Rowing is a two-season sport, both fall and spring, although you don’t have to row both seasons. Spring is considered the main season and we welcome all athletes who participate in other fall or winter sports to join us in the spring. In the spring, we expect rowing to be your number one priority over all other activities – we are a varsity sport and expect a commitment to attend every practice and race.
A prerequisite for joining the team is to be able to pass a swim test (continuously swim 50 yards and tread water for 5 minutes). Previous rowing experience is not required.
Because we do most of our practices at The Foundry in the Flats, which is about 30 minutes from school, rowing can take up more time than other sports. But our athletes generally handle that schedule just fine. Year after year athletes tell us (and their parents agree) that one of the greatest lessons they learn is how to budget their time. It is a great life skill.
There is no practice on Fridays in the fall (to accommodate marching band performances) and no practice on Mondays in the spring. You are expected to schedule all athlete appointments and teacher conferences for these days so practices are not missed.
Every family of our athletes is expected to volunteer with the team. See Volunteer Positions for more information on volunteer opportunities.
In the summer, every athlete is expected to help with set-ups and tear-downs for the Lend-A-Tent fundraising program.
Part of being an SHHS Crew family is adopting a culture of support. Our teammates and families support each other in all of their academic, athletic, and life pursuits. If an athlete or guardian is concerned about the personal safety of a teammate (mental health or otherwise), they are expected to bring this information to the attention of their coach immediately.
