Programming Ideas

Classmates cheering on race participants at a local middle school
Students cheer on fellow classmates participating in an indoor rowing race at a local middle school.

The key to keeping kids motivated to row is to keep it fun and keep the kids busy! Use the ideas on this page for help.

Keeping Interest

  • Try the Indoor Rowing Fishing Derby
  • Have kids keep a log, either online* or on paper
  • Set attainable goals
  • Create home/family mini-challenges: Can your kids row half as many meters as you can over the next month? Or set a family meters goal for the summer and add everyone's meters together.
  • Try other distances (500 or 1000 meters, say) for variety
  • Get other kids involved: Run relays where each kid rows for 1–2 minutes with the goal of cumulatively rowing as many meters as they can in 10 or 15 minutes
  • Try the Rowing Snack Attack exercise from our Fall 2009 Newsletter
  • Check out the Kids' Distance Clubs and the Concept2 Challenges
  • Take time off when needed

* Note: We respect your child's right to online privacy. View our COPPA Statement to Parents and Guardians.

Rotation Strategies

If you have more kids than indoor rowers, try rotating kids onto the indoor rowers by:

  • Time: Divide your program time by the number of kids you have in the group. For example, if you have one hour, two indoor rowers and 15 children, then each child gets a max of eight minutes of rowing. With start-up and transition time, it may be more like seven minutes. Then decide if you want them to row seven minutes non-stop, or split it into two or three different sittings. Vary this from day to day.
  • Number of Strokes: Allot rowing time by number of strokes. Set up a rowing order for each machine, then have kids row a certain number of strokes, then switch. Thirty strokes should take about a minute.
  • Distance: Allot rowing time by distance. You might set any distance from 200 to 500 meters. Allotting by distance gives more time to the slower kids, because is takes them longer to cover the same distance.
  • Speed: Kids love this! Have each child row for 30 seconds, or 100 meters, or 15 strokes, etc., then switch. This minimizes the down time for everyone! It makes it harder to keep track of how many meters each child has rowed, but the kids can help! Assign kids to watch the performance monitor and record the number meters as each child gets on and off. Then you'll have some math practice later as you calculate how far each child rowed!

Keeping Everyone Busy

Some activities to do with kids waiting their turn to row:

  • Record meters rowed in their logbook.
  • Stretching and other exercises. Create a number of stations around the room (rowing, stretching, ab curls/bicycles, jumping jacks, and so on). Label and number each station, then have the kids rotate whenever you call out.
  • Plan a group "rowing" trip around/along a local body of water. Make a map to post with distance increments, and have the kids mark their progress along the route. When not rowing, kids can work on planning the trip, creating the map, and marking the progress.
  • Research the sport of rowing. How many different kinds of boats are raced in the Olympics? When was the first Olympics in which women rowed? What is a "head race" and how did it get that name? What is the difference between sweep rowing and sculling? Work on a presentation for the rest of the school.

If time and machine access is not an issue, then programming depends more on the individual student’s goals, level of conditioning, and attention span. The trick is to strike the right balance between fun and challenge for each kid. Some kids may have the capacity for longer, steady rows, but interval workouts may do a better job of keeping kids focused and interested.

Other Programs

The United Kingdom has a very successful school rowing program underway. Read more about it here: UK School Rowing.