Welcome to the Ready, Row! USA podcast, as we continue regular broadcasts featuring the best of rowing news, gadgets & gear from clubs, companies, and rowers across the country.
Ready, Row! USA is part of the international RowingChat network. You can subscribe to receive notifications of upcoming shows, send in tips, and join our community by visiting the website.
Your producer and director is Charlotte Pierce; today’s host is regular correspondent, Tara Morgan of Seize the Oar. Correspondent Mark Wilson of All-American Rowing Camp, is off running a rowing camp in the beautiful country of Croatia. Lucky Mark! He’ll be back for our June 19 episode on “Catching a Career in Rowing.”
With us today are two special guests:
- Kevin Yruretagoyena of Montlake Rowing in Seattle, and creator of iCrew club management software, and an eternal student of rowing club management.
- Joe May, manager of Worcester Boat Club, in Worcester, MA, a club about 10 years underway with about 40 members.
Welcome, Kevin and Joe!
INTRO TO TOPIC:
- Managing rowers is sometimes an oxymoron – club cultures can range from controlled chaos to highly structured & digitized
- Tools range from magnetic name tags and dry erase boards, to technologies like Google Docs, Facebook groups, and/or integrated full-service online systems like iCrew or TeamSnap.
- No matter your system, at the end of the row the boats, boathouses, volunteers, and rowers need to end up in one piece, safe and sound.
- Kevin and Joe, let’s hear about your strategies for maintaining your club’s sanity and safety?
JOE MAY:
- Growing the club, within moving targets of State permitting, equipment ownership/rental, shared facilities with two other organizations.
- Communications rely heavily on Google doc for scheduling and attendance. Keep information very current!
- External club responsibilities to support Lake rowing events including numerous Spring and Fall regattas
- Opening the doors to community at large – especially to those who are in Recovery, but without overtaxing the club core support
- Know your members’ goals: Recreational, fitness, competitive racing, contemplative; provide a place where they can best experience it
KEVIN:
- Communications
- Attendance Planning and Tracking
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Regatta Management
- Google Docs vs. Integrated System
TARA:
- Club Organization Challenges (100+ members, <100 members)
- Club Management Challenges (private boat usage vs public only facility)
- Communications – what are we conveying, needing to convey (payments, registrations, regattas, practice attendance, social, discussions, surveys and evaluations)
- Culture piece to having order, especially as it affects the novices, new members, visitors and alums.
- Organizational tool kit necessities.
SUBMIT YOUR OWN CLUB & PROGRAM NEWS!
SPONSORS – Find all links & discount codes at Rowing.chat/sponsors/
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- Mind Games – Book by Annie Vernon: Win yourself a personally signed and dedicated copy of the Mind Games book which is all about how elite athletes train their minds to help them win at sport. To enter, tell us What gives you the impetus to win by writing a comment on the page! And if you want to buy a signed copy – you can buy them at Rock the Boat UK.
- UPCOMING SHOWS:
- June 12: Collegiate Nationals Recap with Cornell coach Drew Tennant & Alabama coach Glenn Putyrae
- June 19: “Catching” a Career – aka making a living at rowing, with Mike Davenport, Mark Wilson, & Grace Luczak!
- June 26: Topic TBA
- July 3: Club News Spotlight – Nominate Your Rowing Club!
EPISODE PRODUCTION CREDITS:
- Producer/Director: Charlotte Pierce, Pierce Press
- Host: Tara Morgan, Seize the Oar & Vashon Is. Rowing Club
- Correspondent: Mark Wilson, All-American Rowing Camp
- Executive Producer: Rebecca Caroe, Rowing.Chat
- Research & Graphics: Nancy Diessner, CRI Sculler and Artist
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