A Guide to Highschool Rowing
Handy Information for
Rowers and Parents
Introduction
For most highschool rowers and their parents, rowing is a brand new sport. We may not understand its training, language, or organization. This year a group of rowers and parents began this Guide to help each other understand and enjoy highschool rowing. The Guide is organized to address our common questions:
How is
Highschool Rowing Organized?
Rowing is organized differently than many highschool teams, and parents need to understand the roles and responsibilities of the school, coaches and rowing club in the sport. No highschool can, alone, support a rowing team. There is a close relationship between the local Brockville Rowing Club (BRC) and the highschools to enable area students to row. In general, the coaching, facilities and equipment are organized and provided through BRC, and student organization and teacher staff advisors provide supervision. Because rowing cannot be offered in every public highschool, it is not recognized by OFSSA.
Highschool rowing is increasing in popularity. A new organization for highschool rowing was developed for the 1999-2000 season. It is hoped that this will clarify communication and responsibilities between rowers, parents, coaches, schools and BRC. The new organizational structure is still not yet fully implemented and likely will be refined over the next few years.
The
The
The Club is located on the St Lawrence
River just east of the famous
The BRC has a volunteer Board made up of elected individuals from each of the groups that use the Club facilities. Each member has a portfolio of responsibility.
A crew is the group of rowers that train and race a boat together. An individual rower may be a member of more than one crew. For example, a crew of 8 could race both as one boat, and as 2 boats of 4.
Coaches are lead by Doug Marshall. Also members of BRC's coaching staff are
Doug's son Chris (a member of the
Crews may have more than one coach over a school year. Highschool rowers currently must attend Brockville Collegiate Institute. The coach is responsible for establishing and supervising a training schedule, teaching and developing team and individual racing strategies and technique.
The rowers are expected to uphold the School Boards' standards for student behavior at all times. The school, through the principal and staff advisors, can require students who do not meet these standards to be removed from the team.
Rowing is a lot of fun and a very social sport. Rowers enjoy going to the rowing club as a social place. There is a need for knowledgeable parental support.
What is the Language of
Rowing? (What are they doing?)
There are 2 basic kinds of rowing:
Crews are put together in
various numbers. Most multi-person highschool crews have a cox, indicated as
"+" in rowing shorthand. However, in some small boats and in
upper-level racing, there are coxless boats and they are indicated as
"-" in the shorthand.
|
Single |
1X |
sculling |
1 person |
|
Pair |
2- |
sweep rowing |
2 person |
|
Double |
2X |
sculling |
2 person |
|
Four |
4+ |
sweep rowing |
4 person + coxswain |
|
Quad |
4X |
sculling |
4 person |
|
Eight |
8+ |
sweep rowing |
8 person plus coxswain |
Seat Placements and Responsibilities
If you are sitting in the cox seat looking forward, Starboard is to your right and Port is to your left. Seats are numbered from the bow position.
Boats go down the course bow first. The cox is the only person in the boat facing forward. The cox steers the boat and directs the crew but does not row. The cox is basically an on-water coach and the crew must obey him/her. In most 8's the cox will have a "cox-box" (microphone) with speakers under the seats so that the crew can hear what the cox is calling.
Ideally, a cox is light and small. More importantly, the cox is quick to assess the conditions of the race, and able to motivate the crew. A cox needs to be able to listen to the crew's feedback (which is not always easy, particularly after a losing race) and hold the crew's respect and trust. Most coxies do the physical training with the crew.
The person who sits in the seat nearest the bow is called the bowman. When there is no cox, the bowman is responsible for race strategy and steering.
The person who sits in the seat nearest the stern is called the stroke. This person sets the pace and technique for the boat.
Before the race the cox and the coach develop the race plan. On the water, the cox applies the plan, and modifies it in light of physical conditions such as wind or current, and the crew's performance. The cox calls the stroke pace, the stroke does it, and the rest of the team follows the stroke.
Classifications and Weight Categories
Crews are classified by the most experienced/oldest person on the crew.
There are weight categories for men and women in the junior and senior divisions.
Each member of it must make weight the morning of each race. If the mean weight of the boat or any member exceeds the limits, the entire crew is disqualified.
There are three weight categories: lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight / open. Any rower can compete in an open category. Heavyweights are at an advantage as their superior size and strength more than compensate for their weight.
There are no weight categories for novice crews.
Required Boat Averages and Individual Rower Weight Maximums
For 2007 Season:
(The maximum weight allowed for an
individual rower is usually 2 kilograms heavier than the category boat
average).
|
Categories |
Junior Women |
Senior Women |
|
Lightweight |
57kg Avg/59kg Max |
57kg Avg/59kg Max |
|
Middleweight |
61kg Avg/63kg Max |
61kg Avg/63kg Max |
|
Heavyweight |
No restriction |
No restriction |
|
Categories |
Junior Men |
Senior Men |
|
Tackweight |
64kg Avg/66kg Max |
64kg Avg/66kg Max |
|
Lightweight |
70kg Avg/72.5kg Max |
70kg Avg/72.5kg Max |
|
Heavyweight |
No restriction |
No restriction |
For 2007 season:
A cox must be a minimum weight or s/he must carry extra weight in order to meet the minimum requirement. The minimum coxie weights are currently 45kg for women and 50kg for men. (This may change this spring)
The rowing stroke
There are 4 basic components of the rowing stroke.
The catch is the beginning. It is the moment when the oar blade first catches the water, and the rower is in a compact, forward-reaching position. The blade should be placed firmly in the water so that it will not pop out when the force is applied, and all the oars should drop into the water at exactly the same time.
The drive is the portion of the stroke where the blade is pulled through the water by the force of the legs straightening and the arms pulling in. The blade is supposed to remain square in the water and the rower's back is supposed to remain straight.
The finish/release is when the blades emerge from the water and release the boat to run forward. The blades should be turned parallel to the water. The challenge is to lift the oars cleanly without interrupting the movement of the boat.
The recovery is the interval after the oars are raised out of the water and the rower glides smoothly up to the catch position again.
Boats and Equipment
In order to be as lightweight as possible a boat has a very thin hull. This means that the rowers canNOT put their feet on the bottom of the boat at any time. When getting in and out of the boats the rowers can only put their feet on the footplate located on the slide.
Once in their seats, the rowers put their feet into shoes that are already fastened into the boat and are loosely laced. They leave their own shoes on the dock or put them in the bottom of the boat.
The seats are on slides and move forward and back as part of the rowing movement. The seats do come off the slides, sometimes even during the race! Rowers need to learn how to get them back in place quickly.
Oars come in two basic designs: spoons in which the tulip-shaped oar blade is centered on the shaft, and hatchets in which the square-shaped blade is positioned below the shaft.
Needless to say, these boats and their paraphernalia are very expensive and rowers learn early on to respect the equipment and handle it with great care. Leaving the dock, landing at the dock, removing the boat from its storage and replacing it are activities that require special attention to prevent boat damage.
On-water Grief
Catching a crab is a rower's nightmare. The oar gets caught in the water and the force of the boat moving forward causes the oar to be pulled out of the rower's hands. The rower needs to lie flat back to avoid being hit by the oar handle or thrown from the boat. The challenge is to quickly recover and re-synchronize with the crew.
Losing a seat occurs when a seat comes off the slide. This may happen due to equipment failure or the rower's stroke being off-center. The rower's stroke is interrupted until the seat can be re-attached. The rower may try to continue to row by sliding their bare behind on the slide bar. This is very painful (!) and the rower's stroke is weak.
Tipping: All rowers must be able to swim. Small boats tip easily. Rowers do not usually carry life jackets, and often cannot get back into a tipped boat. They have to be rescued by coach or race boats. When the water is cold, "cold water rules" require each crew to have a coach boat, rowers in small boats to carry life jackets, and the areas in which to row and times of day for rowing are restricted.
How does a Rower Learn to Row?
Many students are introduced to the sport through the week-long Learn-to-Row programs offered to highschool students by BRC in September. The BRC also offers recreational and competitive rowing programs in the summer for children and adults. Parents can get more information about these programs from the BRC.
A student who is interested in rowing normally makes that interest known to the other rowers in his/her school. By mid-October there is usually the first meeting of potential rowers, who form the school team. A student who didn't take Learn-to-Row but would like to try the sport simply attends the team meetings and joins in the land training over the winter.
Novice crews are loose associations of interested students who have never rowed. They are often in the same grade. Their winter coach will assign them a workout schedule and they will meet periodically over the winter. An established crew that has rowed in previous years will meet frequently over the winter to do their workouts. As the competitive season approaches the crews are formed.
Training
Land training occurs from fall through winter, and on-water training begins in mid-April when the ice is out.
Rowing requires strength, endurance, and technique.
Strength training involves the legs, abdomen, back, and upper extremities. Strength is built by weight training. This is usually done in the highschool gym or in the BRC weight room with a schedule established by the coach. Novice rowers normally weight train 1-2 times a week. Experienced rowers may train daily. You may notice a change in your rower's appearance!
Endurance is developed by regular aerobic exercise such as swimming or running usually once or twice a week. "Ergs" are training exercises done on rowing machines (ergometers) and form the basis of a rower's endurance training. They are done for about an hour 1-2 times a week. Some sessions may be done at a steady rate while others may be composed of sprints of various rates and duration. Ergs are booked at the BRC as a team activity by the coach.
Erg tests are race simulations performed on the erg. They are usually 2000 meters in length and improvement is measured by the decrease in the time taken to do it. A rower will usually do an erg test once a month. Rowers should avoid eating for several hours before a test, and take water and a simple grain snack (e.g. a bagel) for afterwards. Erg tests are very hard work and you may notice that your rower is quite fatigued afterwards. As the competitive season approaches, rowers' times may be used for team selection. Erg times are used as entry criteria for rowers who wish to try out for high-level teams such as Junior Nationals
Technical training is mainly acquired on the water. It involves both individual technique and team coordination. Technical skill is needed to translate strength into speed on the water. It takes a great deal of practice to make each of the elements of the stroke automatic and to coordinate the team.
Each crew develops a race strategy that capitalizes on both the individual and group skills. Some crews may have the ability to have fast finishes, while others can sustain a faster average race pace.
One of the attractions of rowing as a sport is the demand for individual excellence and team interaction for success. No matter how talented an individual is, it takes a crew effort to win.
Making weight/Nutrition
Meeting the individual and crew weight limits can be a challenge, particularly given that highschool students are growing throughout the season and the weight training process will build additional muscle weight. It can be a concern for parents to see their rower trying to make weight while still training. If your rower is entered in a lightweight category, there should be some plan by January for how the crew is going to make weight.
Even rowers who are not making weight need to watch their nutrition. The training burns several hundred calories a day which, especially in young growing adults, means all crew members need enough carbohydrates, fat, protein, water, and sleep to stay healthy.
The training schedule
Rowers train for months for a racing season that is over in 4-5 weekends.
Over the winter, most novice rowers will
train approximately twice a week while some experienced rowers will train
nearly daily. Beginning in January, the frequency of practices increases in anticipation
of the transition to the on-water season. On-water training begins as soon as
the ice is out which is usually by early April. Rowers practice on the
In January and February rowers may compete
in ergometer competitions, and may have the opportunity to practice in the
large indoor rowing tanks in
In April on-water training begins and the frequency of workouts increases. Even though they are now on the water, highly competitive teams will still have weights and some erg training to do after school.
Novice teams practice on the water after school 4-5 days a week and usually once on the weekend.
Junior and senior crews have on-water practices each morning from 6:00-7:30 a.m., after which they go directly to school. Parents need to ensure some method of early morning transportation. The rowers usually take breakfast and lunch, school clothes and books with them when they leave each morning. It is an amazing experience to be at the clubhouse in the early dawn to watch rowers converge by bicycle, foot and car, and cheerfully load boats into the still, misty waters. This is cold work, and your rower needs warm clothes. Fleece and polypro long-underwear are great inventions for this sport.
In May, regattas on the weekends are added into this routine.
For about 6 weeks, from the end of April to the beginning of June, rowing dominates the rower's, and their family's, life. The rowers' social life is mainly with one another. Most rowers need to go to bed by 9:00 p.m. every night.
It is a challenge for rowers to keep up their academic work during April and May. They are tired, sore, and hungry much of the time. They may need some help in time management, to ensure that major assignments and studying are planned and accomplished.
Injuries
Muscle aches are not unusual. Rowers need to warm-up and stretch well before and after each workout.
Pain in the joints or the low back, or tingling in the fingers are not normal, and should not be ignored. Rowers are prone to repetitive strain injuries and anything other than occasional muscle pain should not be taken lightly. If you have concerns, speak to your rower's coach. Many of the rowers themselves have required physiotherapy or other treatments and can recommend helpful practitioners.
How Does the Season Work?
The school competitive season is made up of 5 consecutive weekend regattas. Interested rowers can continue to compete with BRC through summer rowing.
Regattas are good fun for parents and well worth attending. There is something wonderful about witnessing the concentration, effort and teamwork of rowers in a race. It makes those early morning practices worthwhile!
Most crews are organized by the middle of April, but crew membership will continue to be refined with experience in the regattas. It is often possible for an individual rower to row in several different crews in a given regatta. These last-minute "mystery" crews are often a great deal of fun and provide valuable experience.
This is the first regatta of the season. The
1-day event is attended by all
Mother's Day/Brockville Regattas
Novice and junior crews go to the 1-day
Senior crews go to Mother's Day at the
Henley Course in
Eastern Regional Area (ERA's)
This Saturday regatta is held in
The Olympic Basin is a wonderful location, but is a challenge to find. It will take approximately 2 hours to get there, longer if you get lost like most of us do. The Olympic basin is a man-made course, 6 lanes wide, with concrete sidewalks/roads on each side like a gigantic 2Km swimming pool. A spectator can follow along with a race on a bicycle or roller blades.
Canadian Secondary Schools Rowing Championships (aka Schoolboys or CSSRA)
This is the Canadian Highschool Championship regatta, and the last race of the highschool season. Only junior and senior crews may go and, in order to qualify, crews must have demonstrated competitive ability at a prior regatta, usually ERA's.
Some years there is a Canadian Championship
Regatta for Novices that is held in
There are several opportunities for rowers who wish to compete through the summer. Some senior rowers may decide to try-out for the Junior National team or Can/Am/Mex team. These try-outs are held later in June following the Schoolboy regatta. Other opportunities include competitive and non-competitive summer rowing programs that are offered through the BRC.
What Happens at a Regatta?
Regattas are fun for rowers and parents. They are an intense time for rowers. There is a lot of team bonding before and after the race and the rowers are very focused on their races. There is also usually a lot of high-spirited fun. Parents have a defined job as spectators. We cheer for each other's teams, provide practical help for rowers (food, rides, and dry clothes, usually on short notice) and share stories of being rowing parents. As parents, we admire the skill and commitment of our rowers but we don't spend a lot of time with them. The staff advisors act as, or provide, chaperones for the rowers.
The race schedule is often delayed by changes in the wind and water conditions. Small boats usually race early and late in the day when the wind is least. The order of the races may be changed if the conditions require it. Spectators are wise to arrive on time, but be prepared to wait.
Rowers at regattas need to remember sunscreen, clothes for rain or wind, a sun hat, glasses, water bottles, and food or money to buy it. At most regattas, the entire team stays until the last race and medal presentations. If the regatta is out of town, the team travels together. Rowers will need food or money for meals en route.
Parents at regattas also need to be prepared with a sun hat, glasses, sunscreen, clothes for wind or cold and support for rowers. The races happen far from shore, and a pair of binoculars is handy. To get decent pictures of races, parent photographers require a camera with a large zoom or telephoto lens. A blanket or lawn chair to sit on can be a good idea, and some really prepared folks bring coolers or a thermos.
For overnight regattas (ERA's, Mother's Day and Canadians) the team leaves on a Thursday or Friday, and overnights at a hotel in the regatta city. Rowers are assigned 2-4 to a room. They are given written notification of the location of the hotel, its phone number, and the travel arrangements several days before the regatta. Parents are wise to get this information! There is usually one female and one male chaperone for each school. The chaperones, coaches, and highschool coordinator all stay in the same hotel as the rowers. The rowers and chaperones travel in a school bus. A race schedule is usually available at the Club approximately 48 hours before the regatta for parents who want to get to the races.
Costs and Liability
Rowing requires a considerable amount of expensive equipment. An average 8-person shell costs $26000, a four $16,000, a 2 person shell $12,000 and oars each $400-600. There are additional costs for parts and maintenance, coach boats, gas, the gym equipment and dock maintenance. The equipment and most of the boats that highschool rowing teams use have been purchased by BRC through purchases and donations. It is thanks to the dedicated efforts of Doug and Chris Marshall and BRC that rowing is possible for students.
Each rower pays fees. This covers insurance, boat maintenance, gas, transportation, entrance fees and lodging for every regatta except Canadians. For crews that qualify for the Canadians, an additional payment is required. All junior and senior crews do at least one fund-raising bingo in the course of the year.
Parents must sign permission forms for their rowers to participate in the activities of the season. BRC is insured for activities directly related to rowing and the School Board carries responsibility during transportation and non-competitive aspects of regattas out of town. Some rowing activities, such as erg competitions, may be under the authority of BRC, in which case rowers are not accompanied by a school staff advisor. A staff advisor accompanies student rowers in all school-authorized activities, such as regattas.
Rowers must be transported to and from regattas by the provided bus or by parents. Student rowers are not permitted to drive themselves or each other to these events. Parents' help in adhering to this policy is appreciated.
What if I'm worried about my
Rower?
Because the organization and supervision of rowing is not as simple as traditional school-based sports, parents need to know where to turn if they have concerns.
If you are worried that :
How Can Parents Help?
Parents can help their individual rower and the team. It would be great if there were a table for refreshments and information at every regatta. Particularly at Mothers Day and Canadians, a tent where rowers could meet, rest or get a cold drink, is very welcome. BRC could certainly use financial support towards the maintenance or purchase of better equipment for our rowers.
Rowing is a demanding, rewarding and captivating sport. As rowing parents, we can admire our rowers' skill and enthusiasm and we may even join them!
If you think that you would like to help encourage the joy of rowing in any way, please contact the Brockville Rowing Club.
This year's Guide was developed by a group of parents and their rowers with much advice from the BRC. Please tell us if it was helpful, and send us your suggestions about how it could be improved. Happy rowing!
BRC telephone:
613-342-4849
WEB
site:
www.brockvillerowingclub.ca
Mailing Address:
Guide Compilers: Originally developed by
Kingston Rowing Club
Edited: May '06