Sad as it is, the northern hemisphere rowing season is coming to a close yet again. Which means it may be time to say a little thank you to the person who has made you wake up at ungodly hours of the morning, shouted out drills a little too close to your eardrums and made you race no matter the weather.
That’s right, your rowing coach.
Honestly though, we all owe them a lot, and Rowperfect has a few ideas of how you can show your appreciation.
If you want to get really creative, what better way to mark the end of the year than turning all of your (clean, please) team shirts into a little quilted throw to keep your coach cosy as the rowing season wanes into winter. They could be hung on a wall , or made into pillows or cushions too. I’m sure after a season of keeping up with all of you, your coach could use something to rest their head on!
Our friends at Rock the Boat know just how to reward the deserving coach, and are offering a special deal to Rowperfect blog readers—type ROWPERFECT in the additional information space at checkout and a free thank you card will be included with your purchase. You can get a coach-specific mug or jersey for those cool mornings on the water, a rowing hip flask for when you’re all just a bit too much to handle, and a bowtie and cufflinks for celebrating a big win. Or just opt for a gift voucher so they can suit up with some of the active wear the shop offers, or a gift of their choice.
To make your coach’s life easier for next season, why not get them a thoughtful Self Centering Span Gauge from Active Tools? It cuts the time of measuring the span for an entire eight from 15 minutes with a tape measure down to 2 with this nifty little device. Jürgen Grobler— said of the product: “These are the best tools ever – and you can quote me on that”.
If you think your coach just deserves something nice and pretty, check out jewellery designers Whirling Girl and Mason Designs. They make rowing pieces in gold or silver, and no matter how tough your coach seems, she’ll still react just like a school girl with a gift of shiny jewelery.
From our own Rowperfect store we have a number of gift items just for the occasion. It’s ever handy to have a rigger jigger bottle opener for those impromptu post-win celebrations. Miniature replica oars hand painted in your choice of club or country’s colours or a special message can make a great gift. Do note that when ordering these hand-made pieces use Oarspotter to identify your blade design choice. For the coach who just can’t stop learning, Harry Mahon’s DVD series on rowing technique may be the perfect gift to watch on winter afternoons. But if you feel like your coach needs to kick their feet up and enjoy a nice quiet book by the lake, try The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Rigging, or the all-inclusive rowing history bible—The Sport of Rowing which tracks the sport from its inception at Eton College in the 1700s until today. And if you really want to throw your coach off, how about giving him/her Yoga for Rowers for a little something different? Beware – it might make you all into yogi-freaks next season!
Now let’s say all say thanks to our coaches, because we need them to come back next season!
