We did ok on Saturday.  The event was more about improving than competing.  We learned plenty, and have many more lessons to clarify based on our racing so we can keep getting better.  Massive thanks to the families for supporting all our work.  It’s too bad the X4+ race got cancelled; I know they would have rowed well.  Race videos are below.

Admin going forward: the end of practice Monday is the deadline for each student to notify the coaches about their intentions to participate in HOTL on Sunday the 24th.  That event is on our home water, which makes for a much easier day.

I promised more information to our new members joining the team. Here it is (revised to clarify COVID screening in week one). The contents are useful for varsity too. If you’re considering joining, please read the info after reading the next two posts.

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 this year. Interested students can read below for info on joining the team.

Looking for a sport for fall, winter, and/or spring season(s) in 2021-2022? Consider rowing. No prior experience is needed.  There are no try-outs.  There are no cuts.  If you’ve got the drive and enthusiasm to keep up with us, we’ll help you become a competitive athlete.  Attend practice, and you’ll race. We have a full year’s training planned (calendar is here).

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 sophomores orientation on the 1st or freshmen orientation on the 2nd. If you’re worried this is a water sport, don’t be.

Want to improve you’re 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 March 13 to appreciate our emphasis on teaching and learning. Want a college athletic scholarship? Women have a shot (men… not really); see video below of our most recent athlete to get one.

A very impressive result, especially considering our limited time on the water this year:

We all miss water time (see video below for reminder).  When we get it back, we’ll want to make the most of that rowing.  The more physically prepared we are, the more fun it will be.  Wouldn’t it be great to row like an end-of-fall HOTO-8 on day one?  I’ll be posting summer workout suggestions in updates to this post.  Each week will have a primary focus.  Here are the weeks.

We didn’t get to do our safesport lesson this year.  The video below is a small make-up session.  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.  Miss speaking to your friends in person?  Improve the conversations you will eventually 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.  Maybe distance learning lets you stand up in class.  Maybe you’ll discover that’s better for your learning… and your health.

For anyone really bummed about loss of the season, I’ve added a short document to the attendance page for your consideration.  Ok, with the season cancelled, it’s time to think long-term.  Our training calendar is adjusted for the routine we need when racing is further away.  You can do more than listed, but any extra needs to be green.  Build your cardio base, train healthy movement patterns, and strengthen key muscles.  Here is the details page for this week (the more intense weeks will stay in the posts below).  Daily core work next year will replace a few cals with new ones, so use this list.  Previous weeks:  week4, week5, week6, week7.  To motivate your work, 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.  The bit at the end for a free book from Audible.com is still true… with a free 30-day trial.  I am not endorsing that, but I do highly endorse The Boys in the Boat.  It’s a wonderful read.