The team’s annual Internal Scrimmage is this Saturday.  We will put as much of the team on the water as possible in mixed boats of men/women, varsity/novices and see which crew is fastest.

The race course we hope to use (and other info) is here (https://granbycrew.com/practice-schedules/fall-events/internal-scrimmage/).  The schedule is:

• 0800 – Meet at boathouse
• 0840 – Launch boats; spectators observe, then depart for Mayflower Rd
• 0900 – Boats arrive at the start
• 0910 – Start of the head race (fall racing format)
• 0940 – Finish the head race
• 0950 – Start of the sprint (spring racing format) demonstration
• 1000 – Finish the sprint
• 1030 – Boats return to docks and stored; spectators observe
• 1040 – Q&A session with coaches about sport
• 1100 – Practice complete

In the head-race, boats drive around a winding course, racing to get the fastest time.  Crews begin single file, rowing through the starting line with short time gaps between. Passing is allowed.  Penalties are given for driving off course or impeding other boats.  These events really test the driving skill of coxswains and the endurance of rowers.  Boats will be even-strength, so victory goes to the crew who wants it most and rows the best.

Spectators, Saturday’s event is mostly for you.  New booster club members can learn plenty about what we do, and have a chance to ask any questions they wish of the coaching staff.  Returning families may want a refresher course.  Rowing has a language all its own.  Perhaps this event will help you understand some of what the students talk about after practice.

Looking for a sport for the fall, winter, and/or spring season(s)? Consider rowing. No prior experience is needed.  There are no try-outs.  There are no cuts.  Grades 8-12 (any public, private, or home school) are welcome.  If you’ve got the drive and enthusiasm to keep up with us (you do!), we’ll help you become a competitive (or even more competitive) athlete.  Practice with us and you’ll race with us. We have a full year’s training planned (calendar is here).

Need convincing? Look at how well new and varsity athletes did in previous years (posted below). Perhaps some past highlights will add to your interest. Want more info? Start your reading here. There’s lots more info here. Want to ask questions? Come see us at freshmen orientation or the boathouse. If you’re worried this is a water sport, don’t be.

Want to improve your endurance? We do plenty of that. Want to lift? We do that too. Want to win races? We’ve done that at the Regional and State level. Want to learn while you train? Scroll down the posts below as far as 13Mar2020 to appreciate our emphasis on teaching and learning. Want a college athletic scholarship? Women have a better shot than almost all other sports; sorry men, it’s very rare for you.

The Maury WJ2x and Granby W1x had a great day. These medals are nice additions to what was already collected at Regionals in the WN4+ (gold), MN4+ (silver), and WJ8+ (silver). The drone footage of the WJ2x race was fun to watch. If you look it up, their race starts around 5:30.

The heat is a solid display of decent rowing.  Every crew is pulling hard, but only one of the 6 hulls contains athletes that understand boat-moving.  Our coaches are obviously better at instructing the rowing stroke than they are at color commentary.

As for the final, it is cu…ray…zee!  The race starts at 1:05.  I won’t spoil the rest.

Our novice women took third in a fast field of seventeen crews.  For the first time ever, Granby was ranked (by the league up in northern Virginia) going into the event, reflecting our well-earned reputation for quality novice crews.  And the WN4+ rose to the pressure of expectations, confirming that Granby novices go north to row fast and win medals.  In heats, they took first over boats from much larger programs.

In finals, they extended their margin over the crew they defeated in heats by being the only team to go faster during their their second 1500m of the day.

Our test of the barge went well. It will be an excellent tool in quickly training what we hope will be a very large group of novices joining each year.

Team priority #2 is safesport (#1 is safety).  The video below enables that priority.  Safesport is about treating each other with respect and kindness.  And how we interact often starts with how we speak.  It’s worth taking some notes, and really thinking about the points being made, because this isn’t just about safesport.  Quality speech is a key skill for coxswains, captains, teammates, etc.  Want to do well in future job interviews?  Speech is vital.  Enjoy talking with friends?  Improve the conversations you have.  Oh… one more thing… notice how the video ends with speaking AND listening.  If you want people to listen to you, start by listening to them.  That’s safesport too.

Sitting is bad for you.  Do less sitting.  Can you stand while in class, or while doing homework?  Maybe you’ll discover that’s better for your learning… and your health.

Our training calendar is intended to build readiness for racing.  Speed/skill in our sport demands many, many hours.  Believe it or not, the fastest crews invest even more time.  You can extra work, as long as it’s green/blue.  Build your cardio base, train healthy movement patterns, and strengthen key muscles.  For motivation, consider the following:

The video below states:  “once a skill becomes automatic, thinking about its precise mechanics interferes with your ability to do it”.  Rowing well comes from being a good rower.  Being a good rower starts with being a good athlete.  Being a good athlete comes from the work done to get there.  That work includes learning ‘the little things’ correctly so they become automatically correct.  Right now we can be putting in so many quality reps to create good athletic and/or rowing skill.  Then when the pressure is on, you have all the nuanced work done and you can use external focus on the ultimate goal… boat speed.  I am not endorsing the Audible advertisement, but I do highly endorse The Boys in the Boat.  It’s a wonderful read.