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Welcome to the end of summer round-up newsletter from Rowperfect.

With the Olympic fire fading fast, it's time to look forward to the coming season. If you missed our summary of the Olympians who were writing about the regatta it's all here.

Many clubs run a clubhouse clean-up day and boat cleaning and rigging session.  Don't forget that we can supply you with spare oar buttons, scull grips, pitch gauges and cox box wiring looms.
And if you have new joiners and want to show off a video of good technique, the Rowing and Sculling DVD is useful.  Rob Roy used the FISA Sculling DVD on its summer sculling camp to good effect.

Our interview with David Low has some cunning tricks for head racing and improving the boat movement through the water.

And so enjoy the autumn and we'll see you out on the water while the evening light still lasts!

Rebecca Caroe and Grant Craies
Rowperfect UK

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I was recently in Austin, Texas, and approached the local club to borrow a single. During my visit I was introduced to Charles Barksdale the energetic coach who has helped to build a very successful and inclusive local rowing community.  Charles does two jobs and each job is different – he works as a Boatman on the University of Texas Varsity Programme and takes care of the equipment, tune up rig, repair and drive the trailer and as the Head Club Coach, at the Texas Rowing Center, he says, “This job allows me to coach.  My philosophy is to try to get as many people out on the water as possible.”

What is your background in the sport?  I have been rowing since ‘95 and coaching since ‘98.  I wanted to be a better rower and so I started to coach.  Now I am a better coach than I ever was a rower since I am not an ‘ideal’ body shape (5’10” and 170 lbs) but most importantly, I still love it.  
When I started the first things I learnt that no one way is right.  Every athlete is different and the most interesting part is that no matter who you are dealing with you have to find a new way to help them fix the problem.  Look at their background and manipulate your coaching to get them to do things.  This keeps me on my toes and so I am never stagnate and I never do the same thing twice.

What are the differences between the groups you coach?  Coaching kids – you want a quick session, on and off the water fast.  Don’t give them a lot of information – they figure it out themselves.
By comparison, masters (veterans) want to know everything – they are constantly asking “why am I doing this?”.  Masters keep me on my toes the kids are the second hardest group to coach because they have parents!
Open athletes you don’t coach – you give suggestions.  They are wrapped into coaching themselves – you are not training them just moulding.  If they don’t get the right answers from you as a coach they will go and find another coach.  Open rowers sometimes have 6 – 8 coaches because they take what they want from each one.  I usually advise them, “Go find out what works for you and tell me”.  I need to know.  I am a two way street – If you don’t ask me question it is hard for me to tell what you need.  

  
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