R-cubed, this will be our first ever trip to what is officially called “North Carolina Rowing Championships” (https://www.regattacentral.com/regatta/?job_id=9844).  It’s a very different regatta from what you (or I) are used to.  But we’re not going to get distracted by that.  Think of it as just another mid-season regatta.  That said… it’s a long drive (1841 Eastchester Drive, 27262) for a few trips down the river.  We’ll try to get this right so what we invest is worthwhile.

Everyone is currently eligible to compete.  My intent is to get multiple races for all students.  But the list of events is, in some ways, more restrictive on who can race what boat.  The good news is, that ‘set’ schedule allows me to do things much earlier.  And I need to, if we’re going to guarantee participation.  Thus, all students are required to report (to me, in person or by email) before the end of practice Tuesday whether they intend to race at High Point on 18Apr.

Students, keep in mind this is not just a scheduling and transportation confirmation.  You also need to consider your attendance plans.  ‘Points’ from as far back as 17Mar impact this regatta.  When you say you’re able to race, you are also saying your practice participation will be enough to make you eligible.  In addition, you are also saying that you can support the very long day we are going to have.  It’s a heavy lift, and we all need to do the lifting.

Trailer packing will be the same.  Unpacking will not.  We will do that at practice on Monday after racing.  Once the coaches dismiss you from the regatta site students, you are done for the day.  As for the beginning of the day, I can’t say yet.  I’ll estimate a required arrival time of 0700 for anyone in the W4x and M4x.  Everyone else might be 0750.  I have no expectation that anyone get a hotel room for this trip.

To conclude, I’ll give you a bit of information you don’t usually have (because it goes to long-term planning).  I think I’m going to try for a couple entries that we’re not yet ready to race.  I’m hoping we will be ready in 3 weeks.  If we’re not, I’ll simply scratch the boat and hope different slots are available.  The weather has prevented us from branching out to more challenging practice lineups.  I’m hoping spring break mornings will have low winds.

If you have questions, send them. They may help me better inform the whole group.

Here are the (preliminary) specifics for our first spring regatta.

1. Beach launches and recoveries are possible Saturday. All of you will be ready to walk in and/or out of the water (to the depth of your knees).
2. Be on-site (809 Airship Drive), at the trailer, with your stick pushed in by 0730. Late = burpees.
3. Parking will open at 0600. Fee per vehicle is one of three options:  $10 cash, $10 pre-paid via link (bring receipt), or $12 at the regatta office.
4. This venue is private property. We are incredibly lucky to race here. Show respect accordingly, starting with being familiar with the venue procedures.
5. Full regatta participation means staying until the boats are re-rigged and stowed back at home. If you cannot support, communicate your very good reason to Coach Sam.
6. After arriving back at the boathouse, expect 1.5hr to get everything done and go home.
7. The lineups are not final, as the schedule is not final.  The race schedule will be sent out by other means.  I can’t post it here tomorrow.
8. Coxswains, attend the Zoom meeting Thursday night (see your email).
9. The weather may affect the events that get run. Be prepared to adjust.
10. There are written rules of how students need to do their job on race day. Athletes, hopefully this clarity helps you.

Fall season finished with a trip to Occoquan.  From the first thumbnail below, you can tell this is not like our local regattas. It’s much bigger and faster. We invest the time and effort so that we can see much better competition.  The hope is to come home a bit more humble and a bunch more motivated.  Neither of our crews were fast, but we did well in relation to our local teams that also traveled.  Both boats had some of the better driving in the regatta, but we’ve got work to do there too.

Students interested in rowing and/or coxing, here are some quick things you need to know (trying to be brief and avoid TLDR territory):

• Practice starts Monday.  Attending creates no requirements of you.  Come try the sport; see if it’s for you.  The answer may be no, but you can’t decide without trying.  Can’t be there day 1?  That’s fine.
• Weekday (M-F) practice is 1530-1800 at the boathouse (Lakewood Park).  Saturday practice is 0800-1100.  There are options for arriving late or leaving early, with adequate justification.  Not all practices are required.
• Bring a water bottle.  Those who need them must bring their inhalers and/or epi-pens.
• Get your sports physical (https://www.npsk12.com/Page/1934) ASAP.  You can’t train hard without one.
• Everyone is welcome at our team (well… except those who would act counter to this maxim).  We have athletes joining from several schools; excellent!
• Don’t see info you want, please ask for it.  Or… almost any question you have about our team can be answered by looking through the website.  FAQs for novices are here: https://granbycrew.com/recruiting/frequently-asked-questions/about-joining/.

We are enthusiastic to have each of you as teammates.  Help us help you join the club. Coach Paul

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, we’ll help you become a competitive athlete.  If you practice with us, you’ll race with us. We have a full year’s training planned (calendar is here).

Need convincing? Look at how well the new athletes did in previous years (posted below). Perhaps some past highlights will motivate you. Want more info? Start your reading here. There’s lots more info here. Want to ask questions? Come see us at freshmen orientation. 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 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.