Westerville Crew Westerville, OH

Dedication, Teamwork and Desire

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Important upcoming events:

• Hoover Invitational, April 19th:

   

  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all parents that volunteered for the Hoover Invitational!!!  It was a challenging day, but everyone fought off fatigue and cold and worked to ensure a successful regatta.  This was the biggest regatta ever.  We had numerous compliments from other coaches and teams on how friendly and helpful the volunteers were.  We could not have pulled this off without each and every one of you.  We are very grateful for your support and volunteerism!

          Matt & Trish

• Results are posted on www.regattacentral.com

• Midwest Championships: Midwest Championships will be our overnighter (May 17 & 18). Midwest is held at the same venue (Lake Harsha) as the Cincy Invitational. 

   

  It is advisable for parents to secure hotel reservations early.  The rowers rooms are taken care of by the club.  Here is the hotel info: 

  • We have made a change in the hotel location for the team on the weekend of the Midwest overnight, Saturday, May 17, 2008.
    The team and coaches will be staying at:
    
    Hilton Garden Inn
    Cincinnati Northeast
    6288 Tri Ridge Blvd.
    Loveland, Ohio 45140
    Direct Line: 513-576-6999 (note- new number. We previously had fax number here)
    
    This hotel is a little longer drive to East Fork, but the accommodations should be better suited for the team.
    A evening meal on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the hotel will be provided for the team. Parents will be on their own for this evening.

  • For new rowers/parents: Midwest Championships is a two day regatta. Heats & Reps (repechage which is like a semi final) are run on Saturday and finals on Sunday.  It will be two full days of racing.  The varsity races have an A, B and C final. Novice races are heats and A final only.  Some of the races are final only (if  there are less than 7 entries). 

  • The sanctioned overnight is Saturday.  The club pays for the hotel room and dinner for the rowers on Saturday night. Many families opt to drive down and stay over Friday night.  They do so on their own.  Beware of giving another rower a ride on Friday unless you plan on that rower staying in your hotel room!

  • Transportation: If anyone needs a ride to the Midwest Championships, they MUST contact Mrs. Hoyles by this Sunday so that she can assist them in obtaining a ride.   Contact info: shoyles@columbus.rr.com or 766-6671 (home) or 592-0326 (cell).  Rowers must give Mrs. Hoyles their parents name and phone number in the email and mention which squad (ie novice men, varsity women, etc.) that they row with. Rowers are not permitted to drive themselves to regattas!

  • Please go to www.regattacentral.com - regattas - Midwest Junior Championships - info packet for schedule info.  The schedule on Sunday is different than the Saturday Schedule.

  • The coach/cox meeting is at 6:30am Saturday. Racing will begin at 8:00am, but is subject to be earlier once the heat sheet are posted.  Stay tuned...

No Cut-No Tryouts policy:

Ever wonder why we have a no-cut, no-tryout policy?  Rowing comps.  Because obese kids lose weight and skinny kids gain muscle mass.  Everyone gets better.

New Parents: please click on 'Useful Documents' to the left for information on crew and regattas.

DAILY UPDATE

Friday  5-9-2008

• Thursday's row was interrupted by a deluge of rain.  Yes, the water was flat but the eights accumulated about 3" of water in only 1000 meters of rowing. Photo

Thursday  5-8-2008

• Rowers:  Wear your rain gear tonight.  It will be raining and it is significantly colder that it was yesterday.  Coxswains: bundle up and wear rain gear!

Tuesday  5-6-2008

• Parents:  I know your kids come home at night telling "stories" of the grueling workouts, the slave-driving coaches, high expectations, etc, etc.  Well a photo is worth a thousand words. The truth lies here: CrewFrisbee  That is what we really do at crew.

•  

Monday  5-5-2008

• I apologize to all rowers and parents who arrived at the PowerShack for make-ups and found that I was not there yesterday. I forgot completely, though I had a very nice, quiet row on Hoover.

• New photos from Doug Martin: 

  • Governor's Cup photos  Winning the Governor's Cup trophy

  • Hoover Regatta photos

Wednesday  4-30-2008:

• Makeups: Several people have missed practice and are required to do 10,000 meter make ups.  The erg location will be open this Sunday and next Sunday from 4-5pm (sharp).  Bring a water bottle.  10,000 Erg makeups are mandatory for anyone missing practice.

Friday  4-25-2008:

• The photo album (left)  has been updated thanks to Doug Martin.

Wednesday  4-23-2008:

• New: Photos by Beth Harp , a former rower:  www.bethharp.smugmug.com

Thursday  4-17-2008:

• Please join Andy Davis and Allison Sobiech for their dual National Letter of Intent signing on Monday, April 21st at 2:30 at Westerville North HS.  Allison and Andy will both be attending and rowing for Jacksonville University, FL.

• A reminder: Erin Radigan's signing with Stanford is at 2:30 p.m. at Westerville Central High School's library today.

• Brian Ruh takes the record for least hours of uninterrupted sleep. He arrived home on Saturday night, hit the sack, but was soon awakened by his mother-- the basement was flooding with sewer. We won't discuss the cleanup efforts.

\Monday  4-14-2008

• Erin Radigan will be signing with Stanford on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at Westerville Central High School's library. All are invited to attend.  Lynn Radigan will be bringing carbohydrates in the interest of replenishing glycogen stores in muscle tissue prior to practice (what was called "refreshments" in the old days).

• Quote of the week:  The Radeckis have triplet boys, perhaps 4 yrs old.   The boys ask, "When is the next 'Crew party' with all that food?",  asking about the next regatta.  That is one way to attract siblings to a regatta.

• I am researching the longest anyone slept after the Cinci Invite.  While Trish and I could have slept long past our appointed normal waking hour, the dogs had other ideas for us. If you think you have a record, submit it to mchasemd@medtuity.com.

  • Nick Saul reports 13 hours, but he "could've slept longer except for church.."  I'm glad to hear you didn't sleep through church.

  • Danielle Durbin reports 12 hours but admits that as a coxswain, she feels certain some of the guys probably slept longer.

  • For that person asking if getting up to empty one's bladder invalidates the total hours slept, the answer is "no". That is allowed.  Now if you get up, go to church and promptly fall back to sleep, don't include the time sleeping in church.

  • The "least number of uninterrupted hours of sleep award" has to go to Austin Hoyle ("Dublin"). He got up at 12:30 a.m. to deliver papers. 

  • Big Mac (McKenna Cimperman) slept from 10p.m. 'til noon on Sunday-- 14 hours for a coxswain!  And she resisted getting up.  Once up, her parents report that she wouldn't talk to anyone for an hour.  Photo

  • I think we greatly underestimate the stress induced among coxswains: Courtney (men's heavy V8) reports sleeping from 10:30 p.m. until 1:00 p.m. for a grand total of 14.5 hours.  I just have one question to ask: How is it that we can't be on the water for longer than 2 hours before a potty break is needed BUT you can sleep that long?!!!

   

• There were numerous parents taking photos at the awards stand.  If you have a good photo, please send it (them) to me at mchasemd@medtuity.com.  Thanks kindly.

  • Men's novice eight

  • Women's novice eight

  • Men's LtWt8

  • Women's JV8

  • Women's V8

  • Men's Heavy V8

• I was cleaning out old photos from my digital camera. No matter how chilly the last 5 weeks have been, it's better than being back on our ergs! here

Friday 4-11-2008

• Great job novi in backing into the starting platforms, aligning your boats and doing your starts. And varsity men and those two wonderful coxswains of the other gender), thank you for giving them a "real start atmosphere".  Remember, always go between the finish line buoys, not outside of the course at the finish! To put in all that hard work only to miss the actual finish line would be a shame.  (For parents, that would be like running a mile run, but instead of going through the finish line on the track, you veer off to the grassy area at the last moment. Yes, it happened).

• No rowing tonight. Parents, we loaded the trailer last night because there were predictions of winds to 40mph gusts + thunderstorms tonight during boat loading.  I really didn't want kids on the steel trailer acting like lightning rods at the high point of ground where are racks are located. Thus, we loaded the trailer last night.

• Last year the Cincinnati Invitational was cancelled halfway through due to hypothermia. In my humble opinion, it needed to be cancelled because kids were underdressed and becoming hypothermic. What could have been avoided was the "under-dressed" aspect of the events. Teams were going to the finish line, with temperatures in the forties, with rain, in uni's and tee-shirts without other protection.  Westerville kids, throwing dress style to the wind, went bundled up like the homeless on a cold winter's day. Remember novi (the pleural of novice at WCrew), this ain't no beauty pageant. Dress for the wind and rain. Once locked in at the start, you can shed some of that excess clothing.  Be assured, there will be warmer days to come this spring,

• Here's another point to remember:  our bodies are highly dependent on enzymes for all of our physiological processes.  Enzymes are like grease on an axle-- they greatly speed the chemical processes used to convert food to energy. If you heat the body just 4-5 degrees, its energy output doubles. Why? Because enzymes are highly temperature dependent.  The opposite works as well-- lower the body temp and everything comes to a grinding halt.  So if I can't convince you that being stylish on the starting line is not important, perhaps you will succumb to the argument that physiologic processes are. With all the meters that you row, losing because your body temp is 96 degrees at the start is, well, a waste. Dress warmly. Wear a nylon outer layer to shed water and wind. I'll be just as happy if they announce that "homeless team in lane 5" instead of Westerville Crew.

• Remember, once at the site, you go immediately to the trailer and unload.  Do not go to the team tent for shelter from the rain or to search for food.

• Parents:  This rule is hard and fast...and well recognized by experienced rowers and families-- The kids don't leave the event until excused to do so.  IE, until the trailer is fully loaded and I announce "Get outta Dodge".  There is no doubt in my experience that there are more "important family events requiring us to leave early" when it is cold and your kids have not made it into finals than when it is warm and your rower is slated to do well in finals.  With 90 kids and 180 or so parents, its really hard to believe that we once had to enlist another team to help us load the trailer so many parents left early.

Thursday 4-10-2008

• All Novice boats + Women's 3rd V8 and Men's 3rd V4: You will be doing starts tonight using starting platforms. Here's the format. Varsity men- listen up because you'll be instrumental in this!

  • Varsity men- you'll be off the water tonight and responsible for setup and running of the workout

  • We will move the third dock to the entrance of the cove. Use cement block anchors. Good anchoring rope is in the shed (bottom shelf immediately inside the door).

  • Include two starting platforms on the dock. They will require anchor screws & drill. Get them from Matt.

  • The two novice men's boats, the two novice women's eights, and the 3rd V4/3rd women's V8 will each start and race as pairs.

  • You will back into the race platforms. Each boat will have have 2 and 3 seat scull for alignment.

  • A men's varsity member will act as starter.  Another, in a launch, will act as aligner, and another as course marshal.  A coach can call the finish.

  • Use a flag/megaphone combination as starter. Make it real.

  • Any varsity men able to arrive a bit early, we'll setup the dock but it should not take long. Another can set up the finish flags.  We will race toward the Hoover Grill.

• This will be followed by boat loading promptly at 6:00 p.m. We will need at least 3 eights derigged by 6:00 p.m. to speed the process.  PLEASE REPORT ANY broken equipment, torn shoes, missing bolts, lost rowers, malfunctioning cox boxes, etc before we get on the water. Telling me that your skeg is missing and 5-seat's rigger is broken and at the bottom of Hoover after the trailer is loaded will result in a sure death-sentence-by-jumpies.

Wednesday 4-09-2008

• Novices: Please purchase a pair of spandex shorts for the regatta this weekend.  You will be given a Westerville Crew t-shirt to compete in.  Spandex shorts can be found inexpensively at Target or Kohls. They can also be found at Dicks.  No one should show up to row in basketball type shorts (though you can wear them over your spandex, then take them off as you are getting ready to race)!

• Updated: Here are the people that will not be permitted to row on Saturday if their online waivers are not completed. Patrick Donovan, Gabby Morbitzer, Natalie Wilson, Steven Wilson.

  • Here are the instructions for doing the online waiver:  Athletes: go to https://www.regattacentral.com/athletes/  where you can enter your Roster Code QC-576448 and submit your waiver. IMPORTANT: Waivers must be submitted by the athlete or their legal guardian. (Coaches are not permitted to submit a waiver on a rower's behalf)

  • How does this process work? When an athlete enters your Roster Code and their last name the system will attempt to locate their record in your roster. If it is located they'll be prompted to submit their waiver and receive their free, non-privileged USRowing Membership ID (Required beginning in 2008 for all USRowing-registered regattas) If you already have an individual USRA number (ie if you rowed at Nationals last year), choose to enter that number so that a non-privileged number will not be assigned to you.

Tuesday 4-08-2008

• Yeargermeister's Signing:  Chris Yeager is signing with Cal Berkeley tomorrow (Wed) at 2:30 p.m. in the Westerville North commons area.  Everyone is encouraged to attend.  Chris's pictorial success story is told here: Chris (JV)    Chris (1st Varsity)

• Theft Alert: There was theft from a rower's car on Saturday at the JCC. Two teens were spotted on the property on both Friday and Monday. They were confronted by a parent last night. Despite being told that they were on private property and to leave, their response was, "Chill out! We're exploring.".  No doubt these are National Merit Scholars on a quest to find hidden oil reserves in the shale at the end of the cove and save our country from shackles of  Saudi oil purchases.

  • Nevertheless, if you spot them, call the Franklin County Sheriff's Dept central dispatch at 462-3333.  (Put that number in your cell now!!).  Both Franklin County Sheriff's office and Blendon Township have jurisdiction over the area. The closest unit will respond  but that will be settled by Central Dispatch.

  • Fortunately, the parents involved last night had the wherewithall to take down the license plates of three cars in the Columbus park's parking lot and those have been provided to the Sheriff's Dept. The deputy I talked with last night had just cruised the area but a car in the lot is hardly worthy of suspicion. We have to provide that to the police.  He assured me that he would be very happy to respond.

  • Rowers- Lock you car doors. If you make it easy 'pickins' for thieves, they will simply return until the easy 'pickins' are gone.  This happened at Hoover Yacht Club week after week because sailors always left their wallets in their cars.  Finally the thief was caught using a stolen credit card at a local convenience store.

  • It is just plain dumb to provide dishonest people with incentive and temptation. Let's nip it in the bud.

• Novice Parents: I got a call last night from a novice parent regarding the coxswains meeting at 6:30 a.m.  She was wondering about the location.  It was a good question.

  • The "coxswains' meeting" is held at the regatta site and is hosted by the LOC (local organizing committee) and the USRA (United States Rowing Association) officials at the start of every regatta.  The coaches and coxswains attend the meeting. The LOC and officials review the race course, any hazards, the staging area, the type of start, course markings, protesting results, etc. This is an informational and safety meeting for those steering the boats.

  • Boat loading and unloading:  The trailer is usually loaded the night before a regatta.  We have a large trailer and must take lots of boats.  At the beginning of the season, loading the trailer may take 1.5 hours. That's because we usually take the opportunity to do a safety check of each boat, replace worn shoes (stretchers), secure loose fittings, etc. By the end of the season, it's accomplished in under 1 hr.

  • Boat unloading is shorter-- usually about 30 minutes or so. We unload the trailer and put the riggers back on the boats.  This is done at the regatta and on the Monday evening after the regatta, in preparation for practice.

  • When we do "boat loading" on Friday, we sometimes try to get it done early enough to allow Trish and I time to get to the regatta site that night.  The problem with pulling a 10,000 lb trailer is that it is slow going.  If you're late leaving, you can speed, for example. We cannot. 

Monday 4-07-2008

• Low and Slow video- varsity men HW and LW eights rowing a "low and slow" rating of 12 during Saturday's workout. They were racing the women's boats in the background and the women were allowed a higher rating. LowAndSlowAt12spm

• Referred to as the "teenage look" (that special "eyes rolling toward the sky from one of the guys" look), they are instructed to save that look for more important stuff, like when a parent instructs them to clean up the dog dodo in the back yard, or to put dirty undergarments into the wash-- the stuff of far greater import than instructions to rotate early.  I've tried to capture such a look on film....I almost captured Jake's "I'm disgusted with you" look GimmeThatLookAgain

• Third varsity four. Note the buoy falling out of the sky and nearly hitting them. video

• Third varsity four- Try to get to workout early enough to review films today.  

• CREW APPAREL:  Don't forget to mail your apparel orders to Tina Shirey by today!  If you leave your order in the JCC mailbox (by the shed!) please put it in an envelope separate from your crew forms and fees and mark it with "apparel" or Tina's  name on the outside.  You can also bring it to Tina's house (7884 Danbridge Way, 43082) . We have to have all forms by Monday so we can place the order Tuesday.  I will order a few extra t-shirts in various sizes, but if you think you want something to wear or give your rower this season, it's best to order it now and not hope I will have it later!

   

  ALSO, we have enough interest in the Gore-Tex jackets now to place an order.  Tina will contact those who expressed interest.  If you would like a jacket, please let Tina know ASAP!  These are not ordered from Sullivan's and take longer to receive.  The sooner we can place the order, the sooner your rowers will be wearing their jacket this season. Email Tina at: dtshi@insight.rr.com

   

Tuesday 4-01-2008

• Varsity men's eights: If both boats are assembled by 4:30, we'll start practice then. Otherwise, at the normally scheduled time of 5:15.

• All other boats at normal times.

Tuesday 4-01-2008

• Weather update: Bring your running shoes, just incase the wind is too high to row.

• Varsity women only: Erg testing at the Power Shack at 5:15 sharp!

• Varsity men- watch these two videos. Study your stroke. Look at your hand path during the recovery, the quickness of your catch, the length of your stroke, how well you get your legs down, whether you have early back opening, etc, etc.  One video is with the lights closer and the next with the heavies closer.  Both are at race pace. Video 1  Video 2

Monday 3-31-2008

• Wear your rain gear tonight!  It will be windy and wet - especially those of you who are just getting back from a fun in the sun vacation. The rest of us have become accustomed to it!

Saturday 3-29-2008

• Saturday's practice has been cancelled due to predicted temperatures in the mid 20s and even colder wind chill.

Friday 3-28-2008

• Tonight's workout: It will be cold so dress appropriately

• Varsity men: Hands on at 4:15 (we will be rowing 4s if sufficient coxswains; ie Ethan and Cookie talk)

• Varsity women: Hands on at 4:30 sharp!

• All Novices: Hands on at 5:15

Wednesday 3-26-2008

• 18 rowers capsize in Cincinnati:  Two eights capsized on Lake Harsha in Cincinnati last evening. All rowers are safe and sound.  High winds contributed. Link1 Link2.  I feel compelled to make several points:

  • The wind at Lake Harsha during Clermont Crew's workout time was "gusting to 40 mph" per the nearest WeatherUnderground sensing station.

  • Lake Harsha is similar to Hoover Reservoir-- a long and wide expanse of water that allows significant chop to develop (versus a river that is often more protected, not as wide, and generally not as susceptible to windy conditions).

  • You don't row on open water with wind gusts to 40 mph.  You can plan on a swamping.

  • The reason that our varsity crews rowed during the early morning hours yesterday (still dark as we got hands on) was due to predictions that  these high winds would develop later in the morning. We wanted to get in our row in using the length of Hoover....so it was late to bed and early to rise for 2/3rds of WCrew.

  • By having the varsity boats row early, we could have only the novices to use the "cove" for rowing later in the day. The cove is not wide enough to allow all boats to row simultaneously.

  • "The cove" is the 1000 m body of water just off our docks that tuck back into the woods enough to be well protected from all but a west wind. The water was perfect in the cove yesterday evening while on Hoover proper there were "rollers"  (or angry looking water with whitecaps and waves that are capable of washing over the gunwales).

  • Though we went out early yesterday and though the water was safe when we left the dock, and though it was safe when we made our turn "at Canada", I was nevertheless surprised by the speed with which the wind was picking up. Though we had the usual amount of water in the eights when we docked, Trish and I were concerned enough that we "shuttled" the two last eights back to the dock one at a time with two launches per eight in case a rescue became imminent.  (The second eight camped out behind the breakwall of the bridge until we returned for them). 

  • Cold water and wind are a frightening combination. Once the first wave washes over the gunwale, the boat sits that much lower in the water. The second wave has a shorter barrier to overcome. By the third or fourth wave, the boat is swamped.

  • The greater the experience of a coach, the greater the fear and the greater the precautions.

  • Boat swampings are not rare events. LeoBlockley database

  • One news channel reported all 16 rowers were rescued. I assume there were two coxswains involved as well.  Maybe the boats did collide!

Tuesday 3-25-2008

• Weather Update:  All rowers: wear your running shoes tonight.  The winds are very high. 

• Novices will probably be rowing in the cove. Arrive at 5:15. Wear your running shoes JUST IN CASE.

• Varsity/JV M&W will be running steps. Arrive at 5:15.

• Row2k's  Editors Choice for video this week goes to Westerville Crew's view of a start from the coxswain's seat. Video was done by Danyell, the light's cox.  Video link

• Apparel (jackets): We have one order for the Supplex jackets.  We need a minimum of two before we can place the order.  If anyone would like to order a Supplex jacket for $135, please contact Tina Shirey dtshi@insight.rr.com .  We now have enough orders to place the Gore-Tex jacket order!

Monday 3-24-2008

• Apparel: Today is the deadline for all apparel orders!

• Fees and Forms:  Fees and Forms were all due on Friday.  If you have not turned ion BOTH the fees and Forms, please turn them in tonight!

• Weather:  The weather looks good for rowing tonight.  Tomorrow's prediction is calling for high wind.  Varsity only: be prepared to talk to coaches tonight about a morning practice on Tuesday. Novices: stay tuned; we will update for novices later (regarding Tuesday's practice).

• Steve Kelly's Letter to the Editor was published in the Sunday Dispatch letter  It is concise and to the point....just what the Dispatch editors like. Thank you Steve.

• If anyone is keeping score, we could have worked out Saturday a.m.  The weather predictions were sufficiently bad (freezing temps, rain/snow mix), that rather wait until Saturday a.m. to cancel, we cancelled on Friday night. If there is another marginal Saturday, we'll wait until Saturday morning to cancel. It distresses me to miss a day on the water.

Saturday 3-22-2008

• We are canceling practice Saturday morning for all squads due to cold weather and snow predictions.  Have a nice Easter!

Friday 3-21-2008

• The Hoover Invitational will be a great event this spring.
  • Here's a story from 3-years ago in the Harvard Crimson about a ragtag Midwestern rowing team: called CJRC.  They'll be at the Hoover.
  • Another scheduled to attend is New Trier High School, one of the fastest scholastic rowing teams in the country.

   

• Scottie Baker called me. After practice he went to the Westerville Public Library to study. After studying in an idle state for a few hours, his legs were so sore from crew, that as he exited down the front steps, he was forced to shift his weight from side to side to ease his discomfort. While Scottie looks like an average teen photo (the one with the dreadlocks, not the crew-cut) for us ordinary folks,  but to an observant officer of the law, he seemed, well, a wee bit tipsy.  Scottie promptly produced his ID when ordered by the officer. As the officer studied it for clues, Scottie tried to explain away his antalgic gait as caused by Westerville Crew's 22,000 meter workouts.  The officer smiled broadly and promptly ran Scottie's ID. 

• Lynn Radigan sent Trish and me a nice note and several links regarding athletic scholarships:  NYTimesArticle1   NYTimesArticle2  The several editorial comments I would add are this:

  • Rowing is different-- There are fewer HS rowing teams than high school baseball teams, just as there are fewer HS hockey teams than baseball teams. As the second article noted, college hockey scholarships are the largest at > $20,000 average.  As the sidebar article shows, there are over 4000 HS girls participating in ice hockey and 423 scholarships are awarded. In rowing, 2359 girls particpate and 2,295 recive a scholarship. (First, the number is wrong. We don't, for example, in the 600 girls that will participate in the Hoover Invitational, have 25% of all HS female rowers in the country at our regatta). Still, the number shows a nearly one-for-one HS rower--college scholarship ratio. Though we've had two calls in two years from college coaches asking "Do you have anyone left" (for a women's scholarship), what they are really asking, anyone left with the potential to row in college. That requires a good erg score.

  • Among men, there are no rowing scholarships shown and that is because these numbers are NCAA-provided numbers.  There is no men's rowing in the NCAA. The Cal's and other schools offering men's scholarships do not go into these figures.

  • If, as a parent, you believe your son or daughter has potential for a scholarship, then start the conversation with us early because it is during a rower's junior year that they must show potential. That is when the interest starts.

  • If your son or daughter is a freshman, now is the time to work on the GPA. It cannot be an after-thought. A gifted athlete's potential for scholarship falls if a college coach finds them unlikely to finish college.

  • Failure to receive an athletic scholarship is not the end of the road. I received a nice note last week from a senior's mother. Her son was recruited by the rowing coach but received a very nice scholastic scholarship. Did the rowing coach' sway the admission committee? I would like to think so.

  • Grants and Loans- You know in your heart you want your son or daughter to complete college and you know in your heart that money is very tight.  Do not underestimate the help that grants and loans can provide and do not underestimate the resources of a college that wants your child to attend that institution.

  • Athletic scholarships are a two-way street. A highly recruited rower can have his/her fortunes reversed by failure to improve, just as the non-recruited rowers can become scholarship material as they improve in college.

  • The cost of high school sports can be greater than the athletic scholarship potential. As one father noted in the NYTimes article:

    • To quote: "Their father, Chris Taylor, said he once calculated what he spent on the boys’ soccer careers. “Ten thousand per kid per year is not an unreasonable estimate,” he said. “But we never looked at it as a financial transaction. You are misguided if you do it for that reason. You cannot recoup what you put in if you think of it that way. It was their passion — still is — and we wanted to indulge that.
    • So when Westerville Crew has father's repair day, hosts another regatta, or requests help on another project, keep in mind that Westerville Crew dues are low because parent's provide so much help, the Board members contribute their time, and the coaches are all volunteer. Help when you can.
  • The saddest quote in the second article is at the end and reinforces the notion that kids should row for the love to the sport, not because they believe it will be their ride to college:

  • Quote: "Pat Taylor, who started playing soccer at 4, said it took him about a month to accept that his dream of playing varsity soccer on scholarship in college would not happen. He looks back fondly on his youth career but also wishes he knew at the start what he knows now about the process.

    “The whole thing really is a crapshoot, but no one ever says that out loud,” he said. “On every team I played on, every single person there thought for sure that they would play in college. I thought so, too. Just by the numbers, it’s completely unrealistic.

    “And if I had it to do over, I would have skipped a practice every now and then to go to a concert or a movie with my friends. I missed out on a lot of things for soccer. I wish I could have some of that time back.”

Thurs 3-20-2008

• REMINDER: Fees and forms are due tomorrow! Apparel orders are due on Monday. Thank you

• Weather update: Wear your running shoes tonight.  There is a good chance that we will combine running and rowing in the cove.  It is very windy right now.  If the wind dies down by 5:00, no problem - otherwise, we will do running and rowing.  Varsity Men and Women: No running at 4:30 today as we will get enough running in during practice.

• On the way to the  PowerShack, I was behind an old beater pickup truck in frustratingly slow traffic.  A sticker on its bumper read: "Your body is a temple; mine is an amusement park".  Conspicuously hanging from the rearview mirror was a blue handicap parking permit.  I guess his roller coaster came off the track.

• For those writing me about the Apache/IIS combination of web services running on the same server, I received some really good info. We have more propeller heads in the crowd than I thought. The resolution appears to lie in all of those suggestions plus getting a new IP address for WestervilleCrew.  Because it will take some time to propagate the new IP thru the name servers of the WWW, hopefully I can do that on Sunday (pending the assignment of a new IP address).

• We should be rowing tonight!  I must say, the rowers did a great job of listening last night during film review and several commented on how the visual feedback provided insight. We ended with a little story telling about Nationals from some varsity members. In the old days, we rewarded them with about 16 large pizzas, but these days, we're more attuned to their dietary needs.....yea, that's it.  It has nothing to do with inflation, that gas costs the club > $100 per week, and that gravel truck runs > $300 per load.

• Kroger Cards: Just a reminder: If you would like to purchase a Kroger card for $5, Trish has them available at practice.  Then, please remember to reload!!! Westerville Crew gets 5% of all the money reloaded on the cards.  You can do it at the register (you don't have to go to customer service).  You DO need to have the clerk add money onto the card BEFORE they scan your groceries.

• Online Waivers: If any rowers have an existing USRA number (from Nationals) and can't seem to locate it, contact Trish (who has a list of all the numbers).

Wednesday 3-19-2008

• Weather: Weather conditions are not conducive to rowing, with falling temperatures and wind. Tonight's workout will be film review at the Power Shack location from 5:15 - 6:15 (sharp!).  This is for all squads and it is mandatory!. Please turn off all cell phones at the door.

• Video: No, not a video of rowers.  Instead a mother singing to William Tell Overture with the link provided by Craig Hoyles.  It'll bring a smile to all you parents. For a rowing coach, I would just change a couple of lines: "Please don't drop you shoulders at the catch. Slow you slide. Talk nice to your coxswain....What have I ever taught you..."  Link

• Online Waivers: Please remember to do the online waiver as soon as possible!  Here are the instructions:                                                                                                                                                         1)  Log on to https://www.regattacentral.com/athletes/                                                                                          2) Type in the Roster Code: QC-576448 and the athlete's last name.                                                                  3)The athlete's name will be listed - click on the name                                                                                    4)You will be asked: Do you have a current or previous individual USRowing Membership ID? If you have been to Nationals and have an individual USRA number, click 'Yes', then you will prompted to enter the number.  Most of the rowers will click 'No'.                                                                                                                             5)You will next be prompted to fill in demographic info, then click 'Accept and Submit'.  That is all that needs to be done regarding regatta waivers.  Your waivers will be effective for one year. IMPORTANT: Waivers must be submitted by the athlete (if they are 18 or older) or their legal guardian. (Coaches are not permitted to submit a waiver on a rower's behalf)

Tuesday 3-18-2008

• Apparel: Please don't put apparel order forms and checks in the same envelopes as the crew forms and check. If you want to put it in the mailbox at the JCC instead of mailing it to Tina Shirey that is fine. Please just put "apparel order" on the outside of the envelope. Reminder: Order forms are due by next Monday (something to keep in mind if people are going on vacation!).

• Weather:  The weather looks promising for rowing today.  We are watching the radar closely.  We will have an update at 4:00.  If conditions deteriorate we will erg.  Right now we are scheduled to row.

• 3:30 Weather update:  If there is not another update at 4:00, then keep with the following plan:  Workout on the water.  The discussion on NOAA regarding the weather is that the storm system is to our south, as it has remained most of the day, and seems pretty well stuck there. It will push somewhat northward, but the thunder/lightening is well south of us on the storm's southern edge (ie, 100 miles to the south).  We may get some rain, but it looks no worse than that until well after workout. Trish and I have the radar on our cell phones and we shall both be at the JCC shortly after 4:00.

Monday 3-17-2008

• Another letter to the editor of the Dispatch by Mark Rowland (online edition)  letter

• Are there any propeller-head parents out there? I'm a computer nerd but I hit a snag in something that I don't usually work with.  I redesigned the Crew website using Joomla and Joomla requires WAMP. (I wanted a database-based website which could be edited by others without giving god-privileges to our server).  Easy enough so far. I have a computer running WAMP with the whole redesign but when I put it on our server, Apache and IIS (which we use at Medtuity) cannot compete for the same port 80. One has to go. So I thought I could redirect the westervillecrew-directed HTTP requests to the other computer running WAMP, but IIS doesn't play nice on redirects, it seems. So, anyone with familiarity with Apache and IIS?

• On a better note, Brian Saul took some more pics and a video of the novices late last week:

  • photo1   photo2   photo3  20-sec movie

• The first Patagonia order is in and currently being embroidered.

• Regarding Friday evening and rain, I wish to remind novices that workouts are not optional based on your dislike for rain. The head coaches decide whether we have workouts. If we have workout, you are responsible for being there. Yes, we do workout in the rain.  If you truly believe that the weather represents a hazard, then have your parent call your coach, or better, wear appropriate clothing. If you don't have appropriate clothing, do what the varsity members: go "thrifting"-- it's cheap. An example of one of our varsity members who went thrifting for a hat and workout pants follows Ethan.

• Car Pooling:  If anyone would like a copy of the roster to help you with car pooling, please email Trish at tchase@medtuity.com

• Waivers:  Please don't forget to do the online waivers!  Here is the info for submitting an online waiver:  Annual Waiver Submittal Instructions
  Instructions
  1. Instruct the athletes to go to https://www.regattacentral.com/athletes/  where they can enter your Roster Code and submit their waiver.
  2. Roster Code QC-576448 with all athletes who will be included in entries you submit using this RegattaCentral account.
  How does this process work?
  1. When an athlete enters your Roster Code and their last name the system will attempt to locate their record in your roster. If it is located they'll be prompted to submit their waiver and receive their free, non-privileged USRowing Membership ID (Required beginning in 2008 for all USRowing-registered regattas) If you already have a number from USRA, (ie, attended Nationals): click that option, and type in the number so that you aren't assigned a non-privileged number
  
   

Friday late- Sat a.m.

• No practice Saturday due to weather forecast and fog.  As I was leaving Hoover at 7:30 p.m., the fog was settling in. By midnight, it was pea soup.

• More Letters to the Editor of the Dispatch: (online version)

  • Courtney Chicone, March 11th: letter

  • Lynn Radigan (Eris's mother), March 13th: letter

  • Matt Chase, March 13th: letter

Friday, March 14th:

  Due to school concert conflicts, we will have abbreviated schedules tonight only for the following squads:

• NOVICE WOMEN: 
  Practice tonight will be from 5:15 sharp to 6:30.  We will be on the water at 515, so arrive accordingly! 
  Also, Please email Michelle  MRossi@centurysurety.com with any and all conflicts for the entire season by Sunday March 16th!

   

• Varsity Women will practice tonight from 4:15 - 6:00.

• Novice Men: Normal practice time (5:15 - 7:15 at Hoover)

• New: Varsity Men: practice time 4:15 - 5:30

• ALL ROWERS: Wear your rain gear tonight!

Thursday, March 13th:

• The weather forecast looks good for tonight.  A bit windy, but rowable.

• Varsity women will be running tonight.  Please arrive at 4:30 sharp!

• All other crews will have hands on at 5:15 (ie, at the boat racks, ready to go at 5:15. If it is 5:05 and you are in the parking lot, run.

• Photo by way of Jake's dad: Early season row.  Lightweights: Andy and Brendon please note your lack of backsplash. Also, please note how you have more blade showing. Bring you hands up into the catch; don't "go flat" until the last second.

• Parents: Usually there are many RAAs (random acts of aggravation) during the first few days of crew. For example, a motor that worked perfectly last week or even yesterday, gives up the ghost. Kids who extol the virtues of rowing one day, don't appear the next. I love my 1964 Massey Ferguson tractor. While it belches smoke like bunch of 1960's hippies at Woodstock, it is a trusted member of our family. It broke a 3-point hitch part yesterday while moving snow. Despite these RAAs, we had lots of smiling kids and coaches last night. The water was flat, the temperature perfect for varsity members putting out 200,000 BTUs/hr, the novices are improving, and the snow is melting.  Life is good.

Wednesday March 12th:

• Read carefully:

  • All rowers are expected to report to the JCC tonight for rowing, but......

  • The sun is out, the wind is calm, the snow is melting. Life is good. Nevertheless, we still have a parking problem due to snow banks. I will endeavor to clear more snow and make more room. If I am not successful, then we will put an update on the web by 4:00 p.m. SO LOOK HERE AGAIN AT 4:00. If there is no update, when we are on for tonight.

  • ALL PARENTS DROPPING OFF ROWERS: we are going to try something new. Success has a 1000 fathers and failure is an orphan. Hopefully, we can all take some credit if this works: If you are dropping off a rower, do not turn left at the second blue gate (the one that points you toward the barn), but instead go straight to the turn-around beyond the tennis court. Drop your rower off there. The reason? It's too crowded in the parking lot, there is not much room for turning around, and the kids don't help when they park as close to the turnaround area of as they can. So in an attempt to reduce congestion, for those dropping off kids, drive straight back and turn at the dumpsters.  For pickups, I would like the same format but picking up kids often means waiting and there is not lots of turn-around room if cars are parked there. So give me your feedback on picking up kids and any suggestions at the parents meeting tonight.

  • Novice clothing- It will be about 10 degrees cooler tonight than last week. Keep that in mind when preparing for crew. It's easier to shed clothing out on the water than to knit clothing from kelp-- ie, bring it in the first place.  

  • Parent's Meeting tonight  7:30 Westerville North Commons (cafeteria). They last 1 hour and we are actually good about sticking to that hour.

  • The news of the day: Chuck Yeager (big Chris Yeagermeister's dad) responded to the Dispatch's uninformed letter last week.. Link  Thank you kindly for setting the record straight.

  • Other news and commentary: There is an article in the Dispatch today that reports how sexual allegations against trusted individuals (coaches, teachers, ministers) can tear a community apart.  Recent charges brought against Dublin and Arlington coaches and an area minister highlight the concern. My response to this is that Westerville Crew is a group sport and virtually everything we do involves, at a minimum, at least a boat of 9 kids.  Let me make it clear to rowers, parents and coaches: At no time do we expect a rower to be alone with a coach.  The operating word here is "expect".  For example, coaches are not to give private rowing lessons, kids are not to be dropped off alone (ie, with no other cars in the parking lot), or to meet with any coach alone. If, as a parent, you arrive earliest to crew and your car is the lone car in the parking lot, stay with your child until at least another rower arrives. If there are only two kids left in the parking lot and you arrive to pick up your  child, I request that you stay until the last parent arrives.  When I'm leaving and I find a lone rower in the lot, I give them a ride to the end of the driveway and wait at the intersection of Walnut for his/her parent to arrive. There is a bright street light there, there is traffic, and it is how I would have wanted a coach to react when my kids rowed. Still, it is better to have three people there (a parent and two kids, awaiting the arrival of another parent) and so I ask parents for this assistance.  As for overnighters, we have four kids per room and strict rules + supervision.  There is never a need to a rower to go to a coach's house.  As for erging makeups, there will be no special hours.  Arrive when others arrive and spend your time on the erg while others are socializing. As for meetings concerning scholarships or other matters that might be considered "one-on-one" meetings, they will be with a parent present. (Trish and I have those meetings and they are usually over coffee at a local restaurant or off to the side during a regatta-- They are public).  If you have a concern, voice it at the parent's meeting tonight. We welcome your input.

   

Tuesday March 11th:

• Read carefully:

  • Varsity men and women are on the water tonight. Novices are off tonight.  No erging.

  • One exception- Those 4 experienced novice men who rowed in the 3rd V8 last week-- come tonight!

  • Novice Note: The wind is a bit high, the temperature a bit low, and there is still constricted parking due to snow. The good news:  I spent until 9:30 last night plowing snow and we've made some headway in the parking lot and driveway. Hopefully Mother Nature will do the rest over the next couple of days as temperatures are forecast to rise. This is a tough time of year, at least for another 10 days or so. I hope all boats can be on the water on Wed.

Monday March 10th:

• Read Carefully:

  • Varsity men's heavy and light eights will be rowing.  I will get there at 4:15 to shovel off the docks and shovel out the launch. Any help will be appreciated. Bring a snow shovel if you come early. Hands on at 5:00 p.m.

  • All others are to report to PowerShack for erging, including VM third boat, all novices, and all women.

  • This format (varsity men only) was chosen because the snow is high, some cars may get stuck, and parents don't need the frustration. With a smaller group, all males (except coxes), and almost all are able to drive, if someone gets stuck, no big deal...plenty of muscles to move cars. We will discover tonight how passable the driveway is. Trish and I both drove it yesterday and packed down the snow quite a bit but we both have 4-wheel (yes, even that little Honda).

  • Parents Meeting: The Parent Meeting had been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 12, 7:30 - 8:30pm at the Westerville North Commons (cafeteria).  There is a power outage at the school today.

  • Varsity men and Women: We will be placing the unitard order this week. If you have moved up to varsity/JV and do not have a uni, you must order one. Varsity men: please email Trish tchase@medtuity.com, the following measurements: Height, weight, chest and waist (in inches). Varsity women will be measured at erging tonight.

  • Practice schedule for the spring season (on water) will be Monday thru Friday 5:15 - 7:15pm and Sat morning from 8:00 - 10:15.

Friday March 7th:

• We are canceling erging tonight because of the snow storm. We don't want our rowers and parents driving in these conditions.

• The weather forecast for next week looks good.  We are planning on rowing Monday, but please check the website by 4:00 to be sure. If there is no update, we will be rowing.

• All rowers planning on rowing this season should be at practice on Monday.  If you are unable to be there, you must email Trish at tchase@medtuity.com; otherwise, we will remove your name from the roster.

• Rowers: If you haven't purchased a pair of wool socks yet, DO IT!   Talk to any rower that was wearing wool socks last week and they will tell you that their feet stayed warm.  One of them even had sandals on!  Buy at least one pair of wool socks (check the label to make sure the socks are primarily made of wool)! We also noticed a number of rowers without hats yesterday.  Hats will help retain the body's heat. 

Thursday March 6th (late):

• Tonight's workout was the first for the novices.  While a bit chilly, the water was flat, the kids looked happy, and the aroma wafting from the Hoover Grill was pleasurable as usual. We have several photos: photo1  photo2  photo3  photo4 from Brian Saul, Nick's dad.  Brian also provided a video clip. This clip is taken within the their first 45 minutes of their first day in a boat. While not a pretty looking crew to the casual observer (yet), they did an extraordinary job in such a short period. video clip

Thursday March 6th:

• Today's Letters to the Editor in the Dispatch had a particularly ill-informed comment on school funding inequities and just to prove it, that Westerville North has a crew team that other schools cannot afford.  Link  We have written a rebuttal to clarify all the important items (no school funding, volunteer organization, kids from many high schools, parent and community participation to allow Westerville Crew to be successful, etc).  Hopefully it gets published as today's printed letter was particularly unfounded.  Of course, it would be great to have some of our kids get involved in letter writing. Keep it short and sweet (something I am incapable of doing) and email it to: letters@Dispatch.com.  And remember, the rest of the world cares about punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure.

• Last night's row:  It was a great row. The water, while not flat, was better than usual. Nobody got cold except one underdressed coxswain. Personally, I had to take off my hat and gloves from too much warmth.  There was one casualty-  Sarah took a tumble off the dock and into the frigid waters to Hoover.  The right-hand dock was ill-placed with the water so high and so as the kids turned a 60-foot rowing shell to get onto the dock, poor Sarah was swept off the dock. Snow on the dock contributed to it as well. Link to Sarah just before the big splash.

• We expect to have all novices at workout  tonight. It helps that it is 10 degrees warmer.  Still, wear sufficient clothing, especially a nylon jacket and pants. Remember, clothing can be removed in the boat but cannot magically appear there if never worn.  Wear gloves and a hat. They are really simple to remove and put back on. They require little storage room and protect that which feels the coldest.  Wear a double pair of socks (or at least one thick pair of wool socks). The gloves should not be thick. Y' gotta feel the oar handle. Still, look for an update at 4:00 o'clock.  If no update, then crew is on.

• Novice rowers' parents:  The first week of crew for a novice rower is, well, chaotic. On the first night, there are always some rowers who arrive late because parents could not find the JCC.  There are those who signed up but decided against crew but lack the manners to send us a note to inform us.  There are those who appear who never signed up. The first few nights are truly like herding cats.  Despite this, we have experience in handling it and we'll get through it.  After a week, things become less chaotic as kids learn to row, get assigned to a seat in a known boat, and know the drill.  Keep in mind also that boats are divisible by eight rowers-- that is, there are eight seats in an "eight".  That means that 10 rowers cannot fit into the boat and that means, in the case of not exactly 16 or 24 or 32 novices, some kids will either wait on the dock or ride in a coach's launch tonight. To solve this problem, we take several steps. The last to arrive, for example, stands the greatest chance of sitting out. We reward punctuality. If a rower is out of a boat tonight, he/she will not be out tomorrow evening. The harshest step is to put  someone on a waiting list because we simply have no room.  Being on a waiting list is usually short lived because someone will likely leave crew for some reason. I cannot remember anyone on a waiting list for longer than a week or two, but this is the largest group we've had.

• When to be there:  New parents: have your kids there by about 4:35-4:45.  We need all kids at the boat racks by 5:00. That's "hands on" meaning that the varsity squads are putting their hands on the boat, lifting it off the rack by 5:00 and 15 seconds. All the varsity boats are on the water by about 5:07.  It will take novices much longer initially.

• What will we do with new rowers:  We'll count 'em up, divide 'em up, and get them on the water.  There will be one coach per boat. The first step is to have the kids lay their blades flat on the water, sit up straight, arms straight and legs straight. Called "The Position", it will take about 10 minutes to teach that, but it is the position that they will resume after each stroke.  Then we teach them to bend their knees/straighten their knees while keeping their arms straight and oar flat on the water. That takes another 10 minutes.  Then we teach cocked wrist/flat wrist.  That takes another 10 minutes.  All the while, we are combining each of these. After 30 minutes, they will be rowing. Maybe we can get a film for the web tomorrow.

Wednesday March 5th:

• Varsity only (that includes JV) will be rowing tonight. IT IS VERY COLD.  Dress appropriately -especially coxswains! Novices get the night off. Plan on 'hands on' at 5:00 sharp! Neal Lauren of the Dispatch will be there taking pictures of rowers launching their boats in the snow.

• The 4 experienced novice men + cox with whom I discussed this last night, you will have practice today.

• We are going to 'test the waters' tonight to see if it is feasible for the novices to row on Thursday.

• All rowers: please check the website on Thursday between 3 & 4pm to see if we will be rowing or erging.  We are concerned about the prediction of rain tomorrow.

• The location for the Parent Meeting has been set.  It will be at Westerville North HS 'commons' on Monday March 10th at 7:30pm. 

• FAQs:  A very nice novice mother wrote with a question and comment. The question was "What about shoes- I noticed you have a rule that  shoes are not to be left on the dock. So what do the kids wear in the boat?":

• Actually there are shoes in each boat firmly attached to the boat. Called "foot stretchers" or "stretchers", these shoes are attached to the boat so that when the kids push hard, their feet are locked into the boat.  So the kids remove their shoes when they get into the boat and "tie in", as we say.  Actually, there are no shoelaces nowadays, but instead, there are velcro quick releases so that in the case of a mishap, kids don't have to untie some knot that they inadvertently tied with laces. They should take their shoes in the boat with them. Also, wear socks. The stretchers in the boat are like bowling shoes you rent at the bowling alley-- been used by many people before you.

   The mother also noted that she may have to arm wrestle her son to wear appropriate clothing:

  If a novice arrives underdressed, I will appropriately punish his bad behavior. Punishment is typically in the form of "jumpies", usually around 50 of them.  Though not as bad as let's say, waterboarding or being forced to put out the trash in the middle of American Idol, it's sufficient punishment to get the attention of the kids without offending too many parents.

   Another mother asked about the novice designation:

  All new rowers are in the "novice" category for their first year of rowing.  Novices only row against other novices in competition.  The other category is "varsity".  After your first year, you move up to varsity. In both the novice and varsity levels, we have the "first boat", "second boat" and hopefully, a "third boat". The first boat represents the fastest boat that Westerville Crew can muster.  The second boat, at least for Westerville Crew, is usually the lightweight boat. The third boat is usually made up of rowers who recently moved up from the novice category and aspire to be in the lightweight or first varsity eight.

   

Tuesday March 4th:

• ERGING Today for all rowers.

• Rigging boats: Good job on unloading the trailer and emptying the barn. Trish and I commented to one another (and the dogs) what a great job everyone did yesterday evening.  I want to extend some special thanks to Jimmy, Steve and Ethan for coming early to help with the dirty work (about 4 truckloads of trash/debris that we disposed of).

• Weather Forecast: Today's forecast for the next two days looks like we may have varsity boats on the water. This is a preliminary assessment and tomorrow's update will be the final word. Due to the weather predictions, my thoughts are that novices may not row tomorrow. Here are my thoughts regarding novices and rowing in the cold:

  • Novices will wear a hoodie because its cooler looking than some nylon jacket from the '60's. Hoodies absorb water like a sponge and will predispose a rower to hypothermia. Nylon sheds water and wind. Nylon is obviously the better choice, and so novices select the hoodie.

  • Novices have often not yet invested in wind pants (thin nylon sports pants). All rowers do eventually.

  • Novices will wear shorts when the temperature is in the 30's and 40's. Novices are, for the most part, devoid of a normal thermoregulatory mechanism in their brainstem. Well, I'll amend that:  They have the thermoregulatory system and it functions just fine except their higher brain centers (the cortices) override those brainstem messages (that which enabled mammals to live all these millennia) and supplants those messages to wear warm clothing with, "Warning- you will not look cool to the girls unless you wear shorts, flipflops, and a tee shirt".  As we mature, of course, we tend to overcome these messages to conform to some arbitrary social dress code. Hence, I can wear black socks when I erg with nary a thought about popularity.

  • Novices don't drive and we have no boathouse.  If a novice rower becomes wet and must wait 30 minutes for their ride, that novice will get really cold.

  • Novice parents succumb to the demands of a thoughtless kid and allow them to come improperly prepared.  I love parents who lay down the law.  I will interject that those many kids who we've had over the years who are/were members of Boy Scouts, y'all know how to dress.....you've been there....done that. Brian Ruh is a great example.

  • Novices don't yet know how to row and so they cannot row far.  They will be lucky to get 5000 meters in on the first night.  The varsity, on the other hand, will be rowing to Canada (our expression of for a long row...bring your passports...pack a PB sandwich...sort of thing). They burn lots more calories and generate lots more heat. Usually they're half naked by the time we get to the turn and they have shedded several layers. Varsity rowers simply generate more heat.

  • Now for the mathematics: volume increases at the rate of a cube and surface area at the rate of a square. That means bigger kids have less surface area-to-volume and lose less body heat for their size.  I guess that's one reason why fat people sweat more but I've been politically incorrect enough today...so skip that thought.

  • A final thought for any novices reading this: The varsity members actually go to thrift stores to find rowing gear. They call it "Thrifting" for short and they do it in groups. They believe it is cool to get warm stuff at a discount. So if you feel uncomfortable dressing warmly, get some friends together and go thrifting.

  So, I will quiz the kids tonight about how prepared they are and I will post anew tomorrow on our plans. At this point, it looks like varsity boats on the water tomorrow and novices will be off.

• Parents- tonight we will again show the Rowing Safety video created by the United States Rowing Association (USRA).  Care to quiz your kids?  Ask, "If there is a mishap and the boat capsizes, do you swim to shore or stay with the boat?"  The answer is "Stay with the boat.".  If they cannot answer it properly, keep them home!

   

Monday March 3rd:

• Boat Rigging today: All rowers to meet at the JCC (see Directions hyperlink on left for new rowers). We will be rigging the boats, unloading the trailer and moving boats from the barn.  Expect to be there from 5:00-6:30. Please wear rain gear, not rowing apparel.  It will be muddy. Flipflops are probably not appropriate footwear today as we'll be carrying boats from the barn.

• Today is the final day for signup for Westerville Crew.  If you have an interest in rowing and have not been to erging, please arrive tonight. Be sure to find Matt or Trish and introduce yourself.

• By this afternoon, the ice may or may not be melted on Hoover.  We hope to be rowing this week, but it will depend upon the weather. New rowers: If you have not yet acquired some sort nylon outerwear (jacket, pants) that will offer some protection against the rain and wind, today is a good day to do it.  Remember, the "hoodies" that have become popular among kids are the worst wear for rowing, the reason being that they absorb water like a sponge, and we row on water. There is always some splashing, waves or water dripping off the boat when it is carried overhead.  Please, for these cold days of later winter and early spring, get yourself a nylon outer layer.

Wednesday Feb 27th:

• There is regular erging tonight.  There is NO ERGING Thursday or Friday

• Today is the last day to turn in orders for Patagonia apparel.  Please turn in your order form and check to Trish by tonight if you would like to order.

• The order form for Patagonia base-layer type clothing.  This is optional. Patagonia gives Westerville Crew a very good deal on their apparel.  This is good stuff! PatagoniaForm-2.pdf (Please note- we have extended the deadline to Feb 28th)

• We HIGHLY recommend thin wool gloves, a wool hat and definitely wool so