Thank you Alan Bennett

Alan ‘AB’ Bennett has been the fabric of Rowing NSW for over a decade. With over three decades of coaching experience around the world AB departs Rowing NSW with a wealth of knowledge that will never be replaced. AB is far more than just the State Development Officer for Rowing NSW assisting in all areas of the organisation. His impact will not be known until after his departure with his hands on skills and dedication unrivalled in rowing. As the State Team Manager, he has championed success with NSW walking away with 7 Rowing Australia Cups, 7 Kings Cups and 1 Queens Cup, with 2019 and 2022 being standout years for NSW.

The man behind the curtain, AB has been a sounding board for athletes and coaches leading up to big competitions or selection trails and especially in the lead up to the Interstate Sunday of the Australian National Championships. At the annual State Team Dinner in the days leading up to the Interstate Regatta, AB would passionately speak about the pride and honour it is to row for NSW.

His greatest impact was on the development of coaches helping many achieve Level 2 certification with his engaging and detailed rigging courses. His high standards saw him spending significant time with coaches making sure they learned and understood the course content instead of the need to just pass a test. He understood the value in coaches with a strong knowledge base and who knew how to apply that, rather than boosting coaching accreditation numbers for the sake of it. AB’s phone would be buzzing all day at the office with coaches across the country and globe looking for his advice and assistance.

In his official role in State Development AB spent many of his weekends travelling around the state helping communities develop programs to grow the sport regionally and outside of the school system. As a man of few words AB commands the respects of all within the rowing community and we cannot thank him enough as he has worked tirelessly to leave the organization in a better place than he came in. We hope AB knowledge and unwavering passion is not lost to the sport and we cannot wait to see what the future has in store for him and we wish him and Lizzi all the best for the future.

Congratulations and thank you AB for all you have done for the sport of rowing and for this great state.