Coaching Introduction – Alessandra Gage

December 6, 2013 by acgage 2 Comments

Dear Parents & Rowers,

I just wanted to say a quick hello on here to introduce myself since I’ll be coaching alongside Mike & co.

To begin, I’m incredibly excited to be coaching once again at Westdale! The rowers seem like a very promising and talented group of athletes & I’m certain that they’ll continue to grow their abilities throughout the season. My hope is that you will always feel comfortable approaching me with any questions concerning rowing, training, rowing-life-balance, etc. – I’m here to help you!

A Few Facts About Me:

• I began rowing during my Grade 9 year in 2002 at Westdale Secondary School & Leander Boat Club (LBC) and have been rowing competitively ever since.
• I have rowed both lightweight & heavyweight (for 5 & 7 years, respectively) at Westdale Secondary School, McMaster University, University of Oxford’s Linacre College, and Leander Boat Club
• I have coached for rowing teams at Westdale Secondary School (8 years), McMaster University (1 year), and the University of Oxford’s Linacre & Nuffield Colleges (1 year)

My Approach to Coaching:

Anyone can train to be a rower & succeed, so long as they maintain their determination. My goal is to build & maintain this determination by providing the coaching support required, and I expect athletes to commit by training hard in return. I encourage all of my athletes to push themselves – safely. My approach is to offer structured, supportive coaching & age-appropriate training to ensure long-term athlete development (something that all of the Westdale Rowing coaches support!).

Looking forward to meeting you all over the coming months!

Cheers,
Alessandra

(A rare photo from when I, too, once rowed for Westdale):

c. Summer 2004