Open House - Saturday, October 6, 2007
Tryouts
Welcome to the BU women's rowing team. We encourage tall, fit, competitive freshmen women athletes to try out for the team.
The BU women's novice rowing team is primarily made up of freshmen students, some who have previous rowing experience in high school, and some who are beginners trying the sport for the first time.
The goal of the novice team is to prepare athletes for the demands of the rowing team in their sophomore year and beyond. In your novice year you will be introduced to the commitment required to excel as a student-athlete, including prioritizing school work, managing your time with school and practice commitments and working together with others on a team.
Tryouts for the team occur in early September in the first weeks of school. The coaches are looking for tall (5'8"+), lean, fit athletes who understand the demands of a team sport. Athletes who have played basketball, soccer, volleyball or participated in track, cross country or swimming at the varsity level are especially encouraged to tryout.
The novice team is also looking for coxswains for the team. Coxswains are vital members of the crew who steer the boat and motivate the athletes during practices and races. Candidates for the coxswain position should be small (5'5" or less) and lean (120-lbs. or less) with a competitive, assertive attitude. Previous sports team experience is an asset.
During the tryout period, athletes will be taught to row on rowing machines, in indoor rowing tanks and on the Charles River in a 16-seat rowing barge. Selection tests to determine fitness and coordination include a timed distance run, a rowing machine test, a fitness assessment (push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, flexibility) and a swimming certification test. Coxswains participate in the same selection tests as the rowers. Attendance, attitude and ability to commit to the team are strongly considered.
SPLASH Freshmen Orientation - Nickerson Field (West Campus)
Monday, Sept. 3, 2007 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Look for the eight-oared rowing shell on the field and come by to meet the coaches and varsity rowers.
Informational Meeting - DeWolfe Boathouse (Memorial Drive)
Thursday, Sept. 6, and Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 from 5:30-6 p.m.
Meet the coaches, tour the boathouse, and learn more about the team and tryouts.
If you missed the meetings and want to join, please contact the novice coach at wcrew@bu.edu.
Fill out all the NCAA paperwork necessary to tryout for the team.
Practices
Start Monday, Sept. 10, 2007
Practice times are weekdays at 6 a.m. On Saturday, the entire team practices from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. After the first month, practices
will shift to the afternoon, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Athletes should wear sports clothing and running shoes and bring a water bottle to practice.
To be eligible to tryout, all athletes must complete the NCAA paperwork, sign a Waiver and provide the Sports Medicine Office with a copy of their BU medical form. A full medical screening occurs after the team is selected.
To be eligible to compete for BU, all athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Freshmen are encouraged to complete the Clearinghouse registration during their final high school year, or in the summer before entering BU if they intend to tryout.
The season begins in the fall, when we learn to row and compete against other schools in three mile races during October and November. The off-season begins after Thanksgiving for the exam period. The team reconvenes in early January for a training camp in Miami over the winter break. Indoor winter training occurs until March, culminating in a training camp over spring break. We race every Saturday beginning in late March, finishing with the league championships, the Eastern Sprints, in mid May, and the NCAA Championship in late May. The spring races are 2,000 meters in length against schools such as Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Navy and Northeastern.
During winter training we have more flexible training times. We use rowing machines, elliptical, bikes, treadmills and weights for strength and conditioning.
All travel expenses are covered and the school supplies uniforms. There is no cost to the student to participate.
The benefits of joining the team are three-fold; making new friends, enjoy the satisfaction of excelling at new challenges and representing your school on a Division I team.
Student-athletes who compete for BU enjoy a total college experience and learn self-discipline, perseverance and time management skills. These skills will help you become a better student and prepare you for success later in life. The team prioritizes school first and foremost. More than half of the current novice team is on the Student-Athlete Honor Roll.
To pre-register for tryouts, please fill out the questionnaire. To contact a coach, please email wcrew@bu.edu.
