Westlake Girls Maadi Cup double scull rowers Tessa White-Parsons and Maisie Meiklejohn. Photo / Dean Purcell
Westlake Girls Maadi Cup double scull rowers Tessa White-Parsons and Maisie Meiklejohn. Photo / Dean Purcell
In the months leading up to the Maadi Cup regatta, those in Westlake Girls' High School's under-18 rowing programme can expect to be training 17-20 hours per week in order to stay competitive.
Their week will consist of:
-Five two-hour sessions on the water in the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour near Greenhithe; -A 90-minute erg session at a purpose-built facility at school; -Two gym sessions; -A cycling session.
Girls in the programme are also expected to follow exercise and nutrition guidelines.
Westlake GHS would be considered in the top three or four girls rowing schools in the country and head of rowing Craig Smith believes they would be, in terms of time spent training, at the lower end of the scale compared to other top schools.
"I know there are schools doing 12 to 13 sessions on the water a week," he said.
Rowing is a sport that relies almost solely on schools to provide and nurture talent. There is a university and club rowing scene, but the vast majority of New Zealand's elite rowers will go straight from school into either regional or national high-performance centres.
Rowing is a big deal at Westlake, as it is at a small number of mostly high-decile schools around the country.
Crews at the start of the under-15 girls' eights at the Maadi Cup. Photo / Christine Cornege
But it doesn't please everybody within the education system or even at those schools, with many teachers believing the education-sport balance has got seriously out of whack.
"I would question the time [spent on sport] to a point," says Rob Nichol, the head of the Rugby Players' Association and Athletes' Federation. "It encourages one-dimensional kids."
Smith acknowledged that problems often arose with students struggling to maintain academic standards, but says the message to students is clear.
"School is your priority and any sporting commitments come second, especially around Years 11 to 13.
"We're really conscious about it. Often the red flags are raised from the academic side, so we'll have individual meetings and get deans involved."
Smith said not all schools could claim to be as vigilant. He said those schools that bring in students on sports scholarships tend to want bang for their buck and are happy to make allowances for academic non-achievement if they're performing in their chosen sport.
Nichol wants schools to remain vigilant when it comes to their sporting students.
"We're seeing the emergence of football academy programmes, we're seeing swimmers as young as 11-12 putting in huge hours, and we're seeing pressure put on rowers in terms of time and commitment," he said. "Twenty hours of rowing at school means something is missing out, whether it's study or just connecting with friends and family.
"My concern is that at a really early age, kids are being boxed into one sport by coaches and in some cases parents. It's really easy for a kid who's been on TV with his 1st XV, or been to the Maadi Cup, or is in a swimming programme, to see themselves as a rugby player, a rower or a swimmer. Often the parents and coaches reinforce that message.
