Rowing has been part of my life since I started as a helmsman (Steuermann is the German word for it) in my brother's team that consisted of him and his friend Michael. I think it was between 1988-90 when I started as a helmsman. I went to the 'Maschsee' with my brother once or twice a week. My first excursion has been to the "Mecklemburgische Seenplatte" together with the AHV of the RVH (which were the non-students of the school team like my brother).
From the 7th grade on I rowed myself in our school rowing-team for some years. I took part in some training-camps (Ovelgönne bei Celle/Aller, in Potsdam and in Wittenberg/Elbe) and some races that time. I never rowed professionally, I only rowed because it was fun beeing on the water and keeping a little bit fit. Furthermore I never really had a team to row with, although I tried different teams and classes of boats. After some trouble with the teacher of the group I had been into, I continued rowing in the group of adult rowers, my brother had been in. That gave me the chance to continue rowing.

Round about the 12th grade I preferred training younger children in the group and joined some training camps of our school rowing team as a physio. In 1998 I became the youth leader of the German Rowing Club, the club our school cooperated with. I overtook the youth group of the DRC and carried on with the training. In 2000 I got my official license as a coach. Later I enlarged the group, because the kids brought their friends with them. The children where at the age of 10 to 17 years and I coached them up to 5 times a week, took part in races, did many extra things in my free-time with the group. It has been a time I will never forget. At the end the group had about 40 children, beginners and advancer. Everything went fine for a long time, we had many big successes and a lot of fun together. I have been supported by Verena, Roland and the headchoach Uli but unfortunatlely I didn't get enough support from the leaders of the club. The last weekend with races in 2001 we won 12 races in two days. However the problems with the club became bigger and bigger so I finally had to make that hard step and left the club and the group. It became one of the biggest decisions I made in my life up to that point it has not been easy at all for me, for the children and even for some parents, but it was the right thing to do.

The former Jung-DRC Page can still be seen through my new web-presence of my new rowing page "Hannover Rowing":
http://www.jung-drc.hannover-rowing.de/

Some memories from the beginning of my carreer as a coach at the "Jung-DRC":

(1): A trip to Celle in 2000, (2): Summer holiday program in 2000,
(3): 2000: Some children of my racing-group in a T-Shirt designed by myself, sponsored by: KELLNER BAU
(4): In a training-camp with almost 25 children in Bad Bederkesa 2001

After leaving my old club (DRC) I felt free and delivered from the pressure. After a short break and looking for other jobs where I could continue taking care of children besides rowing, I realised that rowing has again to become part of my life. I introduced myself to some other rowing-clubs in my hometown.
Shortly after I decided to pick up work in January 2002 as a coach for a very small rowing-club with 3 children RuderVerein Linden. The new start has not been that easy but it went quite fine after some minor problems at the beginning. I took some children from my street or from schools I did my practicals to the training and after a short time the youthgroup had about 10 members. It was great that the heads of the club supported me from the very first beginning and that I could implement my thoughts about how to build up a new group and everything that belongs to it.
I have been the coach and leader of a youthgroup of kids from 10 till 16 years from 2002 - 2006 and I still prefer to coach than to row myself. Jan-Georg who rowed in my old group, too joined me and helped me with my work during these incredibly great years. We won some races and had some other successes with the kids. I trained them up to two or three days per week and I also facilitated a training-camp as a protector again in 2004 in Lingen/Ems.
After a small backstroke in spring 2004 because of problems with some stupid parents and some children leaving the group we were heading for more cool times with the rest of the group and new kids that joined the group afterwards.
In Summer 2004 I started a cooperation with the IGS Mühlenberg where I've already supported two of my students from private lessons. I offered a lot more and great opportunities for building up a constant group. At the beginning of my time at the RV Linden I had been sure that the RV Linden will be the last association and that I won't leave it at all. The athmosphere has been very familiar to me and the kids were very emotional and kind. The work totally differs from the first group I had and made me rich in new experiences, feelings and other things.

The old RVL-Jugend Page can still be seen through my new
web-presence of my new rowing page "Hannover Rowing":
http://www.rvl-jugend.hannover-rowing.de/

Some memories of the great "first" time at the RV Linden: