Paths of Passion: When a 360 Becomes a Career Path

When I first came to Shawnigan, I had little to no interest in the 360 program. Now, almost three years later, I am pursuing my 360 as a career. I have made lasting connections, gained valuable skills, and more importantly, found something I am really passionate about. This program has completely changed how I see my future, opening doors I didn’t even know existed. 

 

For my 360, I have spent the past two years coaching the Grade 8 rowing program – something most people don’t even know exists, as rowing is typically a sport rather than a 360. The exception is Grade 8 students, who go through a rotation of different 360 options in their first term, rowing being one of them. Each group of about seven students stays with us for only about a month, which isn’t a lot of time, especially when the weather is cold, or the days are short. Yet we always manage to get them on the water, giving them a glimpse of what it feels like to be in a boat and experience the intricate balance of teamwork and individual coaching.

 

Rowing isn’t like soccer – you don’t grow up learning to row the way you naturally learn to run. It’s a sport that requires completely new movement patterns, making it feel like learning to walk all over again. By introducing Grade 8s to rowing early in their Shawnigan Journey, we open the door for them to join the rowing program at any point in the next five years.

 

When Mrs. Parfitt first asked me about helping coach the program, I said yes – without fully realizing what I was getting myself into. But from the very first session, I loved it. The sense of wonder when someone is learning something new never gets old. Watching others discover the sport I love most is an eye-opening experience that very few people get to witness. 

 

Coaching isn’t just about helping the next generation of rowers become better athletes and teammates – it has also helped me. Returning to the basics of the stroke I know so well has deepened my own understanding of the sport. One unexpected challenge I love is the mental gymnastics of explaining the same concept in multiple ways so that each athlete in the boat understands not just how to do it, but why it matters. I believe in understanding the "why" behind everything – how can we expect athletes to listen if we don’t give them a reason for what we’re asking them to do? That said, I also love watching groups of new rowers develop, learning how to work together, and hearing the laughter that comes with “close calls” and flipping the boat. 

 

Having learned to row only a year before I started coaching, I empathized with the struggles of being new and feeling like you’ll never remember everything. After my first term, I was hooked.

 

I loved coaching so much that I continued my journey into the summer. I worked with the Nanaimo Rowing Club, teaching people how to row from inside the shell. I also earned my boating licence so I could drive a coach boat and began my official training through the National Coaching Certification Program. This February, I completed my final in-person courses to become a trained coach.

 

I realized I wanted to pursue coaching as a career when I was speaking with a college coach. When they asked where I saw myself in 10 years, the only thing I could picture was coaching. This fall, I’ll start my college education, majoring in psychology, with the dream of becoming a coach. I sometimes talk about “one day when I’m a coach,” but in reality, I am a coach now, and I take so much pride in it. 

 

This dream would not have been possible without Shawnigan’s 360 program. If I hadn’t been given the opportunity to explore coaching, I would have missed out on a huge part of who I am. Just in the last year, we’ve seen an increase in junior rowers. Nothing makes me happier than showing up to practice and seeing athletes I coached in 360 choosing to join the sport, becoming my teammates rather than my students. 

 

Rowing has changed my life, and I want to share that experience with as many people as possible. Coaching in the 360 program makes that possible. Next year, I know I’ll miss coaching, but I also know I’ll be back – if not to Shawnigan, then coaching somewhere else. And when I leave, I’ll be making room for another student to have the same transformative experience. I can’t wait to see how the 360 program continues to support rowing and how rowing continues to strengthen the program in return.

 

Against all odds, my 360 has changed my life. I truly hope it can do the same for others.