I don't know how to row. Does that make a difference?
No one knows how to row before joining Westerville Crew. We hold summer learn-to-row sessions to lessen that anxiety but we have brand new rowers on the first night. We teach you how to row.
What do I need to bring?
Absolutely bring a water bottle. Wear shorts and a tee-shirt. Sandals or Crocs are nice because they are easy to take off when getting into a boat.
Will anybody laugh at me?
Only if you tell good jokes, but normally there is no talking in the boats.
How do you advance in rowing if there are no cuts/no tryouts?
At each level (novice and varsity), there are multiple boats. The coaches select the rowers for each boat based on work ethic, quality of your stroke and speed. Speed is measured using a "rowing ergometer" (indoor rowing machine), an objective measure of how hard you can pull on an oar.
I like to participate in 3 other sports, band, theatre, and a bunch of other stuff. Will rowing conflict with these?
While Westerville Crew has a no cut/no tryouts policy, those rowers who achieve the highest level (about 40% of the graduating rowers last spring received scholarships) are those who row all year. Naturally, you'll be a better rower with the greater amount of time spent rowing. Also, when you commit to rowing, you are also committing to making every workout and regatta during the season.
How long does the season last?
Until the last Sunday of October.
If I love rowing this season, what is the next step?
Don't stop. We start indoor workouts using rowing machines in November.
If I drop out of rowing, can I have my money back?
No.
My mother's watch does not work well. What happens if I am late to practice?
Nobody will be there. We have "hands on" at 5:15. That means we expect all boats on the water by 5:20-5:25. We have 3 docks that accommodate 2 boats each. It takes less than 2 minutes to launch.
I like sleeping in on Saturday morning. I deserve it after a hard week of school. Can I miss just Saturday mornings?
No.
My religious convictions are such that I cannot compete on Saturdays. How does this affect my rowing?
You are expected to attend every regatta and workout. If you cannot, then don't join.
I have a youth group meeting on Wednesday evenings. Can we be off the water early?
No. We do not formulate the schedule according to the particular needs of any of our 100+ kids.
I would like to try Crew for 2 weeks without making a commitment. Can I?
No. If you show up, that is taken as a commitment. Summer rowing is designed for "giving it a try" and approximately 70 rowers went through our Learn-to-Row program.
Going to football games on Friday nights is an important part of my high school socialization. How do you accommodate that?
Actually, most of the coaches have a shortened workout on Friday evening, often consisting of perhaps 5000 meters of drills followed by a 5000 meters "bridge-to-bridge" timed piece. Row hard and you'll be to the game before the sweat dries (but shortening the workout is at the discretion of the coach).
If I row all year, do what is expected of me, and enjoy the sport, what can I look forward to?
Virtually all rowers who start early (freshman) and row all year, achieve a high level (Nationals qualifying boat) by the time they are an upper classmen.
I'm not that big (but my mother tells everyone I'm really strong. It makes her feel good). Does size matter?
Our lightweight men's eight was 4th in the US at Nationals in 2008 and our lightweight women were 5th in 2007. We look forward to making skinny kids athletic. Put in the time, do the work, and you can expect a high degree of satisfaction.
I'm overweight. My mother says big boned, but I know better. Can I row?
We have lots of kids who have lost 25 to 50 lbs, some quite dramatically. For many kids, rowing is the first real exercise they have done. The advantage in rowing is that the water supports the weight of the boat/rowers. Despite large size, there is no unusual stress on the joints (as in an overweight person running). You can expect to lose significant weight if you are overweight. We do ask that you give up one food -- your choice -- such as ice cream, pizza, pop, or potato chips. You make the choice and you stick by it. You'll discover that you'll never have to go hungry and you will lose weight.
My parents are like "really involved" in my life. How do you handle such parents?
We love them to death. Westerville Crew is an all-volunteer organization including all coaches. It cannot exist without significant parental involvement. It's interesting to see how new novice rowers sometimes seem embarrassed in having a parent around, but that lasts for about a week. They soon discover that we are what we are due to our parents.
Is rowing dangerous?
My immediate response is yes. Rowing is a water sport. My more reasoned response is yes, but we ameliorate the dangers by using good judgment. We row almost exclusively eights (8 rowers + coxswain) in practices and we've never rolled an eight over. (Fours, double and singles are much easier to roll over). We swamped an eight once in heavy water in a particularly bad wind. The tornado sirens once went off when we were 6000 meters from the dock on a perfectly sunny evening. In years of rowing with many hundreds of kids, we've never had a serious accident. You must know how to swim.
What kind of fees can I expect?
The fees are in the range of $475 for a season. That covers it all including food at regattas, entry fees, and hotel costs for our overnight regatta. It does not include the cost of a "uni" (unisuit only worn by varsity team members which is purchased once). There is no nickel-and-diming. Fees are typically due the second week (after the parent's meeting). They are non-refundable.
How hard is Crew?
As hard as you want to pull on an oar. Pull easy on an oar and it is significantly easier than pulling hard 2000 times during a workout. The harder you pull each stroke, the faster you move up the food chain (if you are interested in that). There are probably few high school teams in the country that put in the meters that Westerville Crew puts in. There are multiple reasons, but a primary one is that we don't recruit kids built for rowing; we take everybody and that requires more work. It's sort of like taking a kid who's 6' 2" and allowing them on a gymnastics team when a better team might limit the height to 5' 2".
I did Learn-to-Row and I liked Crew but some of the kids were googoo-gaga over it. Should I still join?
Some kids fall in love with the sport immediately. Others really fall in love with the sport later. I've had kids tell me after their second year, "You know, I really love this sport now!" (meaning more than they did a year to two earlier).
Who is the worst candidate for Crew?
The one who's mother said you can't get your driver's license unless you join Crew.....but even some of those kids fall in love with it.
I love Crew. What can I do to exercise more for it?
Ride your bike to practice and do your homework.
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