Happy New Year!
A Happy New Year to all of our coaches, officials and athletes. We at the ARA hope that we can build upon our successes that our clubs and university programs witnessed in 2014 and make 2015 a year that we won’t forget.
Western Canada Summer Games
The 2015 Canada Summer Games is a multi sport inter-provincial competition that will see Western Canada’s best young athletes compete against one another across a multitude of sports in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The ARA recognizes the significance of this event and is beginning to make plans in preparations for the Games. Athletes should start to hear about a variety of different opportunities forthcoming in the weeks and months ahead.
While the ARA is beginning to make plans, we hope that athletes born in 1997 or later are starting to make their own preparations. As the ARA communicated back in November 2014 athletes wishing to be invited to the WCSG Selection Camp must hit or better an erg standard of 7:05 (Men) and 8:05 (Women).
We at the ARA acknowledge that the erg standard is aggressive, but in touring the province back in October and November we know of a number of athletes who have already bettered this standard and are aware of plenty of others who are close to hitting this mark. Again if athletes put forth the work we are confident that every U19 athlete in Alberta can achieve these standards.
To assist athletes in hitting this standard the ARA will be looking to host a weekly erg session in Calgary and Edmonton that will complement their clubs competitive program. We hope to commence these erg sessions in February.
19+ Athletes
While the WCSG is a U19 event, there are plenty of opportunities in the year ahead for athletes over the age of 19. 2015 will see the province of Nova Scotia host the Canadian University Rowing Championship for the first time. Toronto, Ontario is playing host to the 2015 Pan-American Games to which there may be opportunities for Alberta athletes to participate at these games. Calgary and Edmonton will both be looking to better their performances from 2014 at the 2015 Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in St. Catharines, Ontario and of course there is the 2015 National Rowing Championships. Don’t forget about the U23 and Junior Spring Trials in April as well as the Prairie Regatta Circuit.
We at the ARA are hopeful that our athletes can achieve considerable success in 2015, we 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 22-25 in Burnaby, British Columbia. The conference serves as an excellent opportunity for coaches to learn about many of the latest training methods in our sport, hear from experts and socialize with your peers. We at the ARA encourage all of our coaches to attend.
Upcoming Events
RCA Coaches Conference January 22-25, 2015