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High Performance Report
HIGH PERFORMANCE REPORT 2020
JUDITH HAMILTON,
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General Manager - Performance
2020 SELECTORS: Elite
Barrie Mabbott (convenor) Gary Hay (women sweep and sculling, men sculling) Tony O’Connor (men sweep)
Under 23
Luke van Velthooven (convenor) Janey Charlton
Junior
Janey Charlton (convenor) Alex Meates Alison Storey
North Island U18
Nick Barton, Sean Durkin, Robin Clarke
South Island U18
Josh Schmidt, Natalie Matheson, Tim Babbage 2 020 will be remembered for the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent response plus the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and other international regattas. Both events had a major impact on people’s daily lives in New Zealand and worldwide.
Our domestic regatta season concluded with the Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships for club-based rowers and the respective North Island and South Island Secondary Schools Championships for schoolage rowers. Due to Covid-19 restrictions in March 2020, the Aon Maadi Cup was cancelled.
Our elite World Cup team and our U23 team were selected in early March. Other teams were not able to be selected due to restrictions.
On 24 March Tokyo 2020 and the IOC announced the Tokyo Olympics would be postponed until 2021, one day after our NZ government announced, beginning on 25 March, that NZ would move to Alert Level 4, putting the country into a nationwide lockdown.
During the lockdown period there was no onwater training, so training became home-based with remote coaching. Zoom meetings and other technologies were introduced to keep all connected.
Athletes and coaches of our elite team based at the High Performance Centre on Lake Karapiro were able to resume training on 18 May, albeit under strict protocols, which included contact tracing, social distancing and hygiene sanitation. Singles were used, with staggered training times to minimise the number of people in the building at any one time. The administration team continued to work from home. Once we moved to alert level 1, training was able to be resumed in all boat types and administration staff returned to work from the office.
There was a conscious decision to end the 2020 season on 13 June to allow for an optimal preparation period ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics, and for athletes and coaches to take their normal four-week break post a pinnacle event. Our official 2021 season began on 13 July 2020.
As the World Rowing U23 Championships was also cancelled, we brought our U23 team into Karapiro for four weeks for a camp experience training alongside our elite team in a high-performance environment. This took place immediately prior to the second development camp as outlined below.
DEVELOPMENT CAMPS
Two age-group development camps were held this year.
The January camp, from 2–8 January 2020, targeted potential U23 eligible athletes and had a total of 38 athletes in attendance, of whom 17 are currently studying at US universities. The camp coincided with the US athletes being on Christmas break and gave the selectors and coaches an advanced look at both NZ and USbased athletes within the same camp.
The second camp ran from 26 September
– 2 October 2020 and was part of the RPC and elite development squad selection process. It included our selected U23 team athletes. In contrast to previous years’ RPC trials, there was a significant focus placed on training, education and development over the weeklong camp. Athletes engaged in small-boat racing at the start of the week and were then selected into big-boat crews for the remainder of the week. The camp culminated in big-boat racing. Throughout the week athletes and coaches engaged in personal development, with athletes attending education sessions related to performance planning, media, drug-free sport, Athlete Development Pathway, identity on and off the water and nutrition.
REGIONAL PERFORMANCE CENTRE
Each year RPC squads are officially named for the start of the summer season. Based on the 5km and 2km ergometer testing that took place through the winter RPC programme, and the trials conducted at the development camp, 62 athletes were selected into the RPCs. Twentysix of these athletes were selected subject to further testing in November as they did not meet the selection criteria, their preparation for testing was compromised either through injury/ illness or due to the Covid-19 lockdown and the shorter than usual run up to trials. In line with RNZ strategy to create more opportunities for athletes to enter the pathway at a later age, four talent-transfer athletes who have been rowing for fewer than two years were selected into the RPCs.
ELITE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The Elite Development Programme was initiated to address the fact that 2020 is the first year of the Paris Olympic cycle and there was a need to bridge the gap between the RPCs and Summer Squad. Based on performances throughout the lockdown period, Dan Williamson and Charlotte Spence were invited into the programme in July 2020. Following the U23 camp and Development Regatta, a further two additions were made to the programme, with Ollie Maclean and Ella Cossill gaining selection. These athletes will follow a transition training programme aimed at integrating them into the elite programme.
HALBERG AWARDS
Rowing had a strong presence at the 57th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards – New Zealand’s preeminent event to celebrate and honour sporting achievements from 2019. Our women’s eight and women’s double, who achieved gold at the 2019 World Rowing Championships, were finalists in the Team of the Year category, while Gary Hay was a finalist in the Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year award.
COACHING Prime Ministers Scholarship – Performance Coaching
With the support of HPSNZ, two age-group development workshops were held this year. The first was in May during the Covid-19 lockdown. This included 14 performance coaches (RPC, U23, U21 and Junior) who gathered for a twoday workshop to upskill and reconnect in what were very trying times.
In Late September, while gathering for the Athlete Development Camp, 16 performance coaches participated in daily sessions of development, in what was a more modular style of coach education. This modular format meant that the development delivery did not need to be repeated by the experienced coaches. New coaches experienced a mixture of video presentations and associated exercises to allow them to be upskilled. This meant we were able to continue to extend all the performance coaches with each workshop by providing a more tailored approach to suit those who are both more experienced and those who are new to the Rowing NZ coaching system.
Prime Ministers Scholarship – Career Coach
To drive change and create a more inclusive environment, in 2019 Rowing NZ with the help of HPSNZ launched a programme to develop leadership, confidence and capability in female coaches. This began in July 2019 and will continue through to July 2021. It consists of residential workshops, one-on-one development and online group forums.
Over the past 12 months the group has completed three residential workshops (in Auckland, Lake Karapiro and online), and they are now undertaking three research projects covering a range of enquiries in women’s sport and coaching.
A fourth workshop was held at Lakeview Lodge in Lake Karapiro in September 2020, and the fifth and final workshop is scheduled for July 2021.
Pending Prime Minister Scholarship funding, Rowing NZ will again host the programme 2021–23, with expressions of interest being
invited in early 2021. The July 2021 workshop will be attended by both existing participants and participants selected into the second programme launching mid-2021, allowing for an exchange of information between a broader pool of coaching talent and providing a networking opportunity.
Te H paitanga – Hannah Starnes
In September, Rowing NZ’s Junior coach Hannah Starnes was selected to join High Performance Sport New Zealand’s holistic coach development initiative, Te H paitanga. This programme aims to improve gender equity in sport. Supporting the implementation of the Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy is a priority for High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ).
Te H paitanga is a holistic coach development initiative designed to enable more females to pursue and maintain a career in high-performance coaching in Aotearoa New Zealand. The 18-month initiative will provide a range of opportunities that enable up to 14 future or emerging female high-performance coaches to test and develop their coaching ability, and to develop new skills to navigate a complex and challenging career in high-performance sport.
Te H paitanga invited applications from women coaching in paid (full-time, part-time or contract) and unpaid positions, who have been identified by their NSO as a potential highperformance coach. After gaining selection into Te H paitanga with Rowing NZ’s support, Hannah Starnes will remain part of the development initiative for a period of 18 months, including attending five residential workshops.
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
Rowing NZ initiated a review of the athlete development pathway in September 2019. A comprehensive survey was conducted, aimed at high-performance athletes and staff and those involved in high-performance in the wider rowing community. A total of 101 current and former high-performance athletes, 27 staff members and 95 members of the wider high-performance community responded to the survey.
The survey covered a wider range of topics related to the entire pathway, and some of the key findings are summarised below. High-performance athlete and staff survey • General satisfaction with the programme has increased in the last six years. • The centralised high-performance environment at Karapiro was rated extremely highly (average of 8/9 out of 10 over a range of factors). • There has been a culture shift over the course of the last Olympic cycle, with athletes reporting a more collaborative and athletecentred approach in the last cycle. • This culture shift is reported less strongly at RPC level than at Summer Squad level, suggesting that further work needs to be done to transfer the learnings from Karapiro into the pathway. • Over 50% of the athletes reported that the most difficult transition they faced over the course of their career was into the RPC.
• RPC athletes reported wanting to feel a greater connection to Rowing NZ and a sense of belonging to a wider system. The lack of a consistent programme across all RPCs was reported negatively. • The opportunity for U23 and RPC athletes to train together (development camps) was highlighted as something that would increase athlete engagement and performance. • A need to have a long-term planning approach including personal development as well as rowing development was highlighted. Athlete retention was higher when athletes reported feeling that their coach supported their personal development outside of rowing as well as their rowing development. • The way in which athletes are looked after post-career was highlighted as an area for development. Wider high-performance community survey • There is a lack of clarity around the purpose of the age-group teams and aims of the agegroup programmes. • There is a belief that athletes must get into a Junior team or into an RPC straight from school in order to make it as an elite athlete.
There need to be multiple entry points into the high-performance pathway. • There are very few projects aimed at getting post-secondary school-aged athletes into rowing. • The domestic competition structure was highlighted as an area that needs to be developed to encourage more athletes to stay in the sport. • Communication around the Rowing NZ strategy, aims and projects needs to be improved in order to include the wider highperformance community.
Further to the survey, a review of internal Rowing NZ data as well as international data took place to understand the nature of high performance and identify any trends that could help inform a more fully integrated athlete development pathway. This data showed that there are strong correlations between physiological markers (as measured by ergometer or strength tests) and on-water performance. Both male and female athletes followed a similar performance curve over the course of their careers, with steep gains in performance until the age of 26 and a flattening of the curve from this point. The peak performance age based on physiological tests was identified as 28 years of age, with most rowers achieving their lifetime personal best scores within six years of entering the elite highperformance programme.
The average age of Olympic rowers is 30 and the average age of Olympic medalists 32, with NZ tending to select young Olympic teams in comparison to the international norm (average age 28). The key age-group team in terms of identifying future elite athletes is the U23 team, with 60% of athletes going on
to represent NZ at elite international level. Attrition rates for the junior and U21 teams is high, with only around 20% of athletes selected into these teams going on to represent NZ at elite level. As rowing is a sport with a late peak performance age, it is not unexpected that athletes selected at a young age do not stay in the sport; however, it does emphasise the importance of keeping athletes in the sport for longer who are not selected into junior teams, as they may well go on to perform later.
The optimal daily training environment for athletes varies depending on the stage they are at within the pathway. Elite athletes have gained the most benefit from the high-performance environment at Karapiro, where they receive wrap-around support tailored directly to their individual needs. Athletes seeking selection into elite or U23 teams and operating at this level require a competitive daily training environment with other athletes of their ability. This is where the RPC network has been successful in developing athletes and helping them to prepare for elite-level performance. Athletes not yet at the level to challenge for U23 selection are best suited to a local training environment in which they can gain race experience and mature physically while also pursuing their own personal development. These athletes need to be encouraged to have fun in the sport, form social connections, and develop at a speed appropriate to them. Retention data shows that asking these athletes to relocate leads to dropping out, as they struggle to make the transition. Relocation should only take place when the individual athlete is ready to progress.
Based on the findings of the review, several changes have already been implemented, with two development camps taking place in 2020 and three further camps planned. An end-of-career manual has been produced by members of the athlete rep group to help athletes prepare for retirement. A monthly RPC athlete rep meeting with the RNZ HPAD leader takes place over zoom to connect RPC athletes with Rowing NZ, and a member of staff from Karapiro sits in on RPC athlete IPP meetings. Exit interviews are offered to all athletes not selected to RPCs as well as any athlete retiring from the sport. Lisa Holton has taken on an additional role to support athletes who are long-term injured or leaving the sport, and also checks in regularly with all members of the elite team. An additional area is being developed for the Rowing NZ app, which will enable targeted pathway athletes to gain access to educational resources and make it possible to track their progress. Further work is being done around developing a fully integrated athlete development pathway based on the findings of the review, coupled with a communication strategy to ensure that the wider rowing community fully understands the pathway and what support is offered.
ATHLETE RETIREMENTS
Over the course of the year the following athletes retired from our elite training squad: Anthony Allen, James Lassche, Sophie Mackenzie and Lewis Hollows.
Rowing NZ wishes them the best on their next adventure.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Our elite team has continued to maintain a high level of engagement with the New Zealand community. Athletes made official appearances at regional rowing events, rest homes, and primary and secondary schools. They also undertook multiple restoration sessions along the Waikato River in support of our relationship with the Waikato River Authority. Led by Ruby Tew, Rowing NZ’s elite team raised over $4500 for cystic fibrosis throughout September.
SUPPORT
I would like to acknowledge the continued support of High Performance Sport NZ, not only as our major funding partner but as a key contributor with athlete performance support services directly working with our coaches and athletes.
We remain continually grateful to Derek and Judy Jones at Rocket Foods for their ongoing support of our sport. Sean and Bibi Colgan’s support for our women’s and men’s eight programme was paramount to 2019, particularly after our men’s eight did not achieve Olympic qualification in Linz.
In a turbulent year we are grateful for the continued support of Rocket Foods, Aon, Colgan Foundation, 2XU, Waikato River Authority and Filippi. We thank them for the adaptive approach to all challenges we faced. Sadly our relationship with Gallagher concluded in 2020, and we thank them for their support of our sport.