January Monthly Bulletin

Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year to all of our coaches, officials and athletes.   Here is hoping that the 2017 season is one we can all look back on with pride this time next year.

CSG WINTER CAMP
The 2017 Canada Summer Games is a multi sport inter-provincial competition that will see the nations best young athletes compete against one another across 30 different sports in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  The ARA has many initiatives planned for 2017 to assist our athletes in preparing for the games commencing with a winter camp in Tempe, Arizona.  The winter camp is by invitation only and is based on results from the 2,000m erg requirement that was part of the November RADAR Testing Protocol or alternatively a 2,000m erg test pulled between November 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017. The following erg standards are requirements for obtaining an invite to the camp.

Heavyweight Men                6:30

Lightweight Men                  6:50

Heavyweight Women           7:30

Lightweight Women             7:50

Athletes who have met the aforementioned standards and who have not received a formal invite as of yet are to contact the writer immediately at albetarowing@gmail.com

It is the opinion of the ARA that the erg standards required to attend this camp are reflective of the erg standards needed to participate at the 2017 CSG.

To all athletes, it is important to note that an invitation to the 2017 Winter Camp should in no way infer that an athlete has been selected to the 2017 CSG Team.  The 2017 CSG Team will be finalized at a Selection Camp tentatively scheduled for May 27-28 or June 3 and 4th Calgary, Alberta.  The selection camp will be by invite only and will be granted to those athletes who have achieved the aforementioned erg standards.  Final selection to the team will be based on water performance in a 1x or 2-.

19+ Athletes
2017 represents a transition year.  Many of the athletes who competed at the 2016 Olympic Games have retired and a new crop of athletes will be identified in the lead up to 2020 Games.  For those athletes who have aspirations of competing at the 2020 Olympics this year represents an opportunity for you to get a foot into the front door.  For others 2017 may represent a year to achieve success at a national level regatta or alternatively win a medal on the Prairie Rowing Circuit.  What ever your goals are this summer, some of the regatta’s that Alberta athletes should consider attending are:

  • The 2017 Canadian University Rowing Championships in Burnaby, British-Columbia
  • The 2017 National Rowing Championships in Burnaby, British-Columbia
  • 2017 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario
  • National Trials (Senior, U23, and Junior) (Spring Trials in B.C and Ontario)
  • Prairie Regatta Circuit
  • Alberta Erg Championships
  • 2017 U.S Master Championships Oak Ridge, Tenn

We at the ARA are hopeful that our athletes can achieve considerable success in 2017, but know that it won’t be easy.  It takes plenty of hard work, which begins in January. As the saying goes,

“Medals are won in the summer but earned in the winter.”

RCA Coaches Conference
Rowing Canada will be hosting its annual coaches conference January 26-29 in Vancouver, British-Columbia.   This year’s conference is unique in that it will also serve as the World Rowing Conference providing coaches with the opportunity to hear from the world’s foremost experts in our sport.   We at the ARA encourage all of our coaches to attend.

Upcoming Events
ARA Board Meeing January 21st, Red Deer
RCA Coaches Conference January 26-29 in Vancouver, British-Columbia.
Alberta Indoor Rowing Championships March 11th, Blackfalds Alberta