Broken Oars Podcast Episode 59: Dr. Michael Cannon: Resources vs. Ambitions and Avoiding the Club Apocalypse

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The world's greatest rowing podcast returns - and it couldn't be more timely.

 

As some of us head back to school (quite literally) and all of us head back to the water at the start of the new rowing season we are joined by Dr. Michael Cannon to talk about the impact on rowers, rowing and rowing clubs of balancing resources against ambitions.

 

(Right at the start of the season?

 

When every club in the land is setting its season goals and agenda?

 

Thank you, Broken Oars and Dr. Cannon! You're the best.

 

Yes.

 

Yes, we are).

 

Beginning rowing while at The University of Durham, Dr. Cannon went on to row, coach, and captain, helping out at college and university level before going on to teach and coach at schools level before moving on to row at and for Staines, Eton Excelsior, Maidenhead and Vesta.

 

One of nature's natural organisers and administrators, Michael's journey through the sport has taken in the side of the sport without which we wouldn't have a sport: the running and administering and organising of clubs, squads, boats, fleets, heads and regattas.

 

And while this all might sound about as fun as watching paint dry, not only wouldn't we have a sport without the Dr. Cannons of this world, but it (and a quick look at the books on offer at Companies House) raised the question:

 

What happens when clubs start raising their ambition levels above the levels of their resources?


(Or to put it more bluntly, what is UK rowing's current obsession with making Henley Royal Regatta costing clubs?)

We talk about the costs of running and maintaining clubs, membership levels and running a fleet. We discuss the perception of what a 'club' is supposed to provide and offer to its members, talk about how some clubs have gamed that and the current system to provide 'successful' programmes, look at what 'success' might mean, and what that means for the UK-wide representation within the sport. And we look at the impact of 'professionalism' on a volunteer-run and led sport, before addressing the realities of member turnover in metropolitan areas, and how cost-of-living / housing / work changes over time has impacted the sport as a whole.

 

Yeah.

 

We are the original and best.

 

But that's because our guests are.

 

Get some!

 

Bow Four! Provide a sunk-cost analysis by the end of this piece, or swim home.

 

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