WHY START ROWING?
Rowing is one the oldest Olympic sports in the world. However due to the extreme costs of equipment, together with geographic limitations of water availability has always been limited to a privileged few. Despite these challenges rowing in South Africa has become one of the fastest growing sports – and for very good reason.
Rowing as a sport is both mentally and physically challenging for all athletes. These attributes contribute to developing well rounded young adults with life skills that will guide them for the rest of their lives. Rowing teaches young athletes time management and discipline – depending on the level pursued by each athlete, rowing can take up a lot of time and young athletes need to learn how to manage and balance their academic, social and sporting commitments.
Rowing teaches young athletes to push themselves past personal limitations. Studies have shown that rowers (out of many sports) are able to push themselves harder because personal mindsets are replaced by crew/group mindset, thus allowing athletes to challenge themselves over and above what they previously thought possible.
Rowing teaches unity and teamwork. Rowing can be physically daunting but requires extreme finesse and each athlete is taught to ‘become one with the boat’ and to be perfectly synchronized with the rest of their crew. In the boat there are no hero’s and no villains – You are only as strong as your weakest link and we all work together to strengthen that link.
Most importantly – Rowing develops life-long friendships unmatched by any other team sport. Whether it’s a result of the many hours spent training or competing together, or the feeling of perfect synchronicity with each of your crew to make the boat glide effortlessly through the water or mutual respect and understanding one has for your competition. It remains something truly unique to this amazing sport.
These life lessons and attributes are invaluable in any young adults development and if one considers the numerous studies done on rowing and improved academic performance – One can understand why rowers are in such high demand for university scholarships.
SIGN UP
To register your interest in learning to row with PGRC, please click on the button below and complete the brief form. We’ll just need a bit of information about a parent and the daughter.
Our team will then be in contact to guide you through the rest of the process and answer any questions you may have.
If you have any questions, please email the Head Coach on pgrc1997headcoach@gmail.com
REGISTER HERE
Perhaps Hugh Laurie said it best “Winning a rowing race is not like winning anything else. Here’s my theory: you’re facing backwards, so you’re looking at the people you’re beating—and there’s something exquisite about that.”