<p>I started rowing as a novice in September (before that I was a pretty decent swimmer -- state-ranked at one point -- so I was in shape), and I love it. It's now my goal to row in college, and, if possible, get recruited! I pulled a 7:56 2k about 2 weeks ago (it was my first 2k). I'm doing another in 2 weeks, and I'm aiming for a 7:50. From what I can tell (whisperings from other novices with siblings in the varsity boats, gossip, etc) I have a pretty good shot at making the varsity a boat next fall, after the majority of the current one graduates. I'm also a junior in high school. Have I started rowing too late? Is there any chance for me to get recruited at all? My team is pretty hierarchal, so I don't get that much attention, and unless I seriously beat out half the current varsity boat, nothing is going to change that. I'm also nervous about voicing my goals to my novice coaches. I don't want to seem like a novice whose getting too cocky, or thinks they can upset the varsity boat after one 2k. </p>
<p>However, I want to get my name out there, and I'm improving very quickly, so I think I have a chance at rowing in college (as a lightweight girl -- I'm 128 lbs & 5ft 6.5in). I want to fill out recruitment forms, but most of them have a place for a ncaa clearinghouse number. Should I get one as a novice? Should I even fill these questionnaires out as a novice, or will they just be tossed aside?<br>
Thanks.</p>
<p>it doesn’t matter when you start. Some colleges will even recruit good rowing ‘prospect’ candidates who have never touched an oar. </p>
<p>I just went through the recruitment process and I can give you advice, etc if you pm me. You should definitely note if your club sends other recruits to top programs. If so, then great, your coaches have credibility. If not, that isn’t good, because your coaches (who talk to the college coaches) really have no meaning behind their words because they have no ‘track record’ with that school. If the latter is the case, then DEFINITELY row at an establish club over the summer. I think it is almost impossible to get recruited to a TOP program (assuming that is what you want as a LW girl…however you could also look at openweight crews that aren’t top tier) without having a coach that has provided a school with recruits previous to you.</p>
<p>I have a slightly different perspective. As hey<em>pal said you can get recruited without ever having rowed, especially if you have excelled in another sport. Swimming is a favorite as are cycling, speed skating, cross-country skiing, volley ball, etc.
However, unlike hey</em>pal, our experience has been that you can get recruited to a TOP program without ever having rowed for a good program or without any of your coaches’ support as long as you have a fast erg time. Send me a PM and I can elaborate. </p>
<p>In terms of getting noticed, I wouldn’t even bother with filling out recruiting questionnaires. Instead, email the coaches directly. Because you’re a LW, there’s a relatively small number of schools, and you can email them all. Second, there are some openweight coaches who may not be biased against ‘smaller’ girls, so that would be the second step.</p>
<p>Finally, because LW rowing is not an NCAA sport, you don’t need to register with NCAA (some school may require it nevertheless, but you can wait; just check to make sure that you fulfill the eligibility requirements in terms of academics).</p>
<p>My club has sent a lot of kids to some very top schools – Harvard last year, UPenn, Yale, and Brown this year. And coaches from all of these schools fly out to our boathouse in the spring, but, unfortunately, they won’t even look at me as a novice.
I’m just nervous about contacting schools, since they’ll probably ask “oh, can we have your coach’s contact info, too?” And I don’t want my coaches to think I’m jumping the gun. I’ve gotten mixed signals from them regarding my performance, so I don’t really know where I stand with them. Like I said earlier, I don’t want to appear like the novice that’s overconfident in her abilities. My team is <em>very</em> hierarchical. Novices and varsity are kept very separate (we stay in separate hotels and have separate buses at regattas, we never workout together during water seasons, we’re kept in the dark about a lot of things like id camps and visiting coaches, etc.), except over winter season, when we’re all meshed together. That’s when I got hopeful, because I could compare myself to some of the experienced rowers, and all the coaches could see me, but now we’re back on the water, and I’m rowing with tiny freshmen who only started two days ago and can barely pull a 4-min. split. I know this is all part of being a novice, but it is a little disheartening, especially since the level of my workouts has dropped considerably since spring season started (we’ve gone from doing 3 minutes of plank to 30 seconds, 200 crunches to 25, etc). I’m doing my best to compensate at home, since it’s my goal to get a 7:45 2k by summer. I want to voice these goals (2k, college, etc.) with my coaches, but I’m nervous about how they’ll react.</p>
<p>Have you talked to your coaches about your goals? Coaches generally react very well to motivated athletes who are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams.</p>
<p>I’ve thought a bit more about your dilemma and am back again.</p>
<p>I think the first thing you need to do is talk to your coaches about your 2K goal and your rowing in general. Ask what they think you should work on technically on the erg and the water and what you might do to increase your fitness. Don’t mention college and recruiting. It is early in the racing season. You have plenty of time. Coaches generally react very well to motivated athletes who are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Show them the kind of athlete you want to be now - you can show them the recruit you want to be later in the season.</p>
<p>In women’s lw rowing, coaches generally look for more than erg times because it’s rare for a lw woman to have a KILLER time. Therefore, they need more information to decipher which candidates with similar 2k times are the best all-around rowers (less of a range in 2k scores in lw women than ow). There are so few programs, and so few spots, that coaches can’t afford to give spots to candidates that aren’t the absolute best.</p>
<p>^^just what I’ve picked up in the recruitment process.</p>
<p>@3xboys: Yeah, I think I’m going to at least tell my novice coach my 2k plans, that way he knows what I’m aiming for, at least.</p>
<p>@imafan: There was actually an id camp near me a few weeks ago, but my team is very hushush about them. If anyone goes, it seems, they go with the coach “as a team.” A few girls went, and the rumor is the id camp people were really impressed, and they want to look at our team some more, so they might visit our boathouse.</p>
<p>@hey_pal: Yeah, I’ve been working on my technique a lot as well. I try and be around every time the coaches are giving the varsity tips, that way I can hear them too. I’m probably one of the top novices when it comes to technique (and speed), but I don’t know how far behind I am compared to other girls my age who have been rowing longer. I’ve got access to an erg at home, so I’ve been practicing a lot.</p>
I’m probably one of the top novices when it comes to technique (and speed), but I don’t know how far behind I am compared to other girls my age who have been rowing longer. I’ve got access to an erg at home, so I’ve been practicing a lot.</p>