Before I went up to university, I volunteered to my father that I had made only one decision about the three years that lay ahead. 'I will not', I emphasised, 'be rowing: it takes too long and there are too many other things to get involved with.'
Persuaded initially to a Boat Club 'Squash' by the offer of free refreshments, then to try rowing for a term in a gentleman's novice boat and subsequently by the flattery of promotion, I rowed in every term. This was despite multiple shoulder dislocations by involvement in other sports. My growing enthusiasm for rowing resulted in my application to teach Economics at various independent schools being coloured by whether or not they rowed. In the end, I chose one job rather than another, telling myself that it was for all sorts of reasons, when actually rowing was chief among them.
In fact, I had started coaching in my second year at university, during a brief lay-off with my arm in a sling, and had enjoyed it immensely. The invaluable experience of rowing and coaching simultaneously made me even more of a rowing bore than I had been previously.
I am convinced that rowing is a great sport for young people to learn, and not just because it is the sport that I specialised in as a coach. Rowing teaches a combination of lessons that cannot be replicated in other sports, in my view, with a smaller risk of injury than any other sport I have ever been associated with.
First among these lessons is self-discipline. Even those who have never rowed marvel at the way that rowers can spend long periods of time on ergometers, or paddling, in search of minor technical improvements. Those who have rowed know how vital it is to groove in those technical improvements so that they are established well enough not to be lost as fatigue sets in. As one who has rowed in a dead heat (over 1500 metres) and been sent straight back to the start for a re-row, I can personally vouch for this particular lesson!
And then, of course, is the teamwork. We've all rowed in an eight where '4' and '2' are always late, haven't we?! I spent two years rowing at 7, growling at the cox when I knew that we unimpeachable technophiles in the stern were being 'let down' by the leopards (all speed and no power) in the bows. I have also played in football teams where the weakest player could effectively be hidden at left half! All oarsmen (and women) know that there is no hiding place for the weakest link, and so every opportunity must be taken to help such a person to improve!
Steve Redgrave once gave a friend of mine some advice: 'Every race', he said, 'boils down to this. Are you willing to put in more effort for ten strokes than anyone else in the most painful part of the race?' The advice was conveyed to me as pertinent advice for a broader context: for revision, for maintaining standards of work in the late November of a boarding school term, for persevering after others have given up. I am sure that rowing teaches young people to push themselves further than they thought they could — and sometimes to the point where sound fades and one's vision starts to become a bit 'spotty'.
So, rowing is still more than just happy memories to me, and I hope that I will be able to escape from the Kearns building often enough and for long enough to coach from time to time!
We are delighted that the new Principal agreed to write this year's Leading Article. Whilst coaching at Oundle, RPB coached Richard Dunn who later became World Champion rowing with Steve Williams - in the 2000 Coxed Four at Zagreb and the 2001 Coxless Four in Lucerne.
RPB has already put his name down to row at the Bluefriars Celebration on 8th July 2006. He rows on bowside. He says that if he has to miss rowing in the afternoon, he will set an ergo time, which he trusts will be the best for his age group on the day.