<p>I know there is a novice crew team at the USNA. I just have a few questions about it. Is it common for someone who never tried crew to try to join the team? And I would still need to complete the NCAA clearing house forms and everything, right? Thanks</p>
<p>Very common for someone who never did crew to join novices - at many schools, the crew coach just hangs out at registration and buttonholes all tall freshmen. Spoke to a couple Navy novices at a recent regatta and they were new (assume up to 50% would be new to rowing).</p>
<p>NCAA clearing house forms are, I think, just if you're being recruited, but doublecheck with admissions. I'm pretty sure they're DI in crew, so make sure you meet the undergraduate requirements (all listed on the NCAA website).</p>
<p>I'm actually being recruited for crew... however, the way the NCAA clearinghouse thing was explained to me (by my school) was that anyone who plans to play D1 sports (recruited, or walk-on) needs to register. You need to get cleared before you can play on a D1 team. I know someone who didn't fill them out, made the football team at Brown, and got benched b/c he hadn't been cleared, and then had to wait to be cleared before he could play games. To be safe, do it. And when I talked to the coach last summer, he said that a lot of the team is novice and has never tried, and that they don't cut anyone. Hope that helps!</p>
<p>You need to be cleared by the NCAA clearing house just to try out and/or practice with any team. Do it as soon as possible, it is a slow process as there are so many people being processed.</p>