Rowing: Ideal job for lover of sport

New Otago Rowing manager Mitch Carroll, at the Otago University Rowing Club in Dunedin yesterday....
New Otago Rowing manager Mitch Carroll, at the Otago University Rowing Club in Dunedin yesterday. Photo by Christine O'Connor.
Mitch Carroll "loves'' sport - so she jumped at the opportunity to become the new Otago Rowing manager.

The 38-year-old started her new job on Wednesday, replacing former manager Gina Persico, who moved home to Nelson last month after two years in the job.

Carroll, who is originally from Wellington, does not have a rowing background but is excited to learn about her new job.

"It's one of the very few sports I haven't done,'' Carroll said.

"So I'm just starting to understand the different regattas and all that goes on. I've been involved in just about every other sport. I enjoy sport in general, so anything to do with that I'm into.''

Carroll's role as the association's manager is 30 hours a week, and involves looking after the day-to-day affairs of Otago rowing and organising the training of coaches.

"A lot of it is co-ordinating a lot of the things that clubs are involved with,'' she said.

"Setting up the calendar for the year, organising accommodation for competitors, getting funding for various things.''

Carroll will get her first taste of a major regatta tomorrow, when she heads to Twizel with the Otago rowers for the first day of the South Island championships on Lake Ruataniwha.

But while this is the busy part of the season in terms of regattas, Carroll's busiest time of the year will be in winter, when she plans the coming season.

"Gina has been great. She's set up a full-on notebook. I was going through it [on Wednesday] and it's just fantastic,'' Carroll said.

"Everything is set up. To be honest, my job the next few months is getting to know people, finding out a bit more of the role and making sure I know the dates for everything.

"I love sport, I love people getting out and being active. But I also love organising, so it's combining the two perfectly, really.''

Carroll worked as an events co-ordinator for the Wellington Regional Council in the past, and has also worked as a youth worker and primary school teacher.

She studied a commerce at Massey University in Wellington, before doing postgraduate study in sports management.

In 2005, she went to Hamilton to study to become a primary school teacher.

Carroll moved to Dunedin a couple of years ago, and said it reminds her of a miniature version of Wellington.

She tramps and plays touch, and plans to join a football club.

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