This is Your Captain Speaking

Hi everyone,

This time we have a special update for you - an up to date account of WARC's Summer Nationals Program. If you've been at the shed recently, no doubt you will have run into them. These athletes have impressed everyone with their dedication and performance, training up to 12 times per week in preparation for the Australian Rowing Championships on March 7-13.

Congratulations to the SNP athletes for all you've achieved thus far and good luck for the rest of your season!

Mike Jones
WARC Captain 2011

WARC Summer Nationals Program: By the numbers

Rowing is a sport dominated by numbers. Whether it's your ergo split, stroke rate, prognostic or power to weight ratio, it seems that it's always the numbers that matter. With that in mind, here's a quick glance at the SNP regime:

• 14: athletes in the program (though this is on the rise!)
• 12: training sessions per week (4x water, 2x weights, 1x Jacobs, 1x LABA, 2x ergs, 1x 10km run, 1x misc. cardio)
• 5100: length (in metres) of the monthly time trial at Canning in single sculls
• 5: number of ergometer tests completed every month (100m, 500m, 2000m, 6000m, 30 min)
• 382: length (in seconds) of the longest bridge hold - Meg Downes
• 3: female chin-up record - Sarah Steger
• 13: largest improvement (in seconds) in 2000m erg PB - Zak Campbell (6:24) (close second to Darci Miller - 12 seconds (7:30))
• 800: number of sausages sold at the first Bunnings BBQ fundraiser

New Faces at the Club - Maegan Thompson

Started Rowing: 2008
School: MLC undefeated in the 10A8+
Why join Westies: for the Nationals program
Other activities / interests: involved in volunteer work (Variety Youth Choir), rally car racing (taking time off to focus on rowing)
Favourite food: Chicken Kiev
Goals: take rowing as far as possible

New Faces at the Club - Phil Jurjevich

Rowing career highlights: Reserve for the Olympic LW8+ in 2000, holding the #1 6km ergo in 2001, #1 in the Victorian selection regatta in the coxless pair with Darryl Salisbury
Future plans: Run the Bibbulmun Track, spend time with the family
When did you start rowing at Westies: 1986
Coaching achievements/ambitions: coaching the Australian Junior Quad, won the schoolboys Head of the River with Trinity College 1999, 2004, 2007, 2009 & 2010, nationals title in 2003 (U17 double scull), coaching the Australian Cross Country team.
Other activities/interests: surfing and running.

New Faces at the Club - Paul Bolton

Rowing career highlights: LW's 90, 4 intervarsity wins, racing with Andy at the 2002 masters, Wesley 1st 8+ in 1986 and 1987, junior pair in 1989 won first championship
Future plans: coaching at Trinity and of course that world peace thing
When did you start at Westies: 1995 Men's Junior 8+
Coaching achievements/ambitions: coached at Wesley, Penrhos (undefeated), MLC, PLC and Trinity. PLC 2nd 8+ 2003.
Best coaching experience: Breaking the course record this year with the 10B8+ at the Schoolboys Head of the River.
Other activities / interests: Being a house dad and coaching pretty much takes all my time. Still enjoy drawing and playing!

Fundraising

Finally, the squad have been busily running a number of fundraising events, which is raising money for the WHOLE CLUB, not just the SNP, so please contact Amy at amy-walters@hotmail.com if you can assist, thanks!

• Selling Freddos - around $1000 has been raised already, contact Amy if you can sell a box!
• Bunnings fundraisers - we will be selling hot doga at Bunnings Innaloo on December 27, January 16 and January 23. If you can assist for an hour or two, please let us know!

Next regatta: 5100m National Time Trial at CANNING BRIDGE, Sat January 22.

Time Trial Results

Every month, the SNP athletes race in single sculls over a 5100m course at Canning against the best of the rest in WA. Their times are then stacked up against those of athletes from the other states as part of the state team and national team selection process.

These time trials have seen some consistent stellar results, particularly from:

MEN
Nick Wakeford - best result: 2nd (Open)
Sam Hughes - best result: 1st (U23)
Matt Cochran - best result: 5th (U23)

WOMEN
Hannah Vermeersch - best result: 3rd (U23)
Sarah Steger - best result: 2nd (U19)
Meg Downes - best result: 4th (U23)

Who's the boss?

Rather than have one or two coaches who we work to death over a period of 6 months (!), in 2010-11 the Summer Nationals Program has a small army of coaching staff who take 2-3 sessions per week, and meet regularly to discuss athlete progress. This approach seems to be working, as just about everyone has been doing PB's recently!

The 2010-11 coaching staff are:

Head Coaches
Mat Higgins
Phil Jurjevich

Assistant Coaches
Paul Bolton
Bec Bowler
Ren D'Alberto (Strength & Conditioning)
Adam Doyle
Caine Holdsworth
Brendan Klemm

The SNP also has their own squad captains who look after the day-to-day running of the squad, and organise squad travel, fundraising and the other 1001 issues that come up every day:

Womens Squad Captain: Amy Walters
Mens Squad Captain: Sam Hughes

The WARC 2011 Vice Captains are also members of the SNP squad, and assist with the running of the club (and preservation of my sanity):

WARC Womens Vice Captain: Emma Harding
WARC Mens Vice Captain: John Ciccarelli