Welcome to Being a Crew Parent
We are so glad your child has fallen in love with rowing and we are here to help you as the parent of a rower. Below you will find useful information.
Required FormsAthletes are required to complete the following documents:
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Parent Meeting slideshow |
FAQs
Can I come to practice?
We LOVE when parents want to come see what's happening. Right now, however, we don't have permission for parents to come to daily practice. We will schedule days for parents to come see what's happening and how your rower is improving.
Why is it such a big deal to miss practice?
Unlike most sports that high school kids participate in, most kids are rowing for the first time and are trying to go from learning basic skills to being competitive at a regional and national level in a couple of years. Missing building blocks can cause a child to fall behind. Secondly, when the kids are on the water, coaches plan the line-ups in the boats carefully and one missing rower can mess up the line-up or in the worst case, keep the other rowers in a boat from being able to practice on the water.
What should my child wear to practice?
Spandex shorts (women) & Trou (men: similar to spandex bike shorts without padding) on the lower half, comfortable tanks on top, and running shoes. Many novice men wear shorts over their spandex for running and/or weightlifting only mainly because some kids are self-conscious in the beginning about wearing trou. Loose shorts are likely to get caught in the seat mechanism of the boat when they are rowing. Only trou will be allowed in the boats while rowing. If they do not have trou on, they will not row. Don’t worry – they get used to it quickly!
What else should they bring to practice?
A large plastic water bottle (metal ones damage the boats), hat or visor, sunglasses, extra hair ties (if applicable), and any necessary medicine (inhalers, epi pens, etc.).
I need to talk to the coach; should I try to talk to her before or after practice?
FIRST, you should ask yourself if whatever you want to talk about should be handled by your child and give him or her the chance to address it before you get involved. We aim for the rowers to lead 100% of the conversation with the coaches. Not the parents. So much is going on at the end of practice and you will probably be waiting for a while before the coach is free – and he/she may or may not have much time. If your child can’t handle the question, it is usually best to e-mail the coach and ask when would be a good time to talk. Many questions can be answered by sending an email to [email protected]
We LOVE when parents want to come see what's happening. Right now, however, we don't have permission for parents to come to daily practice. We will schedule days for parents to come see what's happening and how your rower is improving.
Why is it such a big deal to miss practice?
Unlike most sports that high school kids participate in, most kids are rowing for the first time and are trying to go from learning basic skills to being competitive at a regional and national level in a couple of years. Missing building blocks can cause a child to fall behind. Secondly, when the kids are on the water, coaches plan the line-ups in the boats carefully and one missing rower can mess up the line-up or in the worst case, keep the other rowers in a boat from being able to practice on the water.
What should my child wear to practice?
Spandex shorts (women) & Trou (men: similar to spandex bike shorts without padding) on the lower half, comfortable tanks on top, and running shoes. Many novice men wear shorts over their spandex for running and/or weightlifting only mainly because some kids are self-conscious in the beginning about wearing trou. Loose shorts are likely to get caught in the seat mechanism of the boat when they are rowing. Only trou will be allowed in the boats while rowing. If they do not have trou on, they will not row. Don’t worry – they get used to it quickly!
What else should they bring to practice?
A large plastic water bottle (metal ones damage the boats), hat or visor, sunglasses, extra hair ties (if applicable), and any necessary medicine (inhalers, epi pens, etc.).
I need to talk to the coach; should I try to talk to her before or after practice?
FIRST, you should ask yourself if whatever you want to talk about should be handled by your child and give him or her the chance to address it before you get involved. We aim for the rowers to lead 100% of the conversation with the coaches. Not the parents. So much is going on at the end of practice and you will probably be waiting for a while before the coach is free – and he/she may or may not have much time. If your child can’t handle the question, it is usually best to e-mail the coach and ask when would be a good time to talk. Many questions can be answered by sending an email to [email protected]
Rowing Basics
Parents Guide to Rowing, Mercer Junior Rowing Club
So Your Kid Wants to Join a Crew Team, Time Online
So You Want to Row in College, Rowing News
So Your Kid Wants to Join a Crew Team, Time Online
So You Want to Row in College, Rowing News