What does she do?

[carlyp]

Ok..heres my problem. My sister is a talented rower who is only 17 and has rowed for tassie 3 times in the past 2 years( preety cool huh?). We've lived in Launceston all our lives and love it. My sisters club is fantastic. The coaches and people are fantastic. There is a couple of national and one world champ at the club so theirs good mentors they all help my sister out and help her train. It really epitomizes... family club! Anyway the problem is my sister is in her last year of school this year and she wants to do a course thats not offered in Launceston, only in Hobart. It looks like she might have to go.There are some good clubs in Hobart but there not the same as her old club. She really likes her coach in Launceston and isnt sure about the 2 or 3 coaches she has short listed in Hobart. The other problem is that nationals are in Tassie this year and this is surely the best chance for her to jump onto the national scene if she can get through the season and put some good rows in at nationals. She feels that if she changes club and coach now she may not do any good at nationals this year. She really wants to go to uni because she wants some qualifications for when her rowing career is over. After all rowing isnt really a high profile sport and it doesnt pay the morgage.
So what Im asking is this....should she put uni on hold, stay in Launceston or should she change clubs, move south and do it all??

 

[Darky]

Put the studies on hold.

You can miss a year of study (deferral, or just applying later) and it won't have any real impact on your professional career.

Sporting careers might be more of a case of "being in the right place at the right time" on top of sporting ability. An opportunity has to arise, and if it does it can't be compared to uni which takes applications at regular intervals.

 

[TheMase]

Originally posted by Darky
Put the studies on hold.

You can miss a year of study (deferral, or just applying later) and it won't have any real impact on your professional career.

Sporting careers might be more of a case of "being in the right place at the right time" on top of sporting ability. An opportunity has to arise, and if it does it can't be compared to uni which takes applications at regular intervals.

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

[you_idiot]

Originally posted by Darky
Put the studies on hold.

You can miss a year of study (deferral, or just applying later) and it won't have any real impact on your professional career.

Sporting careers might be more of a case of "being in the right place at the right time" on top of sporting ability. An opportunity has to arise, and if it does it can't be compared to uni which takes applications at regular intervals.

Spot on. College/university will always be there to get back to in due course of time.

Cheers,
William

 

[Cyclops]

Even without the sporting angle, I'd encourage your sister to defer for a year and just spend a while working and/or travelling. Obviously she's not thinking about a working holiday in Europe, but who knows where rowing might take her?

Just 12 months out of study really improves your appreciation of life outside the cloistered walls of academe. Its a good preventative for "second year burnout" (a common university ailment) and gives you a bit of a clue as to what you want from your studies, rather than blundering straight from High school into some course because its the next logical step.

 

[carlyp]

Thanks for the advice guys. Keep it coming!

 

[PrincessPark]

A year off from study will be a good thing, your sis should stick with her club, row her heart out and who knows where her career may take her from there??

 

[Docker_Brat]

Put the studies on hold. You'll find a lot of people who are members of these clubs are well to do business owners and depending on what kind of career she is chasing, she may be able to do a bit of networking and make some contacts that will further her career prospects when she has finished studying.

Also, decent sportspeople are usually considered highly as it takes a lot of discipline to make it to a top level.

That's my two cents.




Now could someone please invent a time machine so I can go back and talk to myself.

 

[lioness]

She should DEFINITELY put the studies on hold. I agree with Darky's post completely, just didn't wanna quote it again.

 

[daddy_4_eyes]

Looking at it from a different perspective, does your sister have a realistic chance of making a career out of rowing, or is she just kidding herself? If she can make the Australian squad, then definately take a year off. If she's unlikely to go anywhere past the state team, she could just be wasting a year of her life sitting around doing 'nothing'.

IMO, end of the day the decision should be based on what she wants to do. Not what those around her think is best for her.

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by daddy_4_eyes
Looking at it from a different perspective, does your sister have a realistic chance of making a career out of rowing, or is she just kidding herself? If she can make the Australian squad, then definately take a year off. If she's unlikely to go anywhere past the state team, she could just be wasting a year of her life sitting around doing 'nothing'.

IMO, end of the day the decision should be based on what she wants to do. Not what those around her think is best for her.

Well she's been told by the National coach that she does have a huge chance of rowing for Australia. So I guess she does have the chance. She's physically perfect for the sport and her technique is preety good too. She's been winning everything and I guess the coaches see a huge opportunity there for her. I think my sister would prefer to row and do no study but the truth is that she knows that she has to get some qualifications for after her sporting career. I think she'll end up doing rowing and part time school till the end of her career. Who knows by the time she's finished with rowing she may even have her degree done?

 

[jim boy]

At 17 she's pretty young still. Rowers such as Jane Robinson, a current dual world champion hadn't even taken up the sport at that age! Rowers tend be more dominant and powerful at an older age. At 17, you just don't have the bulk that you do later in your career. She'll know whe's made it when she gets an invite to the AIS, and that probably won't happen until she is 20 or so. Until then she should stay active within the more professional clubs, keep her technique sound and bulk up. A few results on the board, especially in sculls, wouldn't hurt either. Is she currently at Tamar? Hobart may not be as powerful as Launceston on the rowing scene, but you don't need much, just a competent coach and a good crew or scull and a reasonable piece of water.

Has she considered going to Melbourne to study? If she can get in at Mercantile or Melbourne Uni Rowing Clubs, that would assist her greatly in her quest.

 

[carlyp]

Originally posted by Jim Boy
At 17 she's pretty young still. Rowers such as Jane Robinson, a current dual world champion hadn't even taken up the sport at that age! Rowers tend be more dominant and powerful at an older age. At 17, you just don't have the bulk that you do later in your career. She'll know whe's made it when she gets an invite to the AIS, and that probably won't happen until she is 20 or so. Until then she should stay active within the more professional clubs, keep her technique sound and bulk up. A few results on the board, especially in sculls, wouldn't hurt either. Is she currently at Tamar? Hobart may not be as powerful as Launceston on the rowing scene, but you don't need much, just a competent coach and a good crew or scull and a reasonable piece of water.

Has she considered going to Melbourne to study? If she can get in at Mercantile or Melbourne Uni Rowing Clubs, that would assist her greatly in her quest.

No she's at North Esk. She hasnt considered Melbourne, I think she's keen to stay in Tassie. I agree that both those rowing clubs you mention would be great though. Yeah I know in terms of rowing that she is very young and that most rowers dont perform well to thier in their mid to late 20's. She's still got a way to go I know.