Job Opportunities

Barrie Rowing Club – Summer Employment Opportunities  

The Barrie Rowing Club invites applications for 3 summer positions.  

The three positions are;  

1. Club Manager  
2. Program Leader  
3. Coach  

You will be responsible for delivery of coaching, Recreational and Junior Scullers  programs and support for the Learn to Row program. You will also have to carry out  Maintenance jobs around the boathouse including boathouse cleanup and repairs on  boats.  

Salary range: $14.50-$17.00  

Start Date: May 1, 2019 (Club Manager and Coach position)  

Start Date: June 1, 2019 (Program Leader)  

Hours of operation: Monday – Friday : 05:45 am – 08:30 am  

 Monday and Wednesday 5:45 pm – 08:30 pm  

 Saturday – Sunday: 06:45 am – 09:30 am  

Additional time is to be made up outside club operation hours. Weekend duties are to be  shared. Time sheets are to be submitted weekly.  

Reporting directly to the Board of Directors the common responsibilities of these three  positions include:  

  • Work with the Board of Directors to continue growing the profile of the club  ∙ Working in compliance with Rowing Canada’s Safe Sport initiatives 
  • Open the boathouse and facilitate member practices
  • Monitor online Schedule Sign Out sheet
  • Supervise the operation of BRC programs 
  • Ensure daily maintenance of all rowing shells, safety boats and other equipment is  performed. 
  • Perform light repairs/maintenance of club equipment in conjunction with the Head  Coach or a senior member skilled in these tasks,  when needed
  • Maintain areas around boat and oar racks.
  • Ensure the safety standards are met 
  • Supervise all on water activities in a safety boat, providing support and direct coaching  and/or coaching help wherever needed
  • Encourage safe and fun rowing experiences for all athletes
  • Working in compliance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act  and BRC Safety Plan, practices and procedures
  • Reporting to supervisor and/or Board of Directors any contravention of the OHSA or any  hazards they are aware of
  • Not engaging in any prank, contest, feat of strength, unnecessary running or rough  boisterous conduct 

The ideal candidates should possess the following qualifications:  

  • Proven leadership and rowing experience 
  • Ability to work well with persons of all ages 
  • Completion of RCA learn to row instructor (or equivalent)
  • Boat Operator’s Card 
  • Training in First Aid/CPR or commitment to obtain one prior to start date 
  • Ability to submit a Vulnerable Sector Check 
  • Experience driving motor boats 
  • Experience in sculling and sweep rowing
  • Communication skills (verbal and written)
  • Ability to follow direction and to uphold rules in a respectful manner 
  • A self starter that shows initiative 

Applicant assets:

  • Experience coaching and/or coaching certification 
  • Enjoy being outside for several hours and to be able to lift equipment weighing up to  45lbs
  • Knowledge of water safety and being comfortable using motors and basic tools.  

Why take a job at the BRC?

The Club has excellent equipment housed in a secure location with  change/restrooms, and training room on site. Our base of athletes is growing, with a  lot of potential for recreational, touring and competitive youth and adult  programming. Returning University students are encouraged to apply.

How to apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter to barrierowing@gmail.com Please  note the position title in the subject line of your email.

Individual Position Details

Club Manager

  • Responsibilities: Compile daily log of events in written form. 
  • Complete monthly facilities inspection. 
  • Open boathouse and facilitate for member practice 
  • Drive a safety boat and provide basic coaching when needed 
  • Clean boathouse and monitor equipment usage and damage 
  • Ensuring the Club safety standards are adhered to 
  • Organize volunteers for Learn To Row programs 
  • Encourage safe and fun rowing experiences for all athletes  

Coach

  • Planning weekly work-out and training objectives for the coaching sessions and  communicating same to Club athletes 
  • Coach and attend any regattas that the spring high school program and summer  competitive program attends and provide support as needed 
  • Provide coaching feedback to all members 
  • Assist competitive athletes in monitoring their training plans 
  • Conduct periodic opportunities for timed sections 
  • Provide video feedback and commentary for Club athletes  

Additional Qualifications. Must have and/or be willing to obtain,  

  • Standard First Aid + CPR Level A 
  • NCCP Coach Initiation in Sport (available through locker elearning tab)  
  • NCCP Safe Sport (formerly Respect in Sport) 
  • RCA Coach or Learn to Row training  

Program Leader

  • Deliver Junior Scullers program to youth athletes 
  • Conduct training sessions in accordance with BRC program in a fun and inclusive  manner 
  • Ensure all athletes are offered the opportunity to progress their skills in rowing and  sweeping 
  • Organize volunteers for Junior Scullers programs

Contact Info

(705) 739-0874
[email protected]
Southshore Community Centre
205 Lakeshore Drive Barrie, ON L4N 7Y9
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 29001 Barrie, ON L4N 7W7
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New To Rowing? Start Here!

What skills will you learn while rowing?

Check out this video for a quick overview of the skills we develop and fun we have on the waters of Kempenfelt Bay.

New to erging/dryland rowing? Learn more here:

The above information was sourced from: www.rowingcanada.org

Rowers tend to be passionate about their sport. The sensation of being able to propel a boat at speed through the water under one’s own power is exhilarating. It requires teamwork and concentration so that one is almost oblivious to the physical exertion employed. Rowing is a sport that can be enjoyed by all. You can start at any age, learn the technique quickly and improve on it for the rest of your life. To many it is more than a sport, teaching lessons for life:

The need to work together with others from all backgrounds;
the values of fair play and consideration for others in the form of good sportsmanship; and
the benefits to be obtained from hard work and self-discipline.
RCA has attempted to capture this vision of the sport in its vision statement: “Fostering excellence and teamwork for life through rowing.”

Rowing also brings significant health benefits. It exercises all the major muscle groups through the full range of motion, involves no body contact or jarring of the joints, and improves both strength and cardiovascular performance. It attracts those looking for an enjoyable recreational activity as well as those looking for exciting competitive opportunities.
Learn to Row
Junior Scullers
Dryland Erging

The Regatta

Championship races are rowed over 2,000 metres (one mile, 427 yards) in six lanes which are straight and buoyed. There are up to four rounds – heats, repechages, semi-finals and finals. The repechage round is for losing crews in the heats, meaning that every crew that loses in a heat has a second chance before being eliminated. The draw is conducted round by round according to alternative and previously undisclosed systems. The first three crews in each semi-final compete in the A final, and the last three in each semi-final compete in the B final for places 7 to 12. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded for the first three crews to cross the line in the A final.

Sprint Races – a full-speed sprint from start to finish. Often shorter distances.
Head races – The distances vary, but are usually about 3.5 to 5 miles.

Rowing Boats

SingleBoat Stats

  • Length – 8.280 m
  • Width – 0.280 m
  • Depth – 0.170 m
  • Weight – 14.5 kg

Pair/DoubleBoat Stats

  • Length – 10.000 m
  • Width – 0.383 m
  • Depth – 0.195 m
  • Weight – 28 kg

Coxed fourBoat Stats

  • Length – 12.900 m
  • Width – 0.490 m
  • Depth – 0.250 m
  • Weight – 59 kg

Four/QuadBoat Stats

  • Length – 12.900 m
  • Width – 0.484 m
  • Depth – 0.225 m
  • Weight – 61 kg

EightBoat Stats

  • Length – 17.600 m
  • Width – 0.590 m
  • Depth – 0.285 m
  • Weight – 110 kg

The boats for competition were traditionally made from wood, but are mostly fabricated from carbon fibre and plastic (ie. Kevlar).

Rowing shells are 0.280 metres to 0.590 metres wide and 8.280 metres to 17.600 metres long. A small fin is fitted at the bottom for stability. A rudder is attached to the fin or the stern (except for sculling boats). A white ball is attached to the bow (called a bow ball for safety measure, photofinish). A washboard prevents waves splashing aboard. Seats are fitted with wheels which slide on runners, or tracks.

Oars are hollow to reduce weight, attached to the boat by adjustable out riggers. Size and shape of the oars is unrestricted, the average length of a sweep oar being 3.81 metres and of a scull being 2.98 metres.

There are six Olympic types of boats, of which three are for sweep-oared rowing in which the rower uses one oar with both hands, and three are for sculling in which two oars are used, one in each hand.

The sculling boats are single scull, double scull, and quadruple scull, the sweep oared events are straight pair, straight four and eight. In the eight there is a coxswain who sits in the stern or lies in the bow of the boat.

Viewer’s Guide

The crew that is making it look easy is most likely the one doing the best job. While you’re watching, look for:

Continuous, fluid motion of the rowers. The rowing motion shouldn’t have a discernible end or beginning.
Synchronization. Rowers strive for perfect synchronization in the boat.

Clean catches of the oarblade. If you see a lot of splash, the oarblades aren’t entering the water correctly. The catch should happen at the end of the recovery, when the hands are as far ahead of the rower as possible. Rowers who uncoil before they drop the oarblades are sacrificing speed and not getting a complete drive.

Even oarblade feathering. When the blades are brought out of the water, they should all move horizontally close to the water and at the same height. It’s not easy, especially if the water is rough.

The most consistent speed. Shells don’t move like a car — they’re slowest at the catch, quickest at the release. The good crews time the catch at just the right moment to maintain the speed of the shell.
Rowing looks graceful, elegant and sometimes effortless when it’s done well. Don’t be fooled. Rowers haven’t been called the world’s most physically fit athletes for nothing. A 2,000-metre rowing race demands virtually everything a human being can physically bring to an athletic competition — aerobic ability, technical talent, exceptional mental discipline, ability to utilize oxygen efficiently and in huge amounts, balance, pain tolerance, and the ability to continue to work when the body is demanding that you stop.

More race-watching tips:

Race times can vary considerably depending upon the course and weather conditions. Tailwinds will improve times, while headwinds and crosswinds will hamper them.

If a crew “catches a crab,” it means that the oar blade has entered the water at an angle instead of perpendicularly. The oar blade gets caught under the surface and will slow or even stop a shell.
A “Power 10” is a call by the coxswain for 10 of the crew’s best, most powerful strokes. Good coxswains read the course to know how many strokes remain for their crew to count down to the finish.
Crews are identified by their oar-blade design.

It doesn’t matter whether you win an Olympic medal or don’t make the finals – each crew will carry their boat back to the rack.

Coxswains from first-place boats worldwide are thrown into the water by their crews.

Coxswains don’t now and probably never did yell “stroke! stroke!” Similar to a jockey, their job is to implement the coach’s strategy during the race, in addition to steering and letting the rowers know where they stand in the race and what they need to do to win.