At the start of a season, the club recruits and welcomes new members from all parts of college: freshers, to those who wished they’d signed up in first year, to postgraduates. This year, we are training an unprecedented 55 new rowers as the whole club works together to coach the novice rowers, organise social events and help new members integrate with our club’s community. It is this mobilisation of all existing members, which ensures John’s has one of the best novice programs in Durham.
 
The first event as a novice rower at John’s is the Novice Cup – an inter-collegiate race, which takes place in Durham at the end of first term.  Crews, of four and a cox, are assembled at the beginning of the term, to allow for as much training as possible before the Cup.  This training consists of water sessions, fitness sessions, and sessions on the rowing machines, preparing new members for life as a rower!
 
Once the Novice Cup has taken place, the novice rowers are invited to join the senior squads; these cater for all levels of commitment: from the performance squad, for those who wish to compete at a high level, to the casual squads, for those who love rowing on the Wear with friends, but are not interested in racing.
 
This years intake are preparing for their first outings on the river, so we wish them luck in their training and in Novice Cup! 

Huw Jarman - Novice Co-ordinator

This year, the club is going to be trialing a new structure to rowing this year, with the aim of improving the experience for everyone.
 
What does this involve?
 

1. New squad system
2. New £1800 coaching budget
3. New rigid timetabling
4. Effective fundraising

 
 
OVERVIEW
 
MEN’S SQUAD
This is made up of every male rower who wants to race and row for SJCBC, but in a casual manner. Training will be 3 times a week, with two water sessions – one of which will be a professional coach, and Alex Thornton will be your Captain who will organize each session. There will be 1 VIII for this squad as well as fours. All squad sessions will be held at the same time and everyone will attend to row with their crews at that session. There will be opportunities to train on Tyne, as well as potential to race the Head of the River but otherwise regional events will be the focus. Subs will remain the usual £30 a term.
 
WOMEN’S SQUAD
This is made up of every female rower who wants to race and row for SJCBC, but in a casual manner. Training will be 3 times a week, with two water sessions – one of which will be a professional coach, and Molly-Kate McCaffrey will be your Captain who will organize each session. There will be opportunities to train on Tyne, as well as potential to race the Head of the River but otherwise regional events will be the focus. Subs will remain the usual £30 a term.
 
PERFORMANCE SQUAD
This is made up of either male or female rowers who want to race and row for SJCBC in a serious manner, but not quite the DUBC programme. Training will be 5/6 times a week, will include weights, fitness with three water sessions – two of which will be professionally coached on the River Tyne. A captain will be elected at the start of term. As with the previous squads, the whole squad will train at the same time. There will be ranked crews for each gender, and crews will be selected depending on what coming event is the target. Training on Tyne will be compulsory, and larger regional and national events will be the focus. Subs will rise to £50 a term, in exchange for better coaching and use of facilities.

CASUALS
This squad will have a reduced sub rates, but will be able to row on a casual basis once they have been verified as having the correct skills to do so. They will only be allowed to use certain fours, and will have to check boats out with the Club beforehand using a new devised system of boat booking.
 
COXES SQUAD
Erica Thake will coordinate with all captains to allocated coxes to different squads, at which point the crew they cox will be decided.
 
TIMETABLING
Timetables will be structured so that all squads train at the same time, and to maximize the value that we can gain from coaches. Fitness will take the form of cross-training, and squads will be limited to 1 or 2 VIIIs, 3 IVs and one pair or double.
 
EQUIPMENT
Given the final sale of the Rev.Crossley, we will then order the first new 8. Immediately following this, we will begin the fundraising for a new second 8. We will look to sell Sarum and replace it with a second-hand Janousek 4, that will provide a more functional four for the club.