News

Posted: June 15, 2016

Clydesdale Amateur Rowing Club is targeting local schools this month to encourage youngsters from Glasgow’s East End to take up the sport in larger numbers than ever before.

The Glasgow Green-based club has worked with Scottish Rowing previously to encourage local school children to row, and one club junior, who has only been rowing for a year, made last weekend’s National Schools finals.

For its newest schools initiative, Clydesdale is joining forces with Scottish Rowing’s Project Rio campaign, which seeks to maximise the interest in rowing around this summer’s Games.

Funded by Awards for All, Project Rio is a direct result of the surge in rowing interest following the London 2012 Olympic Games, when clubs across the country were inundated with newcomers wanting to learn to row.

Scottish Rowing is ensuring its clubs are better prepared this time around.  The initiative will feature a National Come & Try Week (18-26 June), Learn2Row lessons and a Rio Regatta (24 September).

Clydesdale Rowing Club is casting the net wide into local schools for its Come and Try week and is expecting 180 children from local schools to take part.  Right on the back of that, it is running Learn2Row lessons throughout the summer leading up to the Rio Regatta.

“Through Project Rio we want to build on the success of our local schools programmes we have run with Scottish Rowing,” said Club President, Michael Foran, who is working with Glasgow City Council to recruit schools.

“We have a good base of coaches at the club and we are geared up to getting as many 11 to 18 year olds on the water as we can.

“So we are eager to hear from schools that want to book in a group of children during the day time.

“In addition, we are also offering after school Come and Try sessions starting at 4pm, so individuals can just turn up.”

The club has a well developed coaching structure and will utilise as many as 15 coaches to run the Come and Try sessions and follow up Learn2Row lessons.

“Our Learn2Row lessons will roll right off the back of the Come and Try sessions,” continued Michael.

“We are planning Learn2Row lessons twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, all the way through the six weeks of the school holidays, continuing for another six weeks leading right up until the Rio Regatta.”

For information about how your school and child can get involved with Project Rio at Clydesdale Rowing Club juniorcoach@clydesdalearc.org.uk

For more information on Clydesdale’s Amateur Rowing Club’s Project Rio visit: www.clydesdalearc.org.uk/project-rio/