JUNIOR
SQUADS
About Our Junior Squads
We pride ourselves that as a club we can offer any young person, with any ambition, at any level, a squad tailored to fit their needs and development. Whether that is learning a new sport through Learn to Row, rowing recreationally a couple of times a week with similar aged juniors in Club Squad, or committing to performance-based training to compete at a national level in our competitive squads.
“It’s a great place to meet friendly people and exercise to feel good about yourself” Junior member
Becoming a Rower:
A Lea R.C. Junior Rower’s Story
You can read more stories and news from Lea R.C. Junior Squads on our News page
Admission
There are two main routes for young people new to rowing; our Learn to Row programme for those who have no experience and our Fast Track Squad which is dedicated to already strong and athletic individuals able to participate in an intensive, performance driven group that will feed into the competition section of the club. We take new admissions for Learn to Row quarterly and Fast Track Squad bi-annually.
For anyone interested in joining the club, either to learn to row or as an experienced rower, please complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form and a member of our Junior Rowing team will contact you prior to our next intake date. Those with rowing experience will be considered for either our Club Squad or our competitive squads, depending on if they wish to row recreationally or competitively.
We also hold Rowing Camps during the warmer school holidays. The courses are open to anyone aged 13–17, whether the young person has no experience or participates regularly.
If your child has any additional needs that may require reasonable adjustments for this sport please let us know when filling out the EOI form.
The Lea is proud to support young people who wish to row and become members of the club. We do not want cost to be an impediment to joining, so can offer bursaries to our rowers. For further information on our membership, fees as well as our Parent/Carer Handbook visit our Junior Resources page.
“I’m absolutely loving rowing, all aspects of your training and being at The Lea RC. It’s like a dream.” Fast Track Rower
Rowing Camps
During the Spring, Summer and Autumn terms the Lea R.C. offers short rowing camps for all levels of rowers. This is a great opportunity for young people who have not tried rowing before to have a go. They experience what it would like being part of the club, they meet the coaches who would teach them how to row and they row in a boat on their own as well as with a crew. The final couple of hours is dedicated to just having fun in a safe and controlled environment. At the bottom of the EOI form there is an option to sign up for our camps.
Learn to Row and Recreational Rowing
Learn to Row
TRAIN:
Up to 3 sessions a week
WATER SESSIONS:
Sunday afternoon
Learn to Row at Lea R.C. is for those Juniors, aged 13–16 (Year 8–11), who have no experience of rowing. The squad trains throughout the year, except for two weeks over the Christmas period. The main focuses are building fitness and strength, learning how to scull and above all having fun.
Fast Track
TRAIN:
Up to 4 sessions a week
(12 week programme)
WATER SESSIONS:
Saturday and Sunday afternoon
This is our newest programme for rising talent. We are offering an opportunity to already athletic Juniors to join an intensive programme, which fundamentally teaches them how to row as well as refining their already established fitness. When the programme is finished, each rower will be assessed and moved into the right part of the Junior section for their preferred development; performance or recreational.
Club
TRAIN:
Up to 3 sessions a week
WATER SESSIONS:
Saturday afternoon
Rowing competitively takes dedication and full focus so we are delighted to offer a squad in which experienced junior rowers can enjoy the sport and racing without the time commitment and stress about performance. While still being given opportunities to develop and in some cases, should the Junior want, support and coaching to move into the competitive parts of the squad.
Competitive Rowing
The Lea R.C. has two advanced squads: Competition and Performance. Members of these squads are expected to commit to regular training in order to develop the correct technique, strength, fitness and flexibility for racing.
TRAIN:
Up to 7 sessions a week
WATER SESSIONS:
Saturday and Sunday Morning
Competition Squad
The Competition Squad starts to focus on combining strength and technique. It is built on a training programme that commands strong boat skills as well as a more intense level of land training. The aim for these Juniors is to row competitively for the Club and then move into the Performance Squad.
TRAIN:
Up to 12 sessions a week
WATER SESSIONS:
Saturday and Sunday Morning
Performance Sqaud
The Performance Squad accommodates our most elite rowers. The focus at this level is to achieve the maximum potential of each athlete while remaining passionate about the sport. We also prepare the rowers for continued participation at whatever level – GB, university or the senior programme at our club.
Our club has a fantastic track record of our top Junior rowers attending some for the best universities in the UK and in the US. We believe this sport with its structure and demand, improves time management and academic achievements for our athletes. In 2020 eight of our Performance Juniors where accepted into Oxford and continue to row there competitively while many others went on to other universities or further studies.
For further information and frequently asked questions, please visit our Junior Squad FAQs page.