It was a great pleasure for us to host Denis, a curious, intelligent and thoughtful man. In addition to helping Denis with his feature, the girls learned a lot from his experiences with a range of Ireland's sporting greats. Denis' feature piece was a great relfection on the commitment and sacrifice that all rowers have to make in order to seek success. Sports such as ours typically get their moment in the sun once every four years as the Olympics loom. It's good for us all in our sport to see a piece that captures the discipline and commitment that rowing athletes demonstrate. Article

On Saturday morning, we got some airtime on the local station QRadio with interviewer Rowan Hand, a charming and knowledgable man who has worked for both RTE and BBC for many years. Rowan was one of the original presenters on RTE's Nationwide programme and a font of information on the history of the canal, and rowing on the canal. Newry has had a long association with rowing and whilst it has waxed and waned over the years, Rowan challenged the listeners to re-energise the sport once again in Newry.

Following up on Sunday morning we had a visit from the Lord Mayor of Newry, Charlie Casey, accompanied by representatives of the Inland Waterways Association and the Inland Waterways Association to see what goes on. All were very supportive of Rowing Ireland's activity on the canal and we look forward to their continued support for years to come.

Reflecting on the progress of our athletes, it's worth a look back through some of the previous results in Newry since 2009. It's difficult to compare water results for obvious reasons but the ergometer results tell their own story. In February 2009, lightweight men Michael Maher, Mark O'Donovan, Justin Ryan, and Niall Kenny filed 6:22, 6:36, 6:36, and 6:28 respectively. In 2012 the scores are 6:14, 6:20, 6:17, and 6:16. Over the same period, Lucerne medallist Siobhan McCrohan has moved from 7:42 to 7:09. UCD man David Neale has moved from 6:38 to 6:05. In 2009 we had one Junior girl under 7:10. In 2012 we have four girls breaking that mark. All in all, there has been a significant shift forward in terms of better times, and more athletes achieving them.

There are a number of learnings from this simple analysis. First of all, athletes and coaches have gone after the higher standards and raised their game - remember, you get what you measure. If you set realistic but ambitious targets in both training and selection, athletes will chase them down. Next, it takes time. It won't happen overnight and persistence is one of the key qualities of resilient athletes and coaches. Finally, it's often said that ergs don't float, but there has been a strong correlation between the erg scores and the ranking in the water assessments. Ergs don't float, but efficiently applied power will always trump an inefficient or underpowered system.

Well done to all this weekend, athletes and coaches, and thanks too to all parents for your unstinting help. It's great to see people pitching in to make it a rewarding and satisfying event. Building our international teams at all levels is a relentless task. It's not always forward motion, sometimes it's two steps forward and one step back, but all of us in the HP team are pleased with the outcome of this weekend. It's still early days for the 2012 season, with plenty of opportunity to improve the base of endurance and strength even further. Endurance, strength, and effective technique underpin boat speed. Top end speed will come quite easily to those who have laid effective foundations. Plan well, train well, race well.

All in all, the number of people suffering any winter ills prior to the assessment is small. Sanita is suffering from a winter bug, but as anyone who has young kids knows, that's one of the risks of parenthood so whilst she has to sit out this weekend she'll be back shortly. As usual, Newry is an ergometer assessment followed by a water assessment and I look forward to seeing the results of athletes' training over the winter. There's still a big chunk of strength and endurance training to be done before we get too concerned about the speed work leading into the regatta season, but this assessment provides a measure of progress in the investment made over the winter.

Closing the gap on world class standards of performance is no easy feat. First of all, those leading the way do not stand still and wait to be be caught. Additionally, those seeking to close the gap have to push themselves right to the edge to make progress. It sounds quite simple, it is anything but. Pushing right to the edge is more difficult than it sounds. It's relentless, and one of the big dangers is not going over the edge. Once over the edge, it can be very difficult to recover the gains that were so hard fought for. All our athletes and programmes are young. Our senior athletes are young senior athletes, and programmes like our junior programme are just developing but from my perspective there has been very definite progress. I'm seeing our young senior athletes pushing harder now that they've seen the standard and understand what's required. Over the past three years the performance and training numbers of our junior athletes have jumped forward. The bar has been raised and athletes have responded. As a support system (club & HP), all we can do is provide guidance and support, athletes have to have a real hunger to succeed, and I see that desire fermenting in our athletes.

We have a final Olympic qualifying chance in May, and I know that our athletes are giving it their all, but none of us are being unrealistically overoptimistic. We know what the standards are, and we'll do our utmost to give our athletes their best chance, but in an evolving system success cannot and should not be measured by qualification alone. Putting that expectation on a young group of athletes does not help. We have some great young athletes at all levels; junior, under 23, and senior. It's essential that we create pathways where these athletes can develop and move from one level to the next, serving their time, building their skills and physical capabilities, and finally standing on the top step where all of us would wish to see them. I've been down this road before and I know just how difficult it is. It's not the beautiful vision of a postcard perfect lake at sunrise or sunset, it's the endless hours of paddling, erging and gym work, seemingly a million miles from the beautiful lakes of europe, that make the difference. 

From the training returns across all our squads, I know our momentum is building, step by step. To our athletes, believe in yourself, keep pushing. Fortune favours the brave.

Matthew Pinsent talks about what it takes to win at an Olympic level

Looking at the juniors, boys and girls, sculling and rowing over the weekend, it's very clear that there is an incremental improvement year on year in terms of the numbers that are achieving higher standards. I've no doubt that the results achieved by Holly, Paul, and the other junior athletes over the past few years are inspiring younger athletes in clubs around the country to set about achieving their own dreams. Increasingly, we're seeing more clubs contributing athletes and more coaches getting involved. Last weekend we saw Cathal Moynihan and Sean Casey, both previous Olympians, getting involved in coaching young athletes. There was a really good atmosphere amongst athletes and coaches and a nice mix of performance measurement through timed pieces segued with coaching opportunties and video sessions.

There was also a group of under 23 athletes attending and it was very encouraging to see some crew boats containing some big guys out on the lake. The HP coaching team is a small team including Adrian, Rob, Derek, and Nathan. We've spent a lot of time to put some clear frameworks in place and it never feels anything but busy, but there is now a clear sense of being able to involve more people and expand some of our programmes. We have a long, long way to go and I'm sure we'll meet many challenges along the way, but weekends like last weekend give a real sense of encouragement and optimism.

Tom was a coach who wore his heart on his sleeve and it was quite clear that those athletes that worked with Tom were infused with the same passion and commitment that Tom showed. I deeply believe that the true mark of a coach is shown in the respect afforded by the athletes that have worked with that coach. Nowhere was that more clear than at Tom's funeral mass. The numbers attending that day and the sheer diversity of the mourners was a powerful reminder of the impact that a coach can have. Tom wasn't just a sports coach, he was a coach of men in the widest sense. 

Tom disliked bureaucracy and fiercely defended his charges. Tom's crews were always full on, never gave up, and would take on anyone. I knew Tom for a long time and we enjoyed the occasional catch up where we discussed the challenges facing our sport. Tom was both critical and supportive, and I always felt refreshed after an hour with him. Thanks Tom, we'll all miss you.

A week after the assessments in Newry, I find myself in Galway with Adrian to spend some time with coaches to discuss the perennial questions of training and technique. One hundred and ninety three people from 37 clubs entered the assessment in Newry. After Saturday's ergometer test, one hundred and twenty proceeded to the water assessment.

It was greatly encouraging to see so many juniors with the aspiration to be part of the national team, and to see that there is a rising standard in terms of ergometer performance. At this time of year, the ergometer performances provide validation of the winter training up to this point. Staying well and training effectively over the next four months are the key to having a productive racing season later on. Derek Holland provides valuable leadership in the junior programme by sending out well designed training programmes to all subscribing clubs. These clubs submit training scores across a number of programme elements, and receive back a national summary that motivates athletes to set ever increasingly ambitious goals. Looking across the years that Derek has implemented this process, we see continuous improvement in the training numbers and in the performances in assessments such as Newry.

Amongst the group training at the NRC there were some very encouraging improvements; Sanita's score of 6:37 was a six second improvement on her previous best and a truly world class score, Mark O'Donovan made a six second improvement on his previous best along with a number of the other athletes who pushed their markers forward. At this time of year this is very encouraging for the athletes and coaches. Kate O'Brien was impressive amongst the junior girls in breaking the seven mintue marker, and last year's single sculler Paul O'Donovan laid down a solid marker dipping under the 6:20 mark.

With such a large entry we took a decision to split the water assessment into two divisions. We were also mindful of feedback from last year where athletes were sitting on the water for some time in cold conditions. Overall the two division approach seemed to work well, although we're always open to feedback and improvement. A big thanks must go to those coaches, parents and supporters who willingly give their time to assist in running the event. Time and time again these people offer their help and it is truly appreciated. It would not be possible to run the event without this generosity and support.

In the first division, the junior men were led home by Paul O'Donovan, a quiet, well organised young man who will no doubt be keen to demonstrate his class in his final year of junior competition. Hilary Shinnick from Fermoy lead home the junior girls section with close attention from a number of other young girls from around the country. Mark O'Donovan was fastest male overall, with Sanita taking the female honours. Overall, it was an encouraging weekend at all levels. There's still a good opportunity to get some good training blocks in during the winter phase, so stay well and keep working is the key message to all.

Moving on to Galway, we're spending a weekend at the disposal of the coaches from clubs in the town. We've had some interesting conversations today around technique and training. We were keen to spend time with the coaches so that we could explore different aspects of the rowing stroke. Rather than just have us coach crews, we find it more useful to put time aside to discuss challenges involved in observation, feedback, and ultimately changing the way in which athletes row. I personally really enjoyed the interaction with a keen, curious, and commited group of coaches, encouragingly including a number of young coaches. It was a very positive discussion not just about technique and training, but one that also helps us understand how Rowing Ireland may be able to help coaches with their further development. It's been a very busy spell recently, but very encouraging to see the commitment and enthusiasm of athletes and coaches alike.

Typically, many clubs take a similar approach, with 14-15 year olds training 3-4 four times a week. Twice on the water, and twice on the land was a typical approach. No great differences or surprises there, but the conversation did bring up the issue of strength training for young athletes. The received wisdom has traditionally espoused the introduction of strength training at 15-16 but is that still in line with the current research views, and is there a case in our sport for starting earlier?

The discussion piqued my curiousity so I'd thought I'd have a look around at some of the research available. What follows is not a recommendation, as every coach must satisfy themselves about their own athletes, and indeed their own competence in this specialist area. However, there does apppear to be some opportunity to introduce strength training at a younger age than perhaps has been typically accepted in our sport. The links below lead to a variety of sources including a comprehensive literature review of trainability in young athletes from the journal of sports science and medicine. Food for thought, certainly.

http://www.nsca-lift.org/HotTopic/download/Youth%20Hot%20Topics.pdf

http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/coaches/tools/coaching_children/Weight_training

http://www.jssm.org/vol6/n3/11/v6n3-11pdf.pdf

http://www.coachingireland.com/files/Myths.ppt

No club succeeds without the support of many people doing many jobs, a club is a community and takes real positive effort to build and maintain, both physically and organisationally. There was a real sense of energy within the club members and a desire to move the club forward. Clubs periodically realign themselves and boat club is no different. The result is a club with a large junior section, particularly girls, and a growing novice womens programme ably led by the irrepressible Martin Kilbane. Martin was a very entertaining master of ceremonies on the night, if he's half as entertaining when he's coaching, I'm not surprised that he's gathering quite a following.

The club awards recognised the efforts of a wide variety of people who contribute to the club. It wasn't just those who achieved on the water that were recognised, but also those who've made a contribution to the very fabric of the club, literally. Coming away from the boat club dinner I felt a real sense of optimism and I look forward to seeing clubs such as boat club continue to prosper and develop as a real rowing community.

Derek Holland, Rowing Ireland’s Lead Coach Juniors put together a case study around Holly’s rowing career that he recently presented at the Junior coaches review meeting in Athlone. There were some key attributes that stood out in my mind as a result of listening to Derek’s excellent presentation. First and foremost, was the total dedication of Holly to being the best that she could be.  All of us have seen Holly at regattas and heads over the past years, and there was always an obvious enthusiasm and commitment to rowing evident in both her demeanour and performances.

In the past twelve months however, Holly took that to new levels. Having made progress over the years through the coupe de la jeunesse, an excellent developmental regatta for any aspiring athlete, Holly set her sights on the premier junior event. As they say, no man (or woman) is an island, and Holly’s case is no different. Whilst Holly was the athlete doing the work, there was an army of people behind the effort over a number of years. First and foremost was the support of her parents, Keith and Lilly. It’s not impossible for a highly driven junior athlete to make it by themselves, but it is very unusual and the first cornerstone of success for a young athlete in any sport is to have parental support. In this area, the support for Holly was unstinting and total.

Then came the support of the many people involved in Portora, a club that has done so much for our sport in an area of the country that has known its share of tragedies over the course of history on our small island. It is a very fitting acknowledgment of the work of many people that Ireland’s first ever junior medal comes from a club that has worked so hard to establish itself to appeal to all within the community. I’m sure it gives a tremendous sense of satisfaction to Robert Northridge, a man who is the beating heart of our sport in Enniskillen.

In the final weeks of Holly’s preparation she moved to the National Rowing Centre in Cork, and in those few weeks I witnessed Holly grow as an athlete. Working with the squad based in Cork Holly was pushed, and indeed pushed herself to new limits. At times there were tears, but there was also progress, growth, and a building confidence deep inside this young athlete. Holly played her role as part of a group that travelled to the UK and won the Elite quadruple sculling event at Henley Women’s Regatta. As Holly returned to Enniskillen after two weeks in Cork prior to setting off for Dorney, a different person left the NRC; an athlete who was strong, an athlete who had fought her way through some hard times, and with the help of Adrian Cassidy and Rob Baker, an athlete who was moving her boat in a very effective way. As is often the case, when an athlete is so well prepared, the execution of the event itself seems relatively straight forward, and so it was for Holly, progressing with seeming ease though her event and on to a historical outcome. Make no mistake, this medal was born out of hard work over many years, unstinting support from an army of people, and a driving fire within this talented young athlete.

At the other end of the country a similar story was being played out. Young Paul O’Donovan with the absolute support of his father Teddy, and a club no less ambitious, passionate and supportive than Holly’s club, was building their own piece of history. Paul O’Donovan is young man mature beyond his years, with the same commitment and determination evident in Holly. Since seeing Paul and his doubles partner Shane O’Driscoll at the coupe de la jeunesse in 2010, it was evident to me that this young man has something special about him. It’s not just what you see when he races, it’s the way in which he behaves off the water; attentive, diligent, an athlete who quietly goes about his business.

As our sport has become more and more professional in a global sense, the junior worlds has become an intense competition, and nowhere more so than in the junior single sculls. To call it the junior single sculls is somewhat of a misnomer, because it is the ‘mens’ single sculls, an event where the biggest and best athletes from around the world battle it out for the supreme honour of being the best under 19 on the planet. Paul slayed many of these giants and his fourth place result was of no less magnitude than Holly’s efforts.

Paul has another year to come at junior level, although we must be mindful of the endless conveyor belt of junior rowing at the world standard. In contrast to the senior level where athletes are well known and the order is relatively stable from year to year, junior rowing sees the arrival of new athletes every year so it is just as difficult for a returning athlete, sometimes even more difficult to better previous results.

At the coupe de la jeunesse, Ireland had its best ever year with nine medals in total; 3 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze. The coupe provides young athletes with their first real taste of an international championship regatta and the two day regatta structure provides a great opportunity to learn from the first days racing. I personally greatly enjoy attending this regatta because of its manageable size, friendly atmosphere and great racing. This year was no different; well organised, great racing, and a pleasure to be with our great team, ably led by Derek as lead coach and Clare Cox as team manager. Coupe racing is a step on from national racing and requires the ability to pace races effectively. Any crew that overreaches itself in terms of pacing, particularly in the first thousand metres, is often cruelly exposed in the second half.

Without picking out particular crews, because so many performed well, it’s fair to say that we had a noticeable impact on the regatta and there were many plaudits for the team from other nations. Derek Holland and Nathan Adams, our talent coach in Belfast put a lot of effort into the preparation of this group of athletes over the course of the year. With great support from the club coaches throughout the year, this was a visibly well prepared and cohesive team, setting an aspirational standard for years to come.

In our analysis of the junior programme this year, it is apparent that significant progress has been made, however, pushing up the standards has exposed some key areas that we have to work on going forward. The supply of juniors coming though is still intermittent, and as a sport we have work to do in order to grow our sport at a grass roots level to a point where we have a plentiful supply of juniors to populate our junior worlds, coupe and homes team.

With a large proportion of our junior team coming from Northern Ireland this year, and the success of Holly in particular, the more success we have, the greater the battle we have to retain our athletes and stem the losses of successful athletes to GB Rowing. We are in an anomalous position of running a sport across two national jurisdictions. If we are to build a truly strong sport across the whole island of Ireland, we have to have a clear vision of what we want for our sport, and just as importantly a set of values about how we will run our sport across this island. As far as I can tell, we have never had this discussion and as a result a large part of our rowing community is left exposed to our powerful eastern neighbours.

Further along the athlete pathway, our under 23 and senior athletes had a year of mixed fortunes. Our early season results were encouraging with progress being shown at early season regattas and FISA cup events. However at both the world under 23 and senior world championships, our results were below expectations. Whilst this is disappointing, particularly for the athletes and coaches, my own perspective is more sanguine on this.

For a number of previous Olympic cycles, there was a myopic focus on Olympic qualification, and whilst this was admirable it created a situation where the lower levels did not receive the strategic support necessary to build a conveyor belt of athletes coming through our sport at all levels. There is always a short term pressure to produce results, however the remit from the board of Rowing Ireland, the Sports Councils of Ireland (Republic & NI), and the vast number of Irish rowing supporters that I meet, supports an approach that seeks to build up international results step by step.

Much good work has been achieved since 2009 within the HP team. We have a clear selection system, a functioning national rowing centre and increasingly successful underage programmes. Olympic medallists at Beijing were on average 29 years old, the eldest in was 38 years old. Our 2011 group of athletes contains one athlete over 25 years old, 50% are still Under 23, and the remainder are over 23, but under 25. We are all ambitious, but as a country we currently have no more right to be more successful than any other country at our stage of development. Richard Archibald was an under 23 medallist in 2000. It took him a further 5 years to win a senior medal at a world championship.

The high performance team is responsible for a small section of our sport. As our sport moves forward at both national and international level we meet new challenges that we have to overcome. Progress is never linear and it certainly is never painless. ‘Do what you always did, get what you’ve always got’ is a particularly relevant mantra for our sport. 

 “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone” - John C. Maxwell