Novice 101: Welcome to the World of Rowing

Welcome to the crazy and wonderful world of crew - part sport, part day at the beach, part traveling road show. There are a ton of things that go on in front of and behind the scenes to make this all possible, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by it at first. 

The content of this section has been suggested by former novice parents like you who had to slog through their first seasons without the benefit of these valuable informational tidbits. So, to foster greater community understanding, we give you, in no particular order and with only contextual assistance with the vernacular, the ins and outs of rowing.

Crew Safety

Any discussion of rowing is predicated upon safety. We're on the water, it can be dangerous, and people have died in pursuit of the sport. We do everything we can every single time we go out on the water to prevent harm to the rowers and to the boats, and we're good at it; we sleep well. Coach launches are mandated to be with each boat on the water, and always carry a full complement of safety gear, including megaphones, flotation devices, hypothermic blankets, first aid, signaling equipment, and cell phones.

All rowers watch the USRowing Safety Video prior to their first trip to the water, and all novice rowers are required to pass a swim test.  All coaches are certified in CPR and First Aid and have their NY State boating license. 

We do everything in our power to stay on top of the water, not in it. This is true for any rowing club or event.  It is rule number one sport wide, and it is treated with the utmost seriousness.

That being said, we will row in almost all conditions except high wind and lightning. Inherent dangers include, but are not limited to:

• Hyperthermia

• Hypothermia

• Dehydration

• Ejection from boat (VERY rare)

• Various cuts and bruises from improper handling of equipment

• Various injuries resulting from repeated improper technique

• Infected blisters

• Illness due to sharing of water bottles

With proper attention to detail, all of these can be avoided. Here's a little something you can do for the most notorious of them – blisters.

• Wash hands with warm water and soap after every practice.

• If a blister develops with a large bubble, insert a sterilized needle at the base of the blister and drain it pressing the blister flat. Don’t peel away the top layer of skin if you don’t have to.  It will help form a callus.

• If the blister is small don’t drain it.

• If the blister pops at practice, carefully trim the excess skin of the blister.  Place a damp warm tea bag on the site. The tannins in the tea will help toughen up the skin.  Leave the blister uncovered so it dries up. 

• If the wound is large or in a bad spot you can use bandages to protect it while rowing if it is in a spot that a bandage will adhere to. Bandages that move around can make the wound worse. 

Season Overview

Crew at Nichols is a two season sport.  Winter training gives those who attend a definite advantage over those returning rowers who do not, and these same rowers make the boats that much faster in the races that follow.

Winter training helps to get the body in shape and technically ready for the spring racing season.  With the help of some intense winter training indoors, the team is in a much better position to compete in the spring.

The spring season is the ultimate aim of the program. This is the same sort of side by side sprint racing you see in the Olympics. Our 1500m races are 6-8 minutes long and are very intense and thrilling to watch.

Regattas

Things to Know About RowingThings to Know About RowingIt's what we call races. When we go to a regatta, we take apart our entire fleet, load the boats, oars, riggers, and accessories into one of the WSRC trailers (thank goodness we don’t have to transport our own boats), get on a bus or carpool, and head off down the road. We basically move the boathouse with us. We also pack up a food trailer and bring it along because the foraging at some of these regatta sites is pretty meager.

When we arrive at the regatta site, which is on the banks of a river, lake or reservoir, the kids set up the boats while the parents set up the tents. Coaches run around getting the race details straight and make sure the equipment is ready to go. The other 10-50 teams present are all busy doing the same thing.

Typically boats race down a course 3-10 abreast depending on the course.  There are also time-trial style races in which boats are sent down the course every 10-15 seconds and are compared by time it takes to finish the course.  At most courses you will be able to see only a portion of the race.  Generally, there are heats (often time-trials) which determine which boats advance to the finals, so there are multiple races in one day, or over the course of the weekend for larger events.

Rowers are expected to be on their best behavior while in the tent. They should be respectful of the team’s and tent’s collective belongings as well as other schools’ teams. Foul language is not tolerated. The Nichols Athletic Code of conduct is to be followed. 

We will attend 4 - 6 regattas each spring.

Overnight Regattas

The Nichols Crew attends several overnight regattas each the spring. The school charters a bus, we travel as a team, and the rowers stay four to a room in hotels near the site. We typically leave the day before the regatta to set up and hopefully practice at the site. Buses travel with at least two coaches.  

We work hard to keep our kids on their best behavior on the road, and they respond incredibly well to this. Regattas are not field trips, or dates, or parties. We are unequivocally clear on this point.

Attending Regattas

Regattas simply would not happen without the parents. While the kids and coaches are doing their thing, parents are busy setting up the food tents and getting ready to feed the starving hoards (see Parent Survival Checklist on what to bring).

For parents who wish to attend overnight regattas, the location of the event is also posted with our schedule so you can find other accommodations nearby.

Event Designations

Races can be either 1500m or 2000m depending on whether we racing in the US (1500m) or Canada (2000m). There are various event designations:

• Novice – eligible rowers are in their first year of high school rowing

• Freshman – only freshman rowers allowed in a boat

• Junior US – rowers must be in the 11th grade or lower

Canada – rowers must be < 15    

• Senior (US and Canada) – open to all rowers

• Lightweight 

Girls  <130lbs (US) or < 59 kg (Canada)

Boys  <150 lbs (US) or < 72.5 kg (Canada)

• Open weight – open to all rowers

Results of our workouts and the crew experience

If they stick with us, we will get your child into the best shape they've ever been in, and perhaps the best shape of their life. Make no mistake, this sport is hard to master and requires superior fitness. We will get them there, so help us out. They're going to start eating more than you could imagine, like 3-4000+ calories per day in some cases. Be ready for it and provide good nutritional food. If you're vegetarians be extra careful that daily requirements are being met.  Remind them to stay continuously hydrated.

A key ancillary benefit of crew is that it will force them to budget their time more effectively than they have in the past. They'll learn quickly to come home, eat, then hit the books as fast as they can before exhaustion takes over. Somehow they all learn it. The entire staff stresses the importance of grades first. 

Your child will develop close friendships with other members of the team, transcending grade and gender lines. We really are a co-ed sport, with boys practicing side by side with girls, and when we travel and compete, the entire team has to help each other out all day long, so you'll find seniors helping frosh and everything in between. We like to see as much integration as possible, and we're a better, faster, and more well behaved team as a result of it.

Some Final Advice

Attending the beginning of the season meeting, really helps parents get up to speed and you get the chance to quickly learn how nice everyone is.  Have fun and be enthusiastic and flexible because nothing seems to go as planned, but always works out in the end.  Be careful. This sport has a sneaky way of becoming addictive. Your entire life may soon revolve around it, and the whole family may become involved, both from the shore and within the boat.