Adaptive Rowing

More about rowing for people with disabilities

 

  • Sept. 2010: Pride Mobility Products Named an Official Sponsor of Rowing Canada Aviron's National Adaptive Club Development Program. Full release here.

Download the RCA Adaptive Manual below, a great resource for clubs and individuals involved with the sport. The manual files are in pdf format. For more information, contact us.

Or for the adaptive National Team program, see this page.

Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Rowing Technique and Terminology
Chapter Three: Getting Started
Chapter Four: Coaching Strategies
Chapter Five: Safety
Chapter Six: Special Needs 6.1 to 6.38
Chapter Seven: Competitive Rowing 7.1 to 7.10
Plus: Overview of Adaptive Rowing for Clubs
NEW:
 Adaptive Committee Terms of Reference

What is Adaptive Rowing?

Adaptive rowing is sweep rowing or sculling for people with physical or intellectual disabilities/limitations, including, in part, hearing impairment, paraplegia, quadriplegia, Downs Syndrome, blindness, visual impairment, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and spina bifida. This program is not new to the rowing community, as adaptive rowing has been offered at many clubs around the world for over twenty years.

Many different types of disabilities can be accommodated within the same crew, allowing for integration among disabilities and, ultimately, integration into regular programs within the club.

The basic techniques of adaptive rowing are the same as rowing for the able-bodied. Participants learn the elements of the stroke: drive, recovery, catch angle, oar handling, etc. The general learning curve is comparable to any novice rower and participants experience the same thrill at discovering our sport.

The individuals delivering the program do much of the 'adapting' of the sport through modifications of coaching techniques and program structure. Equipment modification can be addressed based upon club access to dedicated equipment and upon the needs of the individual participants. Programs generally increase the participant/volunteer ratio to provide greater opportunities for one-on-one training.

Benefits to Your Club

Many motivations and triggers lead to the development of an adaptive rowing program. Some clubs find that the program can develop due to a personal interest or as an extension of their members' professional backgrounds. Others develop the program in response to requests from the community. No matter what the initial reasons are for starting the program, it will quickly become clear that this program can positively add to many aspects of your club.

Some potential benefits to your club include:

  • Strengthening of community involvement by offering opportunities to all individuals
  • Increased membership base and diversification of overall program offering
  • Increased use of club in typical off-hours
  • Enhancement of club pride and reputation
  • Media attention, generating interest in your programs and benefiting all aspects of your club.
  • Increased fundraising abilities resulting in cash or equipment donations.
  • Equipment for your adaptive program can be shared with other programs when not reserved by adaptive rowers, increasing your club's overall inventory.

Benefits to the Athletes

When faced with the reality of a disability, many individuals experience depression, a loss of confidence, and a belief that their lives are limited. Sports and recreation offer the opportunity to achieve success in a very short time period; to use this success to build self-confidence and focus on possibilities instead of dwelling on what can no longer be done.

The sport of rowing provides opportunities for disabled participants to experience a non-contact, low-impact, team environment. As with any new rower the sport is a great way to increase overall fitness level.

Adaptive athletes are interested in rowing for the same reasons as able-bodied athletes. Some are interested in competitive opportunities and others are looking for general fitness and recreation.

Background

Within the last few years, a number of rowing clubs in Canada have opened their doors to adaptive rowing. However, Canada is still lagging behind the rest of the rowing world in awareness and availability of programs for individuals with disabilities.

ROWING CANADA: RCA established a National Committee on Adaptive Rowing (see its Terms of Reference - pdf ) in the spring of 2002. The goals of the Committee are to promote and encourage participation in adaptive rowing in Canada by increasing general awareness and by acting as an information resource. The committee is working on a program and training manual for adaptive rowing, and is in discussions with various Canadian rowing companies to develop any equipment modifications to support disabilities.

ROWONTARIO: RowOntario has been supportive of the Adaptive Committee and has acted to encourage local program development through their equipment program of touring shells (which can be particularly beneficial to an adaptive program) and by providing access to their network of clubs.

FISA: The International Rowing Federation (FISA) is the sole world governing body for adaptive rowing, and the sport is practiced by athletes in 24 countries. It was introduced into the Paralympic programme in 2005 and its Paralympic events were held in Beijing in 2008.
FISA introduced Adaptive rowing on a World Championship level at its 2002 World Rowing Championships in Seville, Spain, when 38 athletes competed in the single sculls and the coxed four. The sport has continued to develop since with four boat classes at the 2003 World Rowing Championships in Milan, Italy. At the 2004 World Rowing Senior and Junior Championships in Banyoles, Spain, 66 adaptive rowing athletes took part.
In 2005, 10 countries entered a total number of 42 adaptive rowers for the World Rowing Championships totalling 15 boats.
In 2006, increased participation in the four adaptive rowing events at the World Champioships resulted in much tougher competition and cutthroat racing as many of these rowers competed for the first time at the international level.

Starting Your Own Adaptive Rowing Program

Just as each club offers slightly different versions of program offerings, adaptive rowing can vary in scope, availability and structure from one club to another.

Things to consider:

  • Start small (perhaps initially limited to 4 participants). The success of the your first session will allow your program to grow over time. Keep the number of participants to a manageable number until you know that your program can accommodate more.
  • Determine what limitations your club situation presents. Are you wheelchair accessible? Will you have dedicated rowing equipment, which would allow for adaptive modifications? Can you support all disabilities or will you limit your offering to visually impaired or hearing impaired (for example)?
  • Outline the structure of your program. There is no need to create an entirely new approach; consider modeling your program on your current learn-to-row structure. You will want to determine your volunteer/participant ratio and to consider having experienced rowers in the boat for safety and stability purposes during the initial sessions.
  • Determine the budget for your program. This does not have to be substantial but you may want to consider honorariums for your volunteers or coordinator to encourage commitment to the program, as well as any equipment or items you may need (inflatable PFDs, t-shirts, etc.) You can use this budget along with your program outline to apply for grants from various sources (your city or municipality, physically disabled support organizations, etc).
  • Set the dates of your program and start to recruit volunteers within your membership.
  • Contact community or support organizations in your area to develop partnerships and to see what funding or assistance may be available to your program. Consider adding an announcement of your program to newsletters offered by support organizations (CNIB, Ablelink.com, Easter Seals, etc). Some community living groups may be interested in setting up a joint program to benefit their clients specifically. This kind of arrangement can reduce the amount of time you need to spend on 'getting the word out'.
  • Set an Orientation Day and ask any potential participants to attend. This will allow you to assess your capacity to support their disability. This will also allow the participant to assess your club and to ensure that they will be committed to the full program (avoids any first-day drop outs).
  • Have fun! The most important thing is to provide your participants and volunteers with a fun, exciting experience. Each participant should be encouraged to work towards individual goals, as the realization of each milestone will increase confidence and self-esteem. Races between training boats and a medal presentation at the end of the program can be exciting event (be sure to take photos for your local newspaper or invite them to attend).