“One wants to coach an athlete to coach themselves– to show them what is to be done and let them do it, and to go on doing it better by trying, and doing it best on the day of the race when the coach fades into the background and the crew have to see it through on their own.”
– Steve Fairbarin
For some it is an irrelevant anachronistic rivalry, for those who compete it is a life changing experience. For those who watch from the riverbank it is a chance to enjoy sport as it once was. In an increasingly commercial environment, it bucks the trend, it celebrates the amateur sportsperson who is willing to sacrifice much to study and to compete.
Tomorrow, from about quarter past three, the 80th Oxford vs Cambridge Women’s Boat Race and the 171st Men’s Boat race will be rowed over the Championship Course on the Thames. The races are part of the fabric of British life, a springtime fixture as well established in the public psyche as the monument bicycle races of Northern Europe or the World Series in baseball. Many British people will be either dark blue or light blue, even if they have nothing to do with either university. The difference with this competition and others is that it is an event for which there is no financial reward, no prize money, no massive endorsement deal. It’s a matter of pride, nearly seven kilometres of arduous endeavour and months of training for the simple honour of a win.
In some ways the Boat Race reflects a wider element of British style education. Some call it holistic; I call it education with character. It is striking that many of the athletes who are part of the final crew talk about the experience as being one which they will remember. It is about winning and losing, but notably the sentiments expressed are more to do with the camaraderie that they experience, the sense of being one group striving for a common goal. The current Cambridge Women’s coach Paddy Ryan was recently quoted as saying that whilst there is fierce competition for places in the final boat, the squad are genuinely pleased when the boat goes faster, even those who are not in it. The project is bigger than the individual involved. I hope that this is a spirit that we can emulate here at school. We provide opportunities beyond the classroom, and I hope that through positive engagement our young people experience the same benefits of being part of a whole, of supporting each other to greater achievements, of making mistakes and learning from them together.
In the recent Senior School concert, it was heartening to see how many pupils attended to support their friends who were performing. What a concert it was, with so many pupils involved on and behind the stage. Great too to have the chance to hear Max Weiner’s BSP Anthem composed to celebrate all that is achieved in our community – a legacy that will last beyond this concert and will become part of the fabric of our community.
This year, both Presidents of the men’s university boat clubs are French… Whilst we can’t row on our stretch of the river, perhaps we can take inspiration from these students who strive to reach their potential in all they do? And if you don’t have a preference by way of supporting, the smart choice is always Light Blue.
