@Muselk
Was discussing your situation with my son (he’s rowed all four years in HS and will be rowing for Yale this fall) and he said to tell you to choose which sport you love! That because rowing is so demanding you must love it to survive it. So try it out at a one of the many summer programs offered by club teams and see if it resonates. Don’t look at it as a vehicle into a school, otherwise you may find yourself in a tough spot. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s the sport for you!
Good luck, breathe and enjoy your youth 
Thank you @tonymom. I just went out for a tank session today and it wasn’t that bad physically but the coordination was hard.
You’ll get the hang of it! Rowing in tanks and Erging can’t compare to being on the water. Hope you are somewhere where winter doesn’t limit your water time.
thanks @tonymom
Hi everyone. @tonymom @classicalmama @codemachine @twoinanddone @Sue22 @fenwaypark @varska I am recently accepted at Phillips Academy Andover. At Andover, rowing and golf are in the same season and I can only choose one. The golf and crew season is already starting and my school crew team is going on the water tomorrow. Please provide any insight available. Thanks you!
2k erg time?
What’s your current JGS ranking?
Congratulations on Andover! My son started rowing at Exeter, so I know first-hand that Andover has a great rowing program. You could do club crew in the fall, and club is a lot of fun and a great way to get a good feel for the sport and to see what kind of potential you have as a rower. You’d get to know the coaches and be able to talk to them about your size, erg score, college recruitment, etc. I’d do what you want to do this spring, give crew a shot in the fall, and then decide. PM me if you have any specific questions.
@Muselk - I played golf in High School (state finalist) and Div I (scholarship) in college. Golf is one of the greatest activities possible in college…meal money, great golf courses, free travel, spring break in a warm climate…it’s a lot of fun.
Since you say you can already golf…row this spring.
Your abilities for golf will still be there in the summer, and next summer, and in the summer of 2050. Muscle memory for golf is an amazing thing.
Besides the time you get to try something new, rowing will (if nothing else) help your golf. The core and shoulder strength you gain will add distance, and might actually help to control your swing. If you doubt me, take a look at the strength of the guy who’s won on the PGA tour the last 2 weeks. If you don’t like rowing, or would prefer golf next year, you’ve got plenty of time before college to change.
Stop worrying about college and have fun. If you’re good at either, you can do them in college. With your educational background, if you can’t play at a division I ivy, you can definitely play at one of the elite LAC’s if it’s still important. Either will help you get in, and having two will increase your chances / choices.
Final note: I’ve never seen a golf party nearly as crazy or well attended as the crew parties.
@Muselk , congrats at being accepted at Andover. Like @classicalmama said, Andover does have a first rate rowing program. Many of their students are recruited for college. And I echo her recommendation of trying crew in the fall. You can get a feel for the sport and the coach then. Most of the crew team loves the head coach. They are very cohesive.
I also agree with most other posters about your size. The crew “boys” I knew in prep school that were recruited to the Ivies were all tall–to the one. So, your fate may be governed by height versus ability. (Fingers crossed, that you sprout up in the next couple of years).
Having just gone through college admissions and recruiting for other sports with my child this past year, and having known lots of Ivy recruits, the following is my advice. It may be hard to understand given that you are just approaching 9th grade, but here goes.
- If you are dead set on going to an Ivy League school, and you do grow in height, there is virtually no comparison between crew and golf. There are many, many more spots for crew. The Ivies do know Andover very well. So, you will need to be tall, make the first boat, have good erg scores, and a good AI (Academic Index). The AI is very important for Ivy recruiting. That could be another whole post or two. But, familiarize yourself with it ahead of time.
- Like other posters have indicated, it is for the heavy weight boat (not the lightweight) that most recruitment occurs. You just may not have the body for it.
- Crew and golf are mostly very different sports. Crew can be almost meditative, and you are working as a unit with your crew mates. Golf, is highly individual. Crew is physically demanding, golf is mentally demanding. Crew uses more gross motor skills, golf needs more skill and finesse.
- As many other posters indicated, try --if you can – to broaden your horizons when it comes to colleges. As you continue through Andover, you will hopefully find your sweet spot when it comes to optimal learning and your love of learning. I hope that you can reflect on that and honor that when you and your parents begin the college search. The Ivies are great, Stanford is great, but there are some other wonderful schools out there too where you can row or play golf.
- Follow your heart with your academic interests.
Best of luck. I am so excited for you!
Great post by @CallieMom. At Exeter, rowers were recruited to both lightweight and heavyweight teams in the Ivies. Otherwise, I found her advice spot on.
Also, with rowing, getting involved in your national program in the summer (I think you said you were Canadian?) is also a huge help in recruiting. But first things first…see if you love rowing enough to even consider continuing on in college.
And yes, I agree–don’t worry to much about college at this point. If you do well at Andover, you’ll have lots of great choices for top colleges.
Thank you all for your support! @classicalmama @EyeVeee @CallieMom The input from both golfers and rowers are amazing. I will keep you guys updated. Also, my current school has a very rigorous rowing program and train all season. We are competing in regattas as a freshman(grade 8) team and I will try to gain experience from doing so. What would be a good 2k time for grade 8?
Check the times by birthdate on the U.S. Rowing page I linked earlier in this thread. But really, I wouldn’t get too caught up in 2k times at this point. It says nothing about where you’ll be in a few years. Just have fun.