The Masters Rower Who were they, who are they, and why are they still rowing?

1. The Masters RowerWho were they, who are they, and why are they still rowing? Stephen Seiler Ph.D Institute for Sport Agder University College Kristiansand, Norway

2. Profiling the Masters Rower-Presentation Contents • Methods used to collect data • Background/ Rowing performance History • Recruitment to Masters Rowing • Training Habits of Masters Rowers • Motivation for Rowing and Competitions • Engagement in Rowing Development • Health and Injury in Masters Rowers • Masters Rowers and the internet • Female masters - recruitment ideas? To go directly to a specific section, double-click below.

3. Methods • Questionnaire development- FISA Masters Committee plus Stephen Seiler • Pilot testing of questionnaire • Delivery of questionnaire in electronic format via the internet- links to FISA and other rowing websites • 8 month data collection period • Primarily English language responses, but also ~10% German

4. Is internet-based sampling representative? All sampling methods, postal questionnaires, telephone interviews, internet based questionnaires etc., can create sampling bias if there is a systematic difference between those who have access to the survey technique used and those who do not. We have some famous historical examples of this problem to keep us on our toes! Five years ago, adoption of the internet was not pervasive enough to have justified this technique. Today it is. Clearly there are masters rowers who do not have access to the inter- net, but this percentage is now very low for those countries with strong masters rowing participation (England, Germany, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia). We are confident that the data presented here are representative for masters rowers in general. One masters group that may be under-respresented here is Eastern Europe, due to language barriers and lower internet access.

5. Sample Characteristics • 1021 responses • 70% males, 30% females • Males = 47+11 years (range =27-83) • Females = 43+ 9 years (range =27-68)

6. Geographic distribution of sample

7. 4 Axes of Comparison • Gender Differences • Regional Differences (Europe-NA-Oceania) • Differences related to Performance History • Age Group Throughout this presentation, comparisons will be made along these 4 axes. These comparisons are made to highlight differences that may help to better understand the developmental trends in masters rowing.

8. ROWING BACKGROUND In this section, we examine the performance history of competitive masters rowers. Masters rowers range from former international finalists to athletes who first learned how to row in their 40s and 50s (one of this sample started rowing at 70!). The following slides compare rowing performance history between male and female masters and among the three major rowing regions: Europe, North American, and Oceania.

9. Past Performance history Former national or international elite 41% of females have only competed as masters! 55% of males 35% of females

10. Regional differences in rowing background- MALES >60% of competitive European male masters were former elite rowers 30% of N. A. male masters are “new rowers” Only 7% of European masters are “new rowers”

11. Regional differences in rowing background- FEMALES Over 60% of N.A. female masters first began competing as masters! Over 50% of European female masters had been elite rowers in their youth

12. Regional differences in rowing background Comparing the European sample with the North American and Oceanic samples highlights a dramatic difference in the recruitment base for masters rowing in the three regions. North American masters rowing is growing dramatically due to recruitment of new rowers. In contrast, the European masters rowing population- particularly on the men’s side- remains relatively stagnant and more dependent on drawing from established rowers, particularly former elite rowers.

13. Regatta participation among respondents 86% 63% 45% 25% Competitions

14. If we examine the performance background of those 45% of this sample who have competed in the FISA Veterans Regatta, we get the following distribution of competitors…...

15. Past Performance History of FISA Veterans Regatta Rowers (45% of sample)

16. The FISA Veterans regatta is appropriately named. Most of the competitors are true veterans of high level rowing! Among the men, about 70% of the participants at the FISA Veterans Regatta are formerly national class or higher rowers. Very few male participants are “new rowers.” In contrast, on the female side, almost 1/3 of the competitors have only competed as masters! Not surprisingly, The FISA World Veterans regatta remains a disproportionately European Veterans Regatta. Sixty-one percent of those who have competed in the FISA Regatta come from Europe, compared to 23% from NA and 13% from Oceania. FISA Veterans Regatta participants

17. Is rowing your primary sport? About 95% of both male and female masters report that rowing is their primary sport. Among these 95%, about 35-40% also compete in other sports.

18. What other sports have you competed in? Values are percent of gender sample. Values do not add up to 100% because multiple responses were possible. A substantial percentage (~40%) also reported various other sports activities ranging from golf to gymnastics.

19. Recruitment Paths into Masters Rowing In this section we examine the recruitment pathways of our rowers. How, and when, did they first get involved in rowing? Here also, gender and regional differences are highlighted.

20. Average age of entry into rowing

21. It’s Never to late to begin! Overall, about 13% of male and 41% of female masters rowers report first learning to row after age 30.

22. Entry Route into Rowing-MALES

23. Entry Route into Rowing-FEMALES

24. Members of my family are/were rowers

25. Entry route into rowing-summary The path of entry into rowing is quite region-specific. However, among males, school sport is an important entry path in all regions, though there are no-doubt country differences here. European males and females commonly entered rowing via local clubs as teenagers. This pathway is far less common in Oceania and North America. In North America, entry into rowing via a rowing club as an adult is now the most common pathway for both males and females. Among North American rowers, 70% of female masters have discovered rowing as an adult via a local club! Overall, > 50% of all masters rowers have other family members who have been involved in the sport Rowing remains a sport that runs in the family!

26. Training Characteristics of Masters Rowers The training habits of masters rowers have been quantified in this section. How much do we train to be competitive at the masters level? Do we have coaches? Which boats are we rowing most in training? What other types of training do we do besides on-water training?

27. Training Frequency (In season) - effect of age and gender

28. Average Training Volume- MALES

29. Average Training VolumeFEMALES

30. Do you receive regular coaching?

31. What type of boat do you most often row?

32. Which of the following do you use regularly in training?

33. During the rowing season, what other forms of training do you do?

34. What forms of training do you do during the off-season?

35. Who are you training partners?

36. Motivation for Masters Rowing • We now know more about who masters rowers are, and • what they currently do in terms of training. The next big • question is “why?” • What motivates masters rowers to row regularly? • What are the critical factors that motivate them to compete? • What factors play the biggest role in whether they • compete in a specific regatta?

37. Why did you begin with Masters Rowing?

38. The Statement “Being a rower is an important part of my identity”

39. The statement “I am addicted to rowing”

40. What are the 2 factors that best motivate you to row regularly? Values should be interpreted as follows: 48% of males have identified health benefit as one of the two most important motivating factors that drive them to row regularly

41. What are the 2 most important factors that motivate you to make the effort to attend rowing competitions? Values should be interpreted as follows: 14% of males have identified “ don’t want to disappoint my training partners” as one of the two most important motivating factors that drive them to row regularly.

42. What are the 1 or 2 most critical factors determining your participation in a specific regatta? Values above are the percent of respondents choosing each reason as one of the 1 or 2 most important factors.

43. Will you still be competing in Masters rowing in 5 years?

44. Are masters rowers active in their clubs, • or do they just worry about themselves? • Are there differences in club engagement between • men and women? • Are their differences in engagement related to • past rowing history (Former elite, non-elite competitor, • masters only)? Engagement in Rowing Development This section addresses the following questions:

45. What rowing development activities have you been engaged in?

46. Rowing development activities: do the “old boys” pull their weight? It has been argued that growth in masters rowing will be bad for youth rowing if the masters focus on themselves and not on their clubs. This data does not support that concern; masters rowers report a high level of engagement. Eighty-five percent of all rowers reported past or present involvement in some aspect of club development. Males and females are equally engaged at the club level, and well represented in all aspects of rowing development.

47. Engagement in development activities- Rowing Background differences?

48. Do new rowers contribute to club development? Absolutely! The previous slide compared development activity among former elite, established competitors, and “new rowers” who discovered rowing late in life. Coaching activities are understandably dominated by the experienced rowers. Otherwise, new rowers are very active in teaching beginner courses, local board representation, and even facility maintenance. New recruits to rowing definitely contribute to their clubs in more ways than just membership dues!

49. Health, Health Related Behavior, and Injuries In this section we examine health habits and health status among masters rowers. Injury prevalence is also surveyed. We also examine health status relative to rowing background, with the question of whether former elite rowers are more at risk of disease later in life due to the heavy training loads they were exposed to earlier in life.

50. Disease Prevalence- by Gender