“Are you still rowing?”
It was a simple question asked of me after finishing Year 12, but one that stuck. I was fresh out of school, a student-athlete with rowing at the centre of my routine. It’s a path that many choose not to take for a variety of reasons. This question echoes what many young rowers across Australia face: a moment of decision.
Do I continue? And, if so, how?
Each year, school leavers let go of their uniforms and, with them, rowing. The dropout rate from school rowing to club or national-level competition is significant and growing. But the question we need to be asking is: why?
The post-school drop-off
A significant number of school-aged rowers leave the sport after Year 12. The reasons are complex: the loss of structured programs; competing demands from university or work; and societal expectations, particularly for young women. Rowing is time-consuming, physically and emotionally demanding, and lacks the immediacy of success seen in other sports.
If this pathway is not fostered through clubs or institutes to develop those athletes further, most move on with life to find study, a job, or start a family. But rowing also builds discipline, connection, resilience, and ambition, all qualities young adults need beyond the water.
For some, like me, rowing fits seamlessly into life’s rhythm. For others, it clashes with a world that rewards instant gratification over long-term effort. A sport defined by routine, time on the water, in the gym, on the erg, with the crew, often feels incompatible with the fast pace of adult life.
And yet, elite rowing demands this time. So how do we retain the next generation?
The culture shift we need
Five-time Olympian and current Friends’ School Rowing Coordinator, Anthony Edwards, has spent the last five years trying to answer this question. I sat down for an interview to discuss how we retain young rowers. For him, it starts early.
“You need to make it fun in the younger years, Grade 7, Grade 8,” he said. “Focus on technique, not results – that’s what builds long-term love for the sport.”
Working with coaches to develop a fun environment builds the platform for the next generation of rowers. Edwards stresses the importance of exposing young athletes to club regattas and development pathways early.
The Olympian continues: “Show them what’s possible: the U19 Australian trials, the club programmes, the chance to row interstate, or even overseas. Once they see that, they start believing they belong.”
But a rower’s belief also depends on coaches, teammates, and parents fostering this culture. Education through government and national bodies, such as Rowing Australia, and state-led initiatives builds the ecosystem.
Too often, school programmes focus on short-term wins, like an U17 medal, rather than setting foundations for long-term success. When those medals don’t lead anywhere, both athletes and their families lose interest, unaware that real opportunities exist, just further down the line “in 4- or 5-years’ time”, Edwards explains.
Normalising the student-athlete lifestyle
The gap from school to club rowing widened after COVID-19. Interrupted seasons, lost training blocks, and a disrupted development pipeline all contributed to today’s dropout rate.
One key solution? Normalize being a student-athlete.
Collaboration between club and university is key. Communication with local clubs allows an integrated programme in rowing with university life through scholarships and flexible timetables. Celebrating the commitment it takes to train consistently while studying will help young rowers see the identity of an “athlete” as a strength.
For many young people, the idea of training for four or five more years before achieving success is daunting. Rowing isn’t like other school programme sports, where one weekly training session and a game deliver immediate feedback on performance. It’s a long endurance sport, one where consistency, not quick wins, defines the journey.
Edwards believes that a mindset shift is critical.
He said: “We need to teach them that growth comes from showing up, from being part of something bigger than themselves. It’s not about medals. It’s about becoming a better rower, a better person.”
The path forward
At its core, rowing is about development. The hours spent training aren’t just building athletes; they’re building adults. The environment within the sport, through the people involved, creates and teaches resilience.
If we want to see more Australian rowers wearing green and gold, we need to start by showing younger athletes what’s possible and supporting them to believe they can get there.
Fostering a love of rowing isn’t just about keeping athletes in clubs or state institutes after high school. It’s about growing people who love the process, trust the path, and know that rowing isn’t something you finish. Rowing can create a place to carry success forward beyond school, whether it be to row for your club, your state, or eventually your country in the Olympics.
Photo credit: Swan River Rowing Club, March 27, 2025.
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