Saugatuck Rowing Club Junior Rowing Program Parent Handbook Saugatuck Rowing Club 521 Riverside Avenue Westport, CT 06880 203-221-7475 www.saugatuckrowing.com Dear Junior Rowing Participants & Parents, Welcome to the Saugatuck Rowing Club Junior program. It is your effort, participation and commitment, coupled with the dedication of a wonderful coaching staff that has made SRC’s Junior program such an enormous success. This handbook is designed to be only one of several resources provided to each Junior rower upon admission to the program. This resource provides not only a description of our training plan and how it functions but also it provides copies of important forms and pertinent information on the Junior Rowing program requirements and policies. The information contained in this handbook will also act as a guide to the sport of rowing and how to achieve excellence through commitment to the training schedule. Information for those planning to pursue rowing at the college level is also included. Please carefully review the handbook information and keep it accessible in order to track your rowing progress and to keep crew registries. Sincerely, SRC Junior Rowing Coaches Table of Contents Program Information Saugatuck Rowing CLub Junior Program Overview Policies and Procedures Safety Coxswain training College recruitment Forms Medical release Waiver Athlete Profile Parent Information and Volunteer Form Code of Conduct Regattas Regatta Protocol Racing Divisions Sprint Races Starting Procedures for a Sprint Race Head Races Basics of Rowing Equipment Terminology Shells and Team Classification Rowing Terminology Rowing Technique Biomechanics of Rowing Saugatuck Rowing Club General Information Saugatuck Rowing Club Our Facility The Saugatuck Rowing Club offers a unique opportunity for young athletes to train both on and off the water. Located on the Saugatuck River, SRC houses a world-class boathouse with the finest rowing equipment, plus a state-of -the-art Fitness Center and locker rooms. Our Mission Our mission is to introduce the sport of rowing to young people through our Junior Program, which provides the professional coaching and training required to advance in the sport through to the college level. Some participants will become competitive rowers and some will choose the pleasures of recreational rowing. All will enjoy a lifetime of fitness and well being through this wonderful sport. Coaches SRC has an exceptional national and international staff of professional rowing coaches. For bios of our coaches please view our web site at www.saugatuckrowing.com. Our American coaches are the product of some of the finest collegiate rowing programs across the country. Our Program: The Saugatuck Rowing Club is especially proud of its Junior Program, started in 1993. Since then, numerous young athletes have not only experienced successful junior rowing careers but have been sought out by top universities, including Harvard, Brown, Cal-Berkley, Georgetown, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Temple, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. Several juniors from our program have represented the United States at the Junior World Championships and Under-23 World Championships. In 2003, Rickey Visinski rowed the single for the U.S. in the Junior World Championship in Schinias, Greece and in 2004 competed in the Olympic Trials, the youngest competitor in his category. In 2005, Catherine Starr won a gold medal in the U.S. Women’s 4- at the Under-23 World Championships in Amsterdam. Every year many of our juniors represent SRC at regattas such as U.S. Club Nationals, Canadian Henley, and USRowing National Youth Championships. In 2005 11 boats qualified for the USRowing National Youth Championships with 3 competing in the finals and in 2006 the Lightweight Men’s 8+ placed 5th. The Saugatuck Rowing Club's Junior Program is open to both boys and girls ages 12-18. Practices in the spring, summer and fall seasons are primarily on the water with some land training, while the winter season is completely indoors. In all seasons, young athletes learn the importance of teamwork while having fun, meeting new friends, and developing competence in the sport of rowing. SRC's goal is to enable all interested young people to reach their maximum potential, for novice, intermediate and competitive rowing. For that reason, participants in the Junior Program need not be the children of members, although members' children have priority if there is a wait list. Junior Program Overview Varsity Weekday Program: Meets Mon. to Fri. 3:00-5:30 p.m. (3:30-5:30 winter) plus regattas. This is a competitive program that represents the club at many regattas throughout the year. Year round training is encouraged but not required. Athletes compete in several regattas each season and attendance at practice is required (3 excused absences each season will be allowed but anything more could jeopardize the athlete’s boat placement). Water and land training are used to help athletes develop both mentally and physically. Improvements in technique and fitness level are measured through periodic testing. Seat placement is determined by test performance, commitment, and work ethic. Teams are divided into boys sweep, boys sculling, girls sweep, and girls sculling and admittance into the program is based on technique, erg scores, and coach’s recommendation. Intermediate Three-Day Program: Meets Mon., Wed., Fri. 4:30-6:30 p.m. This program is designed for athletes who want to better prepare themselves for the competitive program or for those who cannot commit to practicing 5 days a week. Rigorous training and technical emphasis will be done on the water and land. Athletes will not travel to regattas but they will be exposed to inter-squad racing. On the recommendation of coaches, participants can graduate to the varsity programs. Beginner Two-Day Program: Meets Tues., Thurs. 4:30-6:30 p.m. This is a beginner level program designed to introduce young athletes to all aspects of rowing. Athletes are exposed to both sweep (one oar) and sculling (two oars) and experience rowing in singles as well as team boats. Focus is on technique as well as improving fitness. In addition to spending time in the boats, athletes will do some land training (erging, running, and calisthenics). On the recommendation of coaches, participants can graduate to the intermediate or varsity programs. Summer Camps: Meets Mon to Fri., 9 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1 p.m.-4 p.m. SRC’s two-week summer camps are an intensive introduction to rowing for youngsters. Athletes are exposed to both sweep (one oar) and sculling (two oars) and experience rowing in singles as well as team boats. Focus is on technique as well as improving fitness. In addition to spending time in the boats, athletes will do some land training (erging, running, and calisthenics). On the recommendation of coaches, participants can graduate to the intermediate or varsity programs in the fall. All junior programming is dependant upon a sufficient number of participants to run a meaningful program. Policies and Procedures Practices: The official starting time of the afternoon programs is 3:00 p.m. We are well aware that many athletes are only getting out of school at or around 3:00 pm. All athletes are expected to arrive at the club and change in the club locker rooms as soon as possible. Junior athletes are not to leave anything in the locker rooms. There are cabinets outside for the storage of backpacks and gym bags. Athletes should then check in with their coach in the Regatta Room and start warming up as instructed. Once all the crew is assembled, warm up is concluded and practice begins. Warm up activities can include jogging, stretching and erging (indoor rowing machine). Practice is designed to instruct in both sweep and sculling and assignments are based on rowers’ developing skills, needs and seasonal appropriateness. Once coxswains or captains are designated, they take the initiative to help organize practice preparation under the guidance of the coach. Rowers are expected to prepare equipment for practice, thus learning about the construction and rigging of a shell, and to clean the boats and return boats and oars to the boathouse, thus learning the care required to keep equipment in top condition. Clothing requirements: Proper attire is required for all practices and regattas. Practices require tighter fitting clothes, layering pieces, running sneakers, water bottles, and sun protection. While weather conditions will dictate what clothing is appropriate, all rowers should wear brightly colored shirts on the water to enhance visibility. Regattas participation will require the purchase of a team uniform, which will be available at the clubs front desk. Please make sure your child brings waterproof outerwear to regattas as well as a change of clothing and extra socks. Attendance: All crew program participants are expected to attend every practice, rain or shine, unless the coach has otherwise given permission. Regular attendance demonstrates respect for your teammates; a missing crewmember disrupts practice for all. Commitment plays a very important role in team unity. Participants are allowed 3 unexcused absences. More than 3 absences will disqualify a rower from competition and may result in the rower losing his/her assigned boat seat. Abuse of attendance policies will lead to dismissal. Testing: Crew is a sport in which the coaching staff constantly monitors an athlete's performance. On a regular basis during every season coaches will test the rowers to help determine seat assignments and to monitor each athlete’s improvement. Testing is done both on land and in the boat. Rowers learn that a rower is not guaranteed any seat in any boat. They must work hard to keep the seat that they earned, and work harder to win a desired seat. Testing is done in many ways including on the erg, a running test, indoor strength test, seat racing on the water, and evaluation of technique.