1646 – Issue 2

I started rowing almost immediately when I joined Blue Coat in Year 12 and haven’t looked back since! It was a completely new sport to me and training multiple times a week seemed incredibly daunting, especially when coupled with A levels and all that comes with starting a new school. It was easily one of the best decisions I made at Blue Coat. The Boat Club was so welcoming and (if you can face the hill!) couldn’t be easier to get to, which made starting the sport so easy. Although you train hard, (and do a lot of it) the strong team spirit within the Boat Club, made that a lot easier, and actually, it just becomes part of your routine and is not difficult to manage your studying alongside it. I was asked to write about what the sport meant to me whilst I was at Blue Coat and so I think I should start by saying that it meant a lot of fun! I met some of my best friends and made some of my favourite memories of Blue Coat whilst rowing and so for that reason alone I couldn’t recommend enough, giving it a try. I really enjoyed the experience of learning a new sport and that there are many different aspects to training which, especially at school level sport, is quite unique. For me, the team spirit within the Boat Club, and within the boat, and the sense of achievement at the end of a good session make all the training and cold Saturday mornings worth it. I have continued rowing at university and a huge part of that is thanks to the Blue Coat Boat Club who provided advice and support on university rowing as well as a good foundation and training ethic. It’s really exciting to see the girls rowing squad continuing to grow under the influence of Mr French, from a very small group when I started to now there being more senior girls than boys! It would be brilliant to see that continue, as I’m sure it will. I wish all the rowers the best of luck in the future and I’ll be cheering Blue Coat on at both Women’s Henley and Henley Royal Regatta this summer. Jess Rofe (2019) Rowing has been a huge part of my life since I started age 11 in school. Most of my rowing before Blue Coat was at Eton Excelsior Rowing Club for competition as a rower and a coxswain. I was keen to keep it up during Sixth Form so the fact that Blue Coat’s boathouse sat on-site was a huge benefit. It meant I could train during games as well as cutting out extra travel after school as I was already there! On top of this it meant I was able to row with some of my best friends from school and compete with them as well. There isn’t anything comparable to sharing a race with your best friend in my eyes, and for me that was with Jess. Blue Coat also taught me how to sweep as previously I had only sculled or coxed. The coaching was the perfect mixture of technical, tough and fun. Some girls only started rowing for the first time in Sixth Form and the coaches made the ability levels fit together so the progression of the women’s squad was quick and meant we could even enter competitions within months of starting together. By summer, we were able to enter higher level competitions. This included National Schools Regatta which is a competition for junior rowers across the country. Also, in the 2018/19 season the girls entered an eight at Henley Women’s which was a milestone for both the girls and the School. For me personally, Blue Coat Boat Club allowed me to keep up my rowing even whilst I got closer to my A level exams, which rowers and most sportsmen and women will know is not always easy as both are demanding in time and energy. Having a balance was also recognised by the coaches and they were an essential support to make sure we handled studying and rowing simultaneously. Now, I am a coxswain at University of London Boat Club. The support of Blue Coat Boat Club allowed me to see that being a part of high-level university rowing was a possibility for me so I still have more years of rowing in the future and hopefully more competitions. I hope the women’s squad at Blue Coat continues to grow in numbers and strength, that they take on races both big and small. I hope they take enjoyment in the sport and I look forward to always giving any Blue Coat crew, whether it be male or female, a cheer as I see them race. Matilda Marcun (2019) ...I was able to row with some of my best friends from school and compete with them as well. There isn’t anything comparable to sharing a race with your best friend in my eyes... Please note this article was written in January 2020. The students have continued to row during the Autumn term but have not been able to compete.