The Board of Directors approved the continuation of junior lightweight rowing for the spring and summer regatta season and will evaluate its continued support based on the implementation of USRowing's Junior Lightweight Rowing Compliance Program.

It is the position of USRowing that junior lightweight athletes must undergo additional screening procedures in order to ensure that they can safely meet the eligibility requirements of their category. The rationale behind these new regulations are as follows:

It is unhealthy for adolescents to attempt to lose weight in order to meet the standards of rowing as a lightweight. Adolescents are undergoing critical periods of growth and development, and under-eating as an effort to "make weight" can have lasting and potentially lifelong impacts on bone mineral density (1), as well as psychological and physiological health (2).

Attempts at weight loss in otherwise healthy adolescents can contribute to the development of eating disorders, which are now more common than type 2 diabetes in the high school population (3). Overall, one in four high school girls and more than one in 10 high school boys have reported disordered eating behaviors and weight control attempts that are severe enough to warrant a clinical evaluation (4). This data is independent of weight-making in sport.

Screening high school students for disordered eating behaviors may help to identify those at risk, and can aid in preventing acute and long-term complications (4).

Our goal is to continue to include junior lightweight events in our national competitions in order to encourage athletes of all sizes, particularly those who are naturally smaller, to continue to participate and engage in the sport of rowing. To achieve this in a safe and healthy manner, we have developed a pilot initiative to assess whether athletes are "true" lightweights. USRowing will collect population-wide data in order to gain an understanding of the number of lightweight athletes that are growing and developing at their typical rate.



The physician's consent form we have developed is the first step in this process. This form includes:

Assessment of the athletes' body weight by their physician at the beginning of the competitive season to ensure the athlete is at or below race weight.

Assessment of historical stature-for-age and weight-for-age, which can help provide context to the athletes' normal growth and development and ensure that they are continuing on their normal growth trajectory (5).

USRowing's protocol for implementing the program is under review and is available for comment.

USRowing also plans to take measures to ensure all junior lightweights, coaches, and parents understand the basic tenets of nutrition in the sport of rowing, as well as the risks associated with acute weight loss in adolescent populations. We plan to achieve this with the following initiatives:

Creation of online training materials to be completed on a yearly basis by the aforementioned parties.

Collection of currently existing literature on the risks associated with weight-making in sport.

Education on how to identify appropriate resources for the treatment of disordered eating and eating disorders throughout the country.

Assessment of the pilot data collected in the newly developed consent document for lightweight rowing in order to improve the sensitivity and reproducibility of the form.

Related Documents

References

Malina, Robert M., and Christina A. Geithner. "Body composition of young athletes." American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 5.3 (2011): 262-278 IOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): 2018 update. Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, Ackerman KE, Blauwet C, Constantini N, Lebrun C, Lundy B, Melin AK, Meyer NL, Sherman RT, Tenforde AS, Klungland Torstveit M, Budgett R. Br J Sports Med 52.11 (2018 Jun): 687-697. Campbell, Kenisha, and Rebecka Peebles. "Eating disorders in children and adolescents: state of the art review." Pediatrics 134.3 (2014): 582-592. Ziyadeh, Najat J., et al. "Screening High School Students for Eating Disorders: Results of a National Initiative." Prev Chronic Dis 5.4 (2008): A114. Centers for Disease Control. "Clinical Growth Charts." National Center for Health Statistics, 30 May 2000, https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm

Once again, the purpose of this initiative is to reinforce the importance of the health of the athlete above all else. We recognize that this document will evolve over time, as we receive data and member feedback, and we intend to continue to improve upon it. We also recognize that this document may not be able to identify disordered eating behaviors, but we feel that it is a critical first step in the process. To members who feel this relates to them and/or their athletes, we welcome comments and feedback at members@usrowing.org as we embark on this new initiative. USRowing's CEO Patrick McNerney will hold a conference call/webinar on October 25 at 1:00 p.m. EDT to discuss the procedures and to answer any questions.Space is limited to 500 individuals.Following is the recorded session from the October 25th meeting.We also will be holding a panel discussion on the current state of junior lightweight rowing at the 2019 USRowing Annual Convention and invite all interested parties to attend.Thank you in advance for helping us to improve upon the health, safety, and inclusivity of rowing for the entire junior lightweight community!