Found a really wonderful week long rowing camp for boys at Salisbury. Spoke to the director. It is perfect for newbies and has excellent coaches. Son will try it out.
Here is a link to Kent School’s summer crew camp. Not for novices though.
Thanks @Temperantia and @sadieshadow ! I heard that one of AppleKid’s new crew friends is going to try out the Salisbury camp too.
All the summer rowing camps mentioned are great. The Salisbury camp is awesome. They have an amazing SS rowing program.
For training- I would only add that running is ( sadly ) part of a rower’s everyday life, but I guess the good news is it’s free and that built up mileage overtime will offer big rewards later on when everything that is banked starts to kick in. Like K2 tells his summer novice kids: Bank it for your boat. Bank it for the next boat. Bank it for when someone wants your seat. Bank it for the last 100 meters… on and on. And my personal favorite: Bank it otherwise you’re wasting my time and your parent’s money.
A good investment of time and a great summer goal for any novice ( especially if they’re hoping to make a fall team or just race in better boats sooner rather than later ) should be to build up to it and run 2-3 miles without stopping…4-5 times a week.
I’m totally onboard with a novice erging and weight training but only under proper supervision. Lunges, squats, stretching, weight training is fine but with erging, it is important to get it right from the start. Proper technique and form matters before you get into speed and endurance so a novice shouldn’t really spend a lot of time training on an erg alone. When a coach starts to give your rower pieces to do "in their spare time "… that’s when life changes forever, so I would recommend that novices enjoy rowing camp, learn everything they can during that time, and embrace steady off the grid strengthening/conditioning/ nutrition at their own pace while they still can… and keep building.
They’re going to make you run at a rowing camp, rowing club, and back at school… so I would encourage any novice to run!
I would definitely recommend adding Yoga 2-3 times a week ( sign up for a class or simply do it in front of a TV or laptop ), too.
Aside from physical/cardio/ endurance training ( cycling, running, swimming )- I would highly recommend two books for summer reading by Jimmy Joy . Hanlan’s Spirit ( Training for Flow ) and The Mind’s Eye. He’s considered the Yoda of Rowing by many and both books are reasonably priced and available on Amazon. My kids always say they wish they had read these two books a lot sooner, so I thought I’d pass that along, too.
During downtime- I would also encourage any new rower to get very familiar with Row2K. A novice should learn/read/ explore all they can about sculling and sweeping ( even though BSs only sweep- most rowers eventually do both… ). You can really soak up a lot of valuable information if you spend any amount of time on the Row2K website.
The three go-to websites ( with incredibly helpful info ) are Regatta Central, US Rowing, and Row2K. Parents should familiarize themselves with these websites, too so they can become awesome/ informed spectators and know what’s going on. Most parents who are new to the sport learn by the seat of their pants which is totally fine so no worries… but it’s all great info to know and it will make Head Racing , Interscholastic Racing and Regattas more enjoyable and much less stressful next year .
By the way…I never liked cowbells. Just throwing it out there and I know I’m not alone. 
All boarding schools post their race results on Row2k and schools post race videos on YouTube, too. If you want to bond with your novice rower and you have a smart TV- put them up on the big screen! In June, try to catch some live coverage of the Royal Henley Regatta on YouTube, too! We’ve gotten so lazy lately we watch our kids race ( live streamed ) from the comfort of our home, or on our phones now. I know! The Crash B’s indoor rowing videos are epic and a lot of fun, too. People getting carried off the floor on stretchers… hurling in garbage cans… really great stuff.
See how I just wove that in?
Wait until they show you their hands after camp! They’ll be beaming with pride!! I’m totally serious. Both my sons are in their early 20’s and they still show me their ripped up hands and pick at their blisters… As a parent you’ll feel enormous pride while being completely grossed out at the same time . The dead skin you’ll find all over your house and in the your car’s cupholder is awesome, too. You’ll find something on the floor someday and hold it up to the light and then suddenly it will occur to you what that is…
… but I digress.
Also- For workout/ camp rowing attire go to the JL Racing website for unisex drywick thou ( shorts ). Great value and they last. Regular everyday t-shirts / tanks are fine as long as they’re not loose fitting. Unis , of course, work, too.
All the best and I hope everyone’s summer rowing plans and training go smoothly and the kids have a wonderful time!! I also hope that this amazing sport brings your family the same joy it has brought mine 
WOW @PhotographerMom what a great and helpful post! Many thanks!!! Much to think about and act upon.
And I’m with you on the cowbells. 
Anyime, @AppleNotFar ! Sorry it was so painfully long!!! Quick edit : Drywick Trou not thou… my computer did an evil override
NEIRAs were live streamed last weekend. It’s a great way to watch.
Ergs actually are counterproductive to good rowing technique, unless you can get a row perfect or put a concept 2 on sliders (a normal erg acts like an infinitely heavy boat and allows rushing the slide, etc).
Ergs are good for conditioning, and all the programs test off a 2k result. But please get instruction first on proper form. Almost everyone in a gym has horrible (and dangerous) form, and one can spot a trainer rower instantly.
Water time is very important as erg scores don’t move boats. As a 9th grader, the school can sort out the technique though.
It’s all great to develop a feel for the water, and that would be sculling. Perhaps go to Craftsbury camp in New Hampshire.