Our Program and Values
In the legacy of George and Stanley Pocock, who believed in the educational power of rowing for youth, Pocock Youth Rowing is a community boathouse program offering a diverse array of age-appropriate, competitive, and high performance experiences to athletes in 7th through 12th grades. The program uses long-term athlete development and athlete-centered principles to guide its decision making and training curriculum. With inclusivity and trauma-informed coaching practices at the forefront, Pocock Youth Rowing fosters a space of community and support for all athletes.
Beginning in Fall 2023, Pocock Youth Rowing will introduce our new Green & Gold Program, offering two experience options within each of our age group squads (U19, U17, and Middle School). Our goal in creating two training tracks is to provide athletes with a greater variety of experience options that better fit their interests. From this, our goals are to:
1) create greater access to a positive experience for those athletes who are currently underserved in the traditional competitive model and;
2) provide space for more focused competitive development work with appropriate levels of accountability to time commitments and training.
Our commitment to building one cohesive team founded on community and competition remains unchanged. We are excited to grow our community with these new programs and continue fostering space for young people to experience this sport in a safe and supportive environment.
Use the buttons below to learn more about our Green and Gold Program.
The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) term is a view on a training model that focuses on achieving more while doing less in the short term, so that athletes can do more over the long term. The fundamentals of this model are to challenge and develop athletes at a level appropriate to their physical, intellectual, and emotional development stage. It conceptualizes the viewpoint that peak athletic performance and social-emotional growth are mutually dependent, not exclusive. In this framework, our Pocock Youth Rowing coaches aim to teach the athletes lessons that matter beyond just the boat.
Our programs bring this model to life in several specific ways:
Emphasis on small boats and sculling : The skill and confidence gained by learning to row small boats comfortably cannot be overstated. We prioritize these skills throughout an athlete’s development arc to keep them healthy and give them a lifelong skill that can keep them on the water.
Strength Training : Developing strong functional movement is a critical piece of general health and athletic development. We employ a variety of cross-training, weight training, and mobility work to keep athletes healthy as they continue to grow and train.
Scaled Practice Schedules : The training frequency of each squad fluctuates throughout the year for each age group to allow for healthy time off, athletic-academic balance, and extracurricular participation. We want athletes to make an informed choice when they take on greater training commitments.
Long-Term Athlete Development
“The community that grows from doing challenging things together is one of the greatest strengths of this team and this sport.”
— Youth Head Coach, Helen Tilghman