dark sheds and they gazed in wonder at the newcomer, and as one they called her

“CLUBHOUSE”.

The new clubhouse is now expected to be completed by the first week of June. Hooray!