Student Development Programme
Supporting university rowers with amazing potential!
For Rowers: This is your opportunity to show what you are made of and come together with other like-minded students from across the country to drive your development. Even if you start rowing at university you still have the potential to make it to the top of our sport. At the Rio Olympic Games, 21% of rowers representing Great Britain started their rowing career at university!
For Coaches: This will be an opportunity to develop technical knowledge, coaching skills, expand your coaching network and share experience on developing university rowers. Coaches at universities are welcome to take part in all activities with or without a rower but must hold a British Rowing Coach membership.
Applying:
2023-24 Dates
Date | Activity | Location
29/04-01/05 | BUCS Regatta | Nottingham
09:00 02/05 | Online Applications Close | Online
19/06 | Confirmation Testing (Invite Only) | Caversham, Reading
TBC | Summer Camp | TBC (Invite Only)
Dates & venues may change.
We encourage beginner or intermediate rowers of any ability who meet the criteria set out below to visit us at the British Rowing tent at BUCS Regatta.
- Aged 18 to 21
- Women who are 174cm or taller and Men who are 186cm or taller
- Have a minimum of 1 year remaining at university
- Be a British Rowing, Scottish Rowing or Welsh Rowing member
At the regatta, we will have a power test to test your leg and arm power. We’ll also take your name, age, height and arm span. Don’t worry this won’t tire you out for racing at the regatta, the tests are short and sweet.
Those who show potential will be invited with their coaches to a testing day at Caversham, home of the GB Rowing Team, where we’ll put you through your paces. Following the test day, we will invite a selected number onto the programme for the year.
Online Application Now Open until 09:00 May 2nd
Summer Camp:
“I had the best time, it was genuinely a fantastic experience!” Rower Attendee 2019 Summer Camp
The summer camp focuses on developing technical competence in singles. We’ll help you develop your confidence in a single scull throughout the camp even if you’ve never been in one before. At the end of the camp, everyone takes part in the “Student Development Sculling Festival” testing out your newly developed skills in a single.
In the gym, you’ll take part in land training with an experienced Strength & Conditioning coach to identify common areas for improvement, learn to move efficiently to be able to perform a more powerful stroke.
We also have an exciting range of education for both rowers and coaches throughout the week on subjects such as mental health & nutrition as well as presentations from previous attendees on where they are now.
Winter Camp:
“I really enjoyed the whole weekend, it was an excellent opportunity and has helped boost my motivation with training back at uni.” Rower Attendee 2020 Winter Camp
The winter camp is all about land training and how to make the most of the cold winter months. During the camp, we’ll teach you what UT2 really is and how to make sure you’re training at the correct intensity to make the biggest gains.
Once again, you’ll work with an experienced Strength & Conditioning coach on some key weights exercises whilst learning how to correctly and safely increase power output.
Just like the summer camp, we also have a range of education for both coaches and rowers to keep your brains as well as your bodies engaged.
Ongoing development:
“Very friendly and confident British Rowing coaches running the camp, which gave confidence and lots of experience to the volunteer coaches.” Coach Attendee 2018
For Rowers: To keep rowers engaged away from the camp we offer additional education opportunities available especially for rowers who are on the programme.
In addition, all rowers who’ve attended camp will also be invited to take part in the Performance Talent Rower Report. The reports produced are designed to give a snapshot of the rower and enable the rower, the coach and us to give the best advice on where to focus your development.
For Coaches: We offer the opportunity for coaches who have attended any of the camps to attend virtual networking sessions. These sessions allow coaches to discuss a range of subjects, share thoughts and experience on a range of subjects relevant to university coaches.
Contact
If you have any questions please contact SDP@britishrowing.org.