High School Varsity Rowing
We aim to develop our athletes for long-term success in the sport and life, with the aim to instill a love for the sport, their community, and the pursuit of excellence.
Our athlete experience is individual and personal - we manage to low coach:athlete ratios to ensure our athletes receive the guidance needed to succeed
A significant portion of our training will take place in small boats, across both sweep and sculling. Our rowers compete in all boat classes from the single to the eight, giving them a breadth of experience and development.
Our Varsity program is designed to help athletes compete at the highest level of rowing and to equip them with the tools necessary to succeed. 1 year of rowing is required to join the Varsity Rowing program at OARS.
We believe this sport encourages a culture of achievement and excellence. Our staff spends time working each athlete to help prepare for the next step, and coach our athletes holistically. This includes:
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Injury prevention & nutrition discussions
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Summer trips to build community
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College preparation and recruiting round-tables
Our graduates have been recruited to and are currently rowing at programs across the country; these include Princeton, Cal, Washington, Cornell, Dartmouth, UCSD, Boston University, Oregon State amongst other schools.
Varsity Boys Logistics
Sunday, 8 - 11AM
Monday - Friday, 4:25 - 6:55PM
Fall season: August 16 - December 17th
Spring season: January 3 - May 1st (or June 12th for crews qualified for Youth Nationals)
Boathouse will be open for small group sessions beginning in August.
Varsity Girls Logistics [pending]
Monday - 4:00-6PM
Tuesday - 4:30 - 7PM
Friday - 5-7:15AM
Saturday - 7-10AM
Sunday - 4-6:30PM
Fall season: Early September - December
Spring season: January 3 - May 1st (or June 12th for crews qualified for Youth Nationals)
Registration:
To register for the season click here:
Cost: $2200 - cost is inclusive of coaching, facility and infrastructure, training, local regattas.
$150 discount if registered by August 1
Capacity: To ensure we are providing an individualized experience to our athletes, our Varsity Rowing Program will be limited to 27 athletes.
If we reach capacity, we will hold try-outs in August. During try-outs, we will look for coach-ability, body construction, size to strength ratio, leadership, technical ability, competitiveness, positive attitude, sportsmanship, team-player mentality and general athletic potential.
Our COVID precautions
We are still in operation during the COVID pandemic, although we have had to modify aspects of our programming to help accommodate. Our guiding principles include keeping athletes socially distant, outdoors in small cohorts, with masks on at all times when within 10 ft of anybody. If you'd like to learn more about our COVID guidance and rules, please email us at oarscoaches@gmail.com
A few key changes to our day-to-day operations
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All participants must participate in regularly (weekly or more often) COVID testing - provided free of charge
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Our indoor facilities are closed
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Our training is primarily in single-person rowing boats - these keep athletes 20+ feet apart, and have the added benefit of teaching athletes fundamental skills. As a club, we have always taught our athletes in the single - so we have experience getting athletes out safely and learning to be great rowers!
Frequently asked questions:
I'm busy for part of the season. Can I join late?
Yes! We understand that some athletes play other sports, or have other commitments during the season. Please register for the program you're interested in, and our coaches will reach out to arrange an appropriate start date.
Why must we have try-outs?
We endeavor to get as many athletes exposed to the sport of rowing possible. However, we also strive to provide the best athlete experience on the water; and to do that, we have capacity constraints. We firmly believe teaching athletes in small boats, and especially the single, is the best way to learn the sport, boat-feel and watermanship - in order to keep the group manageable and safe, that ultimately requires a capacity constraint.
For the 2020-2021 season, we will have to have more stringent capacity requirements due to COVID. Our priority is keeping athletes safe. This means limiting the number of athletes at our boathouse, and keeping athletes in small boats (which is truly the best social distancing! each boat has a 10ft long bow and stern, along with oars, that keeps them within a HUGE personal space bubble outdoors).
We hope in the future we will be able to expand our capacity, and thank you for your understanding as we manage these challenging times.
What types of precautions will there be for COVID?
We endeavor to provide a safe experience for the athletes. Because of COVID, we will ask that you and your athlete follow strict guidelines regarding their presence, impact and interactions at the boathouse. These guidelines will evolve through the weeks, as we look to local and national guidelines, and appreciate your flexibility before-hand. Ahead of the first practice date, we will provide you with the current guidelines that we must abide by at the time.
As a club, we fundamentally believe in teaching athletes in small boats, and especially the single - thus, our equipment investments in these small boats will allow us to get many athletes out this Fall. Rowing the single is an excellent way to get outdoors and social distance!
There is also a chance that we may have to shift practice times around - in which case we will work with your families to create time-slots that work with you. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate the current challenges.
I have a lingering injury from another sport, and don't know if it will affect rowing.
Rowing is a great option for athletes with injuries, because it is a low impact but full body workout. If you have a pre-existing condition or injury, please reach out and we'll try to help you learn if rowing is right for you!
Do our athletes have holidays off?
Yes! Major holidays include Thanksgiving and the Winter Holiday.
How many races are there?
We will be entering a minimum of 6 major races per season, and will have smaller scrimmages throughout - please reach out to info@oarsociety.org learn more.