Minutes for SWJRA Coaches Meeting

October 9, 2004

  1. Election of Stewards
    1. Joe Mees (retiring): Bob McClean , Wayne Rickert , Greg Kogut , Cassandra Cunningham nominated for the position.  Vote conducted by blind vote.  Results of election: Greg Kogut elected for 2 years.
    2. Beth Anderson (term is up): Beth re-elected unanimously for 2 years.
    3. Sandy Armstrong (term is up): Sandy re-elected unanimously for 2 years.
  1. Committee Reports
    1. Sandy Armstrong (Junior Women): Testing procedures are posted at usrowing.org.  Sandy thinks that the system is not necessarily drawing the top kids and that the programs should help USRowing by pushing athletes to participate in the selection and testing process.  Coaching for the team is currently uncertain.
    2. Jim Andersen (Junior Men): Disappointing results at this year’s Worlds.  6 new bids to coach this year’s team.  ID camps will be held this year as usual.  Similar note as Sandy ’s – need to encourage the kids to participate. We moved dangerously close to reopening the can of worms that is the USRowing dues issue vis-à-vis the funding for the Junior National Team.  Sandy has some ideas to leverage USRowing into better funding the team.
    3. Monica Hilcu (Youth Committee): This year’s YI will be held on 2nd weekend in June .  SWJRA did fabulously in Cincinnati this season.  SWJRA did fabulously on Scholastic Honor Roll. There is a proposal on the table to allow a third qualifying boat from any region the year after that region places both of their qualifying boats in a given event in the finals. Idea suggested that we should consider bailing on the Youth Invitational and setting up a West Coast Championship Regatta that would pit the top crews from the Southwest and Northwest regions.  There is a proposal on the table to eliminate or amend the “3 second rule.”  There’s an At Large position open.  Nominations should be in by November.
    4. Sandy Armstrong (Rowing Education): USRowing is setting up a new committee (of which Sandy is a charter member) that is charged with expanding and promoting coaching and general rowing education in the U.S.   The committee is seeking information about how to interest coaches in attending more coaching education clinics and programs.  Ideas to further this end should be forwarded to Sandy Armstrong at Marin .

New Business:

  1. 1st year/2nd year program rule (4d).  The rule was clarified to define a first year program as a program in which ALL of its members are novices as defined by the league novice classification rules.  The rule clarification was moved by the Board of Stewards and seconded by Marin .  In favor: 37; Opposed: 0; Abstained: 0.
    1. New proposal on the floor from Derek at Oakland Strokes, seconded by NorCal: Eliminate the 2nd year program rule – 1st year rowers are novices and 2nd year rowers are varsity.  The motion is to eliminate the line “Exceptions: 1-2 year programs” from rule 4d and the entirety of rule 4o.

 Result of vote: 34 in favor, 6 opposed, 0 abstained. Motion passes.  The rules will be amended as moved.

  1. JV4 rule clarification (4d). The rule will remain unchanged with the exception of the result of the above vote.
  2. Jenny Hale proposed that each program should make a contribution to row2k.com in appreciation for their efforts.  No vote required.
  3. A proposal was made to increase regulation of lightweight rules by giving out wristbands and then asking the officials to check the wristbands after the races are completed.
  4. Jim Andersen ( Marin ) asked that all programs be required to use the Regatta Central online race entry system for Championships. 
  5. Lane Assignments: It was proposed and accepted that our normative system will be to assign seeded and final race assignments go “inside out,” i.e. the top crews get lanes 3 and 4.  In the event of a three heat progression, the third winning crew will get lane 2, not lane 5.
  6. Final Only Races: Wayne Rickert (NorCal) proposed that all finals should be held during the originally scheduled finals time.  Proposal seconded by Derek ( Oakland ).  Vote: 44 in favor; 0 opposed; 0 abstained.  Motion passes.
  7. Composite boats: Dana Hooper proposed that we shall allow no composite boats at SWJRAs.  Vote: 35 in favor; 0 opposed; 0 abstained.  Motion passes.
  8. B boat rule clarification – no additional heats will be added for “b” boats.  B boats will be added on a space-available basis with a random draw.
  9. SWJRA 2005 –
    1. Note that May 7th is an SAT test date.
    2. Discussion of what to do with 4 heat events.

                                                               i.      Timed heats?

                                                             ii.      Winner of each heat plus next three times?

                                                            iii.      Heats-reps-finals?

                                                           iv.      Eliminate events?

                                                             v.      Limit number of events for each athlete?

                                                           vi.      Use league races as qualifiers?

    1. In a non-Nationals-qualifying event, if an event goes to 4 heats, we will take the four winners and the next 3 fastest times to the final.  In a Nationals-qualifying event, if an event goes to 4 heats, we will shift to a heats-reps-finals progression. Proposed by Beth Andersen ( Oakland ) seconded by ?.  Vote: 30 in favor; 2 opposed; 4 Proposed by Beth Andersen ( Oakland ) seconded by ?.  Vote: 30 in favor; 2 opposed; 4 abstained.  Motion passes.
    2. Discussion of moving Frosh8 heats to Friday p.m. It is noted that going to a Friday p.m. schedule would add $5,000 to the regatta’s cost. (Didn’t Pass)
    3. Jim Andersen ( Marin ) proposed to eliminate petite finals from the schedule, seconded by Mike Still (NorCal).  This proposal is tabled pending discussion of event elimination.
    4. Event elimination options:

                                                               i.      Pair

                                                             ii.      Novice 4x+

                                                            iii.      Frosh 4+

                                                           iv.      It was suggested and generally accepted that the Stewards would deal with the problem if a problem should arise.  A straw poll showed that most teams would rather eliminate the petite finals of the N8 than the N4x+ race.

  1. Sam Sweitzer presented the issues having to do with moving the regatta to the 3rd weekend of May (the weekend after Pac-10s).  He said that it would not be possible to move the regatta for 2005, but that moving the date for 2006 and beyond is definitely a possibility and that he will keep us abreast of developments.
  2. A general discussion about other facility issues ensued.  Sam let us know that there is a possibility of our per-car parking charge going up dramatically.  He is going to research options regarding shuttles from Hazel through the parking lot.

 

The Novice Regatta:

Bob McClean let us know that the Novice Regatta may not happen this year.  He should know by the end of the Fall.

The Long Beach Invitational:

            Ian Simpson pitched the LBI (see the associated handout).

“The Head of the Estuary”

There will be no Head of the Estuary on its usually scheduled date.  There will be a race on December 11th, a 5k juniors-only race that is preliminarily being called the “Head of the Estuary.”

“The Head of the Foster City Lagoon”

The Head of the Lagoon returns to the Foster City Park and Rec building. New docks and more space for athletes and boats. Date: 11/14/2004. Entries due 11/06/2004.

Northern California Scheduling:

 

Monica ’s Proposal:

3 league weekends…

Only 8’s, ended up being same 4 week schedule, but eliminating the third week. See Master Schedule for all spring races.