<p>My son who is a sophomore has a 2k of 6:30 and is 6"2"" and 165 lbs. He will be racing in the heavyweight category as a junior this summer. Just wondering, as we start visiting colleges, should we be meeting with only the heavyweight coaches even though many lightweight programs recruit athletes of his height and weight?</p>
<p>I’m no expert, but my sense is that if boys his size are being recruited as lightweights, they are probably seniors. He is already 5 lbs. over the college lightweight limit and as a sophomore, he is likely to gain weight and muscle mass (and maybe even height) over the next 2 years, let alone the next 4 or 6 years as a college rower. </p>
<p>Not to mention a 6:30 for a sophomore is excellent! You should definitely ask the coaches you meet with about his lightweight potential, but I would be surprised if they lead you in that direction. </p>
<p>I completely agree with Baltimoreguy. We have seen rowers drop 25 seconds from sophomore to senior year - and grow. My son is LWT but was 148 pounds, 6 ft as a sophomore - now 161 and 6’2" as a senior. It seems unlikely that your son is done growing and putting on muscle. Given the Erg at 6:30 I would probably start by talking to the Heavies.</p>
<p>From our experience, I would recommend keeping in touch with both heavy and light coaches. My son, a graduating senior, hasn’t grown in height or wt since Soph year. Sophomore year he was about 6’1", 163-167. We thought he would grow/ gain wt so he started talking to mostly heavyweight coaches. In Spring of junior year he asked a few of the heavy coaches about it and every one of them said he should be in touch with lightweight, as well as heavy, and that by summer before senior year they would figure it out. He was recruited as a lightweight and committed in October senior year.
Good luck to your son, his 2k is excellent for his age and weight!</p>
<p>Another thought I had is that in your sophomore year, I don’t really think it’s critical to be talking to coaches at all. Many athletes are competing in that year and for whatever reason fade out by senior year. Others continue to improve. My son just started competing in his sophomore year and was not even thinking about recruiting. He loved the sport and grew into it. My son did not start contacting coaches until February of his junior year. Even then most of the communication was somewhat impersonal. It really began to be personal and matter from April and through August. He committed HYP in mid-October senior year. You could just give yourself a year to see how he changes then start the process when it begins to matter. You will not lose any opportunity.</p>