Although it might not be known, UBC has one of the most successful varsity programs in Canada. With over 100 years of history, its rowing teams are a key symbol of this excellence. Head coach Mike Pearce of the men’s rowing program is an extension of it, leading to UBC's continued success on the water.
Pearce arrived at UBC first as a human kinetics (now known as kinesiology) student in 1991 and was a varsity rower himself.
“I absolutely loved the experience of being a varsity athlete and being given the opportunity to row at a high level in university sports,” he said.
He then continued at UBC as a coach in 1995 and in 1998, after two seasons with the women’s program, Pearce took over the men’s program. He is now in his 30th season coaching at UBC, making him the longest serving coach in the rowing program’s history.
This period has been exceptionally successful for the T-Birds, with UBC winning nine Canadian University Rowing Championships — 2005, 2014, 2016–19 and 2022–24. Pearce has also been named Canadian University Coach of the Year eight times, and coached Team Canada at the 2024 FISU World University Rowing Championships.
So what’s the key to these successes? For Pearce, it’s his commitment to a “systems over goals” approach.
“We have the goal of ... being the top university program in the country, and we want to do that on an annual basis,” he said. “But we really focus on the systems that we need to have in place to make that happen.”
One of these systems was facing the urgent problem of facilities. Pearce said the construction of UBC’s John M.S. Lecky Boathouse, built in 2006, had a crucial role.
“That really provided the foundation for consistent success in the program,” he said.
Pearce credited the support of the alumni group ‘Gold For Life,’ whose continual fundraising enabled the program to build their boathouse, and take the next step towards dominance in Canadian rowing.
By focusing on the systems which make these goals realistic, UBC men’s rowing has been able to provide a consistent talent pipeline to sustain their success over the last decade.
“We keep working very, very hard at creating a lot of internal competition that’s at a standard that we think is at or above the level required to win national championships,” said Pearce. “The pressure we put into our own environment is absolutely key to make sure that we don’t slip into a false sense of place of where we stand.”
Pearce identified the improvement aspect that the UBC program instills in its athletes as a brilliant motivator for the team’s continued success.
“It’s an addictive thing when you feel like you’re getting better and better all the time,” he said.
This motivating factor also assists in building a team that knows the value of hard work, particularly among new athletes.
“You’ve got to park the targets,” said Pearce. “That means everybody knows what they are, but it really becomes all about doing the work that’s required to hit a certain standard.”
Now that Pearce’s long term vision is coming to fruition, the coaching staff is looking to the future. International competitions like the Royal Henley Regatta in England are being identified as opportunities for the Thunderbirds to test their skills against the most prestigious international competition.
With the state of the art UBC Boathouse nestled along the banks of the Fraser River, accomplished coaches and a talented pipeline of student athletes, UBC’s men’s rowing program looks set for a decade as successful as the last.
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