The following report comes from London Youth Rowing: Gym One of the 'Crystal Palace National Sports Centre' was deafened a couple of weeks ago with the sound of over 150 children, adults and some of the London Youth Rowing and Concept2 organisers shouting, cheering and applauding as 13 boroughs from Greater London competed in the first ever Indoor rowing event at the London Youth Games.The Games are a two-day festival of sport held every year at Crystal Palace in London, over the weekend of the 8th–9th of July. Open to all 33 boroughs within Greater London with 35 different sports ranging from weightlifting to water polo, and now indoor rowing.London Youth Rowing with help from the ARA had toured across the whole of Greater London throughout the months of May and June, from Bexley to Kingston and Hackney to Wandsworth staging six development events. They took lots of Concept 2s, approached all the teachers, PDMs, BTOs and Youth Club leaders and sometimes cajoled, persuaded and almost bribed some to come along and get involved in this exciting sport of ours. They used some events to select a boroughs team for the Games for them. In some cases they used the opportunity to actually coach some children who had never rowed before.To see the look on the faces of some children at the Development events who not only won a medal for the first time in any sport but then realised that they would be representing their borough in the Games was something that Matt Rostron – Programmes Director of LYR will never forget. It was amazing stuff and a total joy to do.Simon Larkin and Keith Atkinson from Concept2 and Simon McCarthy and Penny Cuthbert from LYR, were, as always, fantastic. They arrived and laboured, sweated in the heat and got set up on the day before. When the rest of the world settled down on the Sunday with a cold beer and some football final on the television to watch, they opened the doors and ran a superb event that according to members of the organising committee of the London Youth Games was the best event at the Games. The excitement, fun and good humour was there for all to see and lots of people crowded into the room to see what all the fuss and noise was about. There were medals for the boroughs placed first, second and third, with the borough of Redbridge taking gold overall. They got to take away a large trophy with them that will be raced for every year.The feedback has been amazing. From the organising committee, team managers, BTOs and the children themselves, everyone really enjoyed themselves. Lots of the children have approached LYR, wanting to get involved in future LYR events and courses that they are holding and teachers, team managers and youth club leaders wanting to pursue and expand the indoor rowing possibilities in their schools and groups and clubs.LYR had several things that they needed to achieve. Firstly, everyone to have fun on a Concept2 Indoor Rower; secondly to get over the expected 10 boroughs to actually compete and try and lastly, to get the acclaim of having the sport recognised as a point scoring event and be part of the Games proper next year – they seemed to have achieved all this and much more besides – if the noise level is anything to go by!If you want to know more about the work of London Youth Rowing check out the website at http://www.londonyouthrowing.com or contact Matt Rostron – Programme Director of LYR.