Athlete FAQs

No. Crew demands endurance, strength, discipline and an ability to tolerate the pain their muscles will experience in the last 500 meters of a race. Every potential student-athlete can develop endurance and strength through regular exercise, which we promote during pre-season Winter Conditioning. The skills and discipline of Crew can be learned. 

No. Few if any students entering Riverside High School have had any rowing experience. 

At a minimum run to keep/build up endurance. The Riverside Crew team does not sponsor, promote, or require any offseason activities. However, there are several offseason rowing opportunities, including local rowing clubs and summer camps and programs, that you may be interested in, some as close as the Lansdowne Potomac Club and some as far away as Providence, Rhode Island. Participation in any of these programs is entirely at the parents’ discretion and expense. 

Yes, in many respects it is. In the words of a former Riverside Crew team member: “Crew is the ultimate team sport. One person being a hero isn’t going to make the team win the race. It takes the strength, determination, and heart of the whole team to overcome the obstacles. In a sport such as soccer, one person can get the ball, take it all the way down the field, and score a goal. In baseball, it only takes one person to hit a home run. Imagine being in a race in which only one person in your boat is rowing while the rest of you just sit there. You won’t be reaching the finish line anytime soon.” Rowing isn’t a great choice for athletes looking for MVP status. It is, however, teamwork’s best teacher.

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Crew is a Spring sport. The rowing season begins in late February and concludes in late May. Practices take place on the Potomac River after school Monday through Friday, and on Saturday mornings. Rowers are strongly encouraged to take part in pre-season conditioning which begins in mid-November. 

Generally, yes.

Yes, Some do, some don’t, while others do other non-sport activities, such as band or other clubs. 

No. Parents, siblings, or spectators are allowed in team tent area. 

The crew team has generally had one of the highest GPAs of all Riverside teams, with 50-70% of the crew team having GPAs over 3.5. They learn excellent time management skills. 

High school crew races are typically 1500 meters in length. 

Local regattas take place on the Occoquan River at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax County. 

* Select Boats Only
** Qualifying Boats Only

The Riverside Crew Board provides transportation for athletes from Riverside to the Occoquan and then back to Algonkian on Saturdays for regattas. Although some upperclassmen opt to drive themselves, using the bus transportation is promoted for safety reasons.  

All new rowers and coxswain must be able to swim as practices and regattas are held on the water.  You don’t need to be fast swimmers, but you need to demonstrate basic swimming skills at a swim test in a swimming pool.  The swim test will be held during spring tryouts.  New rowers must swim 100m and then tread water for 2 minutes without resting. 

The swim test consists of three parts: 

• 100-meter swim (any stroke and untimed) 
• Two-minute tread water test

Specific dates and times are announced in advance and will be on our calendar. Please be sure to plan ahead to attend a session as soon as possible. 

Yes, rowers and coxswains earn letters. Riverside Crew athletes meet Virginia High School League and Riverside High School requirements for participation in sports and therefore are eligible to earn varsity letters year one on the team. 

The only required gear/equipment that you need to purchase is either the team tank and trou, or team unisuit (uni). Your registration fee covers all other equipment, i.e. boats, oars, etc. The team practices and competes in harsh weather conditions.  Weather can change quickly, so always be prepared for heat, sun, wind, rain, or cold.  Here is a list of recommended clothing and equipment all athletes should have with them: 

• Water bottle!  There are water fountains at the boathouse, but athletes need drinking water while out in the boats, in cold or warm weather.
• Running shoes, athletes run after practice. 
• Tall waterproof boots
• Nylon or synthetic shorts or warm-up pants. Athletes must wear form-fitting shorts or pants. Loose or baggy shorts or pants are not allowed, as they may get caught in the boat slides. 
• A short-sleeve or long-sleeve shirt made from technical fabric such as Under Armor, Patagonia Capilene, or COOLMAX. These fabrics keep you warmer and drier by wicking moisture away from skin. 
• A polar fleece jacket or sweatshirt. 
• A knit hat (not a baseball cap) during cold weather. 
• Sunglasses (or a baseball cap for warmer weather) to protect your eyes from the glare reflecting off the water.
• Gloves.
• Rain gear.
• EXTRA CLOTHES. It is likely that you will get wet while out rowing. Water splashes, and occasionally the wake from a motor launch can splash over the gunwale of the boat, leaving you drenched. It’s a necessity to have warm, dry changes of clothes. 
• Sunscreen/bug spray.

Fall: A six-week program on the Potomac River at Algonkian Park and Maverick Rowing with a learn to row and experienced rower options.  For the learn-to-row, coaches and team members teach potential new rowers, coxswain basic techniques, and get them on the water to see what rowing is all about. 
Winter: Winter conditioning begins in early December and concludes in late February. 
Spring: Water training begins in late February. Regattas are held between late March and the end of May. 
Summer: To further develop skills, Maverick rowing and other programs offer summer programs and camps. 

Practice is Monday through Fridays after school and on Saturday mornings until the VASRA regattas start. Then practice is Monday through Thursday with derigging and loading boats onto the trailer on Fridays.

Occasionally a boat may practice on Fridays while the other boats are derigged. 

Each boat may have one early morning practice before school at some point during the season.

You’ll spend most of your time on the water, rowing with your boatmates to perfect your timing and technique. On days when there is inclement weather or the water table is too low, you will practice at Maverick on the ergs or in the tank. To get ready, consider registering for winter training or taking up running to increase your cardiovascular endurance. 

That depends a little bit on whether you’re practicing at Maverick for winter conditioning, practicing on the water in late February or March, or practicing on the water in spring. For winter conditioning, you’ll want to wear a short-sleeved shirt/tank top and athletic shorts, and sneakers.  

For practice on the water, you will want to make sure you have the essentials:  

• Shorts – slim, form-fitting shorts, NOT loose basketball-style shorts 
• Visor or hat
• Sunscreen/bug spray
• Shoes you can slip out of easily – crocs and slides work best
• Tall waterproof boots
• Water
• Extra socks

For cool-weather practices on the water, wear layers so you can adjust to the temperature. A warm, water-resistant jacket is helpful, as are long, tight-fitting pants or tights.  

 For warm-weather practice, wear warm-weather shirts and shorts. Most boys wear compression shorts while the girls wear athletic shorts. Most importantly, you will need to bring extra socks (they’ll get soaked in the boat) and not wear long, loose shorts.  

Don’t worry, Riverside Crew does not require minimum volunteer hours unlike other area crew teams. 

Ultimately, the best defense is a good offence. Preventing blisters themselves may be an impossible goal, but it is possible to minimize their severity as well as the risk of infections.  

• Avoid moisturizer.  
• While moisturizer will do a fantastic job of getting rid of your calluses and softening your hands, that’s exactly what you don’t want. Calluses are protective. You want them to protect your hands. Please avoid moisturizing soaps and lotions.  
• Good rowing hygiene is one offensive tactic that is well worth the effort  
• Wash your hands and wipe down the oars after each practice 
• Consider rowing gloves if necessary  
• Good rowing technique 
• Proper handle grip à  maintain a loose, relaxed grip 
• Clean your oars after every workout 
• Wear non-slip gloves if you’re comfortable rowing in gloves 
• Tape up your hands with medical tape, KT Tape, electrical tape, or duct tape 
• Be patient – your hands will adapt  
• Once your hands are callused, they should bother you less than when you first started.  
• Remember, calluses are not bad   

If there is a flap of skin on your hand that won’t stay flat to your hand or has an open side wide enough to let sand underneath, cut it off using a nail clipper or safety scissors. If you leave it, bits of dirt and grit will end up underneath it and hurt you more or provide excellent area for an infection to develop. 

You may need to use a small adhesive bandage while the skin is still raw but only do this while rowing.  

• Athletic tape is a personal preference. Some people like athletic tape while others do not. Band-aids will need to be covered with tape; they will not stay on while you’re rowing.  
• When not rowing, allow the raw skin to dry so that soon it will begin to heal up and not hurt. The side of your thumb where you feather is especially susceptible to blisters. 

 Use antibiotic ointment anywhere you have a blister, skin flap, or friction/ abrasions (think hands, thumbs, bottom, feet). Apply antibiotic ointment twice a day 

It’s important for you to pay attention to any changes in the blisters themselves, the skin around the blisters, and most importantly, your overall health. If you develop warm, red skin around your blister, a fever, or if the blister looks or feels ‘off’, go see your pediatrician or health care provider! 

Coach Dan wanted to adequately prepare you to row in college. In order to do this, it meant getting rid of the Team Captain paradigm as collegiate level crew teams do not have team captains. Instead, they rely on the Coxswains to be the leaders for each of their boats.

The Riverside Crew has a Board of Directors and different support POCs. The Board meets monthly, and you and your parents are welcome to attend. 

Your coach can. You can also email us at info@riversidecrew.org. We will do our best to answer whatever questions you may have!