Successful crews depend more on the athletes than the boats they race in. As well as providing equipment, the Billygoats Society supports athlete development by helping the Boat Club to enter off-Cam races, and with coaching and training camps. This term the Society supported the Boat Club to enter the Head of the River Race and Women’s Head of the River Race, and also to have an Easter training camp at Henley. Captain of Boats Maisie Matthews writes:
On Monday 4th April, 30 members of Fitzwilliam College Boat Club travelled down to Upper Thames Rowing Club for our pre-Mays training camp in Henley-on-Thames. After a sleepy coach journey, and unloading the most densely-packed trailer we’d ever seen, we were ready to get out on the water for our first outing.
Despite anticipating a very wet week, the rain eased up just as we began our first sessions. Our coxes got used to the new stretch of river, using the opportunity to practise using the rudder only on the drive, something which is hard to achieve on the Cam. They also made the most of Tony’s walkie-talkies, not just for in-ear coaching feedback, but also chatting to each other to incite some friendly competition between crews as they chased each other up and down the Thames. Mixing up the crews in each session meant our less experienced rowers were able to learn from those more senior, whilst the seniors had the opportunity to try out new seats in the boat and practice developing their own technical consistency. With six outings across three days, we could really feel the improvements in each session as the crews took on feedback and put the miles in to solidify what they had learned.
We also had the privilege of coaching from FCBC alumni Carole Burton, Ian Hall, Emily Lees and Andre Neto-Bradley. Tony did a great job leading the coaching, cycling back and forth between crews, with the extra support from Billygoats giving each crew further dedicated coaching during their outings, and a new set of eyes on their rowing and coxing. This was really useful for all members of the squad, novice and senior, as they worked hard to impress our alumni coaches and take their insights on board. The breadth of experience at the camp, from those who have been rowing for 60 years to those rowing for only 6 months, really showed us how important it is to dedicate time to coming together as a club, as there is so much we can learn from each other. For a lot of FCBC rowers, this was their first time training outside Cambridge, so for many of them this camp acted as a turning point in terms of cementing their commitment and love for the sport. Crew selection for next term will definitely be a lot more difficult following the progress we’ve seen this week!
As well as the three full 8+ crews going out every day, we were also able to make the most of our small boat flotilla throughout the week, with some of our senior members taking out pairs, doubles, and singles. There was also a chance for some rowers to learn to scull for the first time, using the wider and straighter stretch of water as a slightly less terrifying area to practice than the convoluted Cam. Although we managed to make it through the week with no capsizes, a rower and a cox still both managed to take a dip by walking backwards off the pontoon on Tuesday. Hopefully this is a skill they won’t bring to their training next term, but at least we can say we created some memories.
This was also a brilliant week in terms of our collective bonding as a club. Whilst we normally only cross paths at sleepy 6am outings, this week all crews across both sides were able to spend time together on and off the water. We are very grateful to Carole Burton for accommodating some of us at her house on Monday night, and to Maple the dog for all his support. Those of us staying at the hotel will look back with fond memories of bleary-eyed hash brown consumption and post-training beers – staying in a Wetherspoons was a real cultural experience. Having the whole squad together at UTRC really integrated the crews and strengthened all our friendships with each other, hopefully including the makings of some future captains and committee members.
This camp could not happen without the generous support of the Billygoats and we would like to thank every member for enabling us to have this opportunity – special thank you to Dan George for some late night calls and managerial skills that pulled this all together.
Feedback from some of our rowers on the camp:
“I think the camp really helped us to bond as a crew and get to know people from other crews. I also think the amount of coaching we got was amazing and incredibly helpful. Dedicating a time period simply to rowing really helped everyone to improve.”
“The training camp in Henley was an amazing opportunity to prepare us for a hard term of rowing both physically and mentally. It was great to not only see big improvements in both my own technique and that of others but also to have some quality time to bond as a crew. Bring on Easter Term!”
“It was really good to be able to row on a much less busy river than the Cam so you got to row more consistently and work on technique etc without getting stuck in traffic. Plus for £30 it was very accessible to join, considering all the facilities and staying in a hotel.”
“Training camp was probably one of the most useful things for the squad as a whole because it massively helped with cohesion and brought together all the squads which was really nice to see. Different from the last training camp in Norwich where the men and the women sat on opposite sides of the room! It was an amazing opportunity to try new things too. People could learn to scull, row different sides, row different positions and with different crews. This has been awesome because during term time you don’t get to do that because time is short and stressed, and outings are maximised for bumps training in set crews. It definitely made me feel the love of rowing all over again and I hope it did for others too.”
“As an international student having the opportunity to row at the historic Henley was an amazing and memorable experience. And having the FCBC community support us to do so is just one of the many things that sets studying at Cambridge apart from other institutions. It was also very helpful to have the space and time to really work on my rowing and make some changes. The coaching that we got from our alumni was really insightful and it was great to see that there is a way to be involved in College rowing after I graduate!”
“Even the small opportunities that being away from the Cam provides are invaluable, such as being able to take photos of the whole club in front of Temple Island, or giving the other matched eight that sweet, sweet ‘BOWWWWBAAALLLLL’ as we battle paddle down the whole HRR stretch. I’m sure camp will have inspired the lower boat rowers to try even harder in their training so that they can aim for the top crews, and it will definitely have ensured that FCBC traditions carry on into years to come.”
Ashton thanked the Billygoats for the new VIII and for welcoming and supporting her in coming to Fitz and Cambridge, and spoke of how much she had enjoyed her experiences here, rowing both for the University and for the College.
