There is much discussion at Monkton about the place of sport in the life of the school and of its pupils. It is accepted that young people should get enough physical exercise to become reasonably fit, and that the activities chosen should be enjoyable ones. Rowing certainly enables people of all ages to keep in good physical shape - and it is not just the young who need to keep fit! But the aim of school sport surely is far wider than this. Rowing involves the use of equipment and membership of crews with high aspirations within a club.

The equipment we use has to be looked after, finely adjusted, loaded onto trailers, prepared for racing. All these activities are essential ingredients to the whole enterprise; much is gained by the interaction of man and machine, and a great deal of time is spent by members of the club to ensure that they get the best out of the excellent equipment at our disposal. Anyone who has been a member of a close-knit crew over a long period of time knows that the comradeship and loyalty built up between its members are fundamental, not only to success in races, but rather more importantly because friendships formed between people can be long-lasting and of greater worth than the arithmetic which describes the number of wins and losses.

The aims of becoming fit, rowing with the best possible technique and winning races are important, and season after season, all those involved in any physically demanding sport gain satisfaction from every opportunity of achieving those aims.

And of course, the boat club is a Club. This gives the opportunity for experience in leadership, in organisation and in co-operation. It has always been our custom that the more experienced oarsmen help the younger ones by coaching and by demonstrating what they have themselves learned in earlier seasons. I am reminded on something written at the beginning of this century: "Mathematics in Prussia! Ah, Sir, they teach mathematics in Prussia as you teach your boys rowing in England: they are trained by men who have been trained by men who have been trained by men who have themselves been trained for generations back."

'Leadership training' is not the flavour of the month, but it is needed as much as ever, and it is no surprise that many who experience it at any level gain from it.

We are in the midst of developments at school which expose many of the most valuable aspects of our sport to danger. The new timetable gives year groups the opportunity to make better use of the river by rowing at different times spread through the day and the week - e.g. with rowing in the morning as well as the afteroon. The emphasis is on using the river space well and the equipment most economically. This certainly has its advantages, but there is a price to be paid. The seniors will not be on hand to help the younger ones lift heavy equipment, nor to give a lead so that others can follow. The feeling of working within a club, and not merely for individual improvement and success, may well be lost, and if it is, we will be very much the poorer.

If sport is concerned merely with keeping fit and enjoying the process, there are easier, cheaper and less time-consuming ways than rowing. But rowing offers so much more.