NORCAL CREW 1450 Maple St., Redwood City, CA 94063 Parent/Athlete Handbook 2013-2014 Table of Contents Page About Norcal Crew 3 Mission History School Year Programs 4 Varsity Teams Novice Team Recreational Program Coaching Staff 6 Joining the Team 9 New Athletes Team Selection Criteria Program Costs Practices 14 Weekly Schedule Erg Training vs. Water Training What to Wear/Bring to Practice Absence/Tardiness Policies Races 17 What to Expect on Race day Race Formats Travelling to Races SuMMer Programs 20 Learn-to-Row Camp Varsity Bootcamp Master Calendar 21 Code of Conduct 22 Norcal Policies Zero Tolerance Policy Reporting Procedures Athlete Health 25 Proper Nutrition Injury Prevention For Norcal Parents Only 28 Norcal Parent Association How to Support your Athlete and Work with Their Coach Rowing After High School 29 Rowing Terminology 30 2 About Norcal Crew Mission Norcal Crew is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of youth through the sport of rowing. The organization is overseen by a board of directors, managed by an executive director and coaching staff, and supported by its membership and the surrounding community. Norcal’s mission is to provide opportunities for instruction, training, and competition in the sport of rowing to middle and high school students across the San Francisco Peninsula. Norcal strives to provide a comprehensive training program in order to strengthen its student-athletes’ personal development. The team’s goal is to foster a sense of team unity while helping athletes develop individual physical and mental strength. Norcal will also broaden the athletes’ horizons as they learn to trust and support teammates while establishing their own sense of confidence and commitment. Norcal practices out of the Bair Island Aquatic Center at the Port of Redwood City and races all over the country, although primarily in California. Norcal has top-of-the-line racing shells, including eights, fours, quads, doubles, pairs, and singles from Vespoli, Sykes, Hudson, and Empacher. History Norcal Crew is a merger of Silicon Valley Crew and BIAC Junior Crew. Silicon Valley Crew was founded in 2000 by Norcal’s original director, Mike Still, and was based out of parking lot at the Marine Science Institute. In 2002, Ally Bocchiere developed a junior crew to complement Bair Island Aquatic Center’s growing masters rowing team. Instead of having the two teams compete for both water space and athletes, they decided to combine their efforts in order to increase their competitive potential. In 2004, the teams merged, the athletes voted on the name “Norcal Crew”, picked new team colors of black and gold, and relocated to the Bair Island Aquatic Center. 3 School Year Programs Norcal has four competitive teams for high school students as well as a recreational program. The only requirements for an athlete (rower or coxswain) to be a member of one of the four competitive high school teams are a commitment to attendance and personal improvement. Novice TeaMs – Men’s and Women’s The men's and women's novice teams are open to any high school student in their first year of competitive rowing. No rowing experience is necessary to join the novice team. If an athlete has been rowing for the recreational or middle school team but has not had any experience racing, they are considered a novice until after their first year of racing. The novice teams learn both safety and technique (sculling and sweep rowing) while training at a competitive level. Varsity TeaMs – Men’s and WoMen’s The men's and women's varsity teams are open to any athletes with at least one year of competitive rowing experience. There is a range of abilities on each varsity team; rowing ability does not determine whether an athlete is a novice or a varsity rower, only the number of years they have been competing. Both of Norcal's varsity teams work to create boat line-up combinations that maximize the competitive potential of all of the athletes. Both the men's and women's varsity teams may compete in sweep and sculling events, as well as open-weight and lightweight events. 4 Recreational Rowing & Middle School Team Norcal’s Recreational Rowing Program is designed for: . Younger students (6th-8th grades) who aren’t ready for a full-time program but want to have fun learning about rowing and physical training at their own pace and perhaps compete occasionally in middle school events. Busy students (in middle school or high school) with other commitments who still want to learn about rowing and training, keeping open the option of joining the competitive program as their interests and activities progress. This may include occasional competition in novice events. Injured athletes who need appropriate light activity before rejoining their full-time Norcal program. Athletes and non-athletes who enjoy rowing but without having to compete at a high level. The recreational program learns on-water rowing technique, boat and oar handling and nomenclature, safety on the water, as well as indoor rowing technique and physical training. The focus is mainly on sculling but also covers the basics of sweep rowing. The Recreational Program is designed to help athletes improve in all aspects: fitness, strength, flexibility, mental toughness, and discipline and is tailored to fit middle school through high school students. The program practices three days per week for two hours. 5 Coaching Staff Allison Frykman │Executive Director, Varsity Women Allison has been rowing her entire life but began rowing competitively in high school for Norcal’s predecessor, Silicon Valley Crew. After rowing for Stanford University, Allison realized her passion for coaching and has been an integral part of Norcal ever since. Allison spent her first five years at Norcal as an assistant coach, alternating between the men’s and women’s programs, and has spent the last four years as the men’s varsity coach. She is excited to be returning to coach the varsity women this season. During her tenure at Norcal, Allison has helped the men’s program to double in size and has worked with over a dozen crews that have medaled at the Southwest Junior Regional Championships as well as a handful that have medaled at the Youth Invitational National Championship. The 2012-2013 school year marks Allison’s second season as Norcal’s Executive Director. She is excited to continue to grow the size and competitiveness of the organization. Allison’s professional experience also includes a B.S. in Physics and a M.A. in Secondary Education from Stanford. Allison is also a physics teacher in Palo Alto. Nathan Walker│Varsity Men Nathan first encountered rowing at Purdue University. Following graduation, Nathan continued with Purdue’s rowing program as the coach of the men’s novice team. After moving to Washington DC, Nathan began coaching at both a high school and a master's program, and subsequently at William and Mary College where he was the head coach for four seasons. During his time at Williams and Mary, Nathan has helped to grow the size of the club, build a boathouse, and lead his crews to medals at events like Head of the Charles Regatta in Boson and the Dad Vails Regatta (one of the largest collegiate regattas in the country). In his first season with Norcal, Nathan led the varsity women to a national championship in the lightweight double sculls. Nathan lives with his wife and two dogs. 6 Joel Skaliotis │ Novice Women Joel Skaliotis began rowing in high school at Phillips Andover and continued as a member of the lightweight team during his tenure at Cornell, where he won the Coach's Award upon graduation in 2001. Joel began coaching as an assistant coach with the Community Rowing Junior Women, working with the JV and U17 crews. During a three year period his crews reached the medals stand at US Club Nationals, the Youth National Championships, Canadian Henley, and Head of the Charles. From 2004 through 2012, Joel served as the varisty girls coach and program director at Brookline High School, where he introduced sculling and led the program to four state championships and six appearances at the USRowing Youth National Championships, with 3 crews reaching the grand finals. Alex Baker-Lubin │Novice Men Alex began rowing for the Oakland Strokes in 2000. During his tenure there he won a silver medal in the Varsity 8, took 8th at the Youth National Championships and competed during the summer at US Rowing Development camp. After graduating in 2004, Alex attended Northeastern University in Boston. There, he placed 3rd in the Varsity 4 at the Eastern Sprints Championships. While in Boston, Alex also competed with Riverside Boat Club racing at Canadian Henley, US Club Nationals, and the Head of the Charles. After moving back to California, Alex spent a season coaching the boys novice program at JLAC, and most recently spent the summer of 2013 coaching at Stanford University's high performance camps. Alex received his degree in communications and business from Northeastern, and a degree in culinary arts from the California Culinary Academy. Ashley Dodge Assistant Novice Women Ashley discovered rowing after visiting a Norcal practice with a friend, and loved being a rower ever since. Ashley rowed with Norcal for three years until she graduated from Palo Alto High School. After graduating in 2011, Ashley coached the Norcal learn-to-row summer camp. She continued as a coach, joining the novice women’s team for the following season. The 2012- 2013 school year will be Ashley’s third season as an assistant coach for Norcal, and her first with the varsity squad. Ashley is currently taking courses at Foothill College.