Crew team's persistent conditioning pays off with successful season

By Lauren Hargarten
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream; merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream." Although the lyrics to this song may apply to many a person's serene and calming boat rides, it does not apply to the arm-straining and leg-aching races the crew team accomplishes.
After all of the effort the crew team has put in, one can only hope that all of the hard work and time will pay off in the upcoming season. Senior Jessica Jones has a positive outlook on the season ahead. Jones said, "As a team we're going to do really well."
After months of conditioning, the crew team is finally doing what it does best: rowing. The season can be very hectic, with a regatta a week until the end of May. So far both boys and girls have been successful since both of the teams have been placing high in their regattas. The boys and girls first and second eights have been consistently placing first or second in their heats.
Rowing in a four or eight person boat, the crew team utilizes their entire body to propel across a river. Although it may seem like rowers mainly use their arms to drive their boat along the water, that is not the case. Sophomore Allison Reiter says, "It's hard; you have to use your entire body. Most people think you mainly use your arms, but you mainly use your legs."
Despite their hard work, some rowers feel that they are not recognized. Coxswain sophomore Meredith Davidson, who coordinates the direction of the boat during races, is one of them. She says, "They never announce the crew team's races on the morning announcements, but they say most of the other team's scores and wins."
Much like any other sport, crew is time consuming. With day-long regattas on the weekend and practices at the Occoquan River every day, it is surprising that rowers have time for anything else. "Crew takes up a lot of time," said Reiter. "It's made me better at time management."
According to rowers, crew has taught them many attributes. Jones says that crew has taught her, "Patience, working through the pain, and busting through the wall," which are barriers that athletes have to overcome during workouts.
Choi said that in addition to getting in shape, crew has given him "overall mental toughness."
Many rowers participate in crew throughout the year, which adds on to the already tight time constraint. Crew has conditioning in the winter to prepare for the spring season. The regattas all occur in the springtime, no matter rain or shine, which can add a challenging factor to races.
Several rowers also choose to partake in summer crew camps. A common one among the rowers is the Navy Rowing Camps for either boys or girls. Reiter attends the camp to improve her "rowing skills." The Navy Rowing Camp is located in Annapolis and lasts five days. There is also fall rowing, although it is not through the school, but at the Occoquan River.
Although the seasons and rivers may change, one aspect of crew will remain the same--that dedication remains the core idea of the team. Sophomore Daniel Choi said, "As long as we work hard and do our best, I think we'll do fine."

By Stephanie Axelrod |  May 18, 2007; 8:59 AM ET
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