Hi - my daughter is an avid freshman rower on a high-school team that’s losing its coach next year. Two issues have come up:
So far I’ve gotten the impression that rowers on club teams have a distinct advantage over rowers on scholastic teams in terms of development and opportunities. If anyone can weigh in and let me know whether I’m on target with that assessment I’d really appreciate it, as there is a club option in the area (though I don’t know whether she’d be able to switch).
According to the resources I’ve found online, she doesn’t need to worry about communicating with colleges till junior year. But in preparation for that phase, should she be keeping records of her progress, or is it too early? I don’t know what rate of progress is worth noting, but her 2k time has dropped by about 25 seconds so far and it’s currently at 8:03.
Thanks very much in advance for any info or advice you can provide.
To a great extent, club teams are stronger than hs teams. She does not need to worry about keeping track of her 2ks at this point. Really, the only 2k which will matter is her pr years from now. An 8:03 is a nice place to start as a novice freshman.
What state do you live in, I can give you some advice regarding club teams in your area.
If the scholastic team is the most viable option right now, then I wouldn’t worry about not being on a club team. In our experience, it is the individual’s 2K that is the most important part of the recruiting process, along with the academic record and test scores. Your daughter’s potential may not be fully realized on the team that she is on, but that is something that will be taken into account by a college coach during the recruiting process. There are some great college rowers that come out of mediocre high school teams; an experienced college coach recognizes the development potential of each rower.
And I agree with the above advice, that there is no need to be keeping record of anything right now - her junior spring 2k is where it will really start to matter.
One thing to start looking into now is the U.S. Rowing summer development program. Depending on her birthdate, she could be eligible for development camp this summer. My son did dev. camp after his sophomore year, and it was incredibly helpful both in terms of growth as a rower and learning about the college recruiting process. ID cams start soon. If she’s young for her grade, there’s not rush for this, but my kid was old for his grade, and aged out of the system too quickly, so it’s worth a look. http://usrowingjrs.org/usj/camps/id-camps/junior-womens-schedule/
Yes to all the advice above. I would further emphasize that being on a club team doesn’t automatically mean you are positioned better. Because many of these club teams are so competitive, you may find your daughter doesn’t get the attention a smaller, HS team would offer. And unless she’s a top rower there is the possibility she wouldn’t be placed on a top boat for racing. Sometimes a smaller HS team offers rowers better opportunities to showcase their talents. If you have a solid coaching staff and a supportive AD at your school then she should be fine. Many college programs look to smaller scholastic programs as the student athletes there tend to be more well rounded (academics and athleticism)
Good luck!
Thanks so much for all this advice - it’s both helpful and reassuring.
Yes, as of now, given where she stands vis a vis the standards for the USRowing camps, I am planning to take her to an ID camp in March. It seems like a great (and surprisingly inexpensive) way to get a better idea of how to help her develop.
As for coaching staff, it’s in transition as I mentioned, so all we can do is cross our fingers and hope for a replacement who is as good as the current coach. The AD seems supportive of the program from everything I’ve heard so far.
I will second the suggestion of seeing what an ID camp might result in. If she is invited to a USRowing development program, that can make all the difference. She would learn so much, really be exposed to a different level of competition, and become more visible to college coaches. One of my 2 rowers was invited to CanAmMex selection, and that was a valuable experience. But if her ID camp visit does not result in an invitation, there are many good summer rowing camps out there from which she can really benefit.
I would add that I believe your HS coach needs to recommend you for the ID session for dev or selection camp. It’s not the type of thing you can just show up for on your own. Your D’s coach would certainly know and understand how to get her there. I think there is also a 2k threshold score needed I order to get to the try outs…
Just FYI…
Based on my son’s experience, I’m pretty sure anyone can go to ID camp. From that point on, it’s invitation only. There are 2k thresholds are there as recommendations, not requirements, though I doubt anyone who didn’t meet the minimum would be invited to a camp. There are instances where kids who don’t go to ID camp can get invited to a development camp with a coach recommendation, which may be what @tonymom is referring to.
^^^it may just be out here in NorCal where there is a coach recommendation requirement. There just isn’t enough room to take everyone who would want to show up and, in this highly competitive region (Marin, Strokes, NAC…), there is some weeding out that occurs.
Having said that, ID camp may function differently in other regions. It’s worth asking your rower’s coach and pursing it. Even if the rower just gets the ID camp experience…it’s worth it.
I don’t see a coach rec requirement in the description of ID camp; also, our area is not competitive. I will definitely take the good advice and bring ID camp up with her coach. Even if she hasn’t had many girls attend one, she herself is into competitive rowing, so hopefully she’ll be able to help in some way.
Yes, in the event that she’s not invited to a development camp (I think it’s a long shot because of her age alone), it does look as if there are some other good options out there for the summer. She’s very keen on honing her skills, so as with the ID camp, hopefully her coach can recommend a good summer program.