<p>I have just started my sophomore year of high school and have become interested in the sport of rowing. I was wondering if at my age I would have enough time to become good enough to be recruited by ivy league schools. I am willing to work as hard as I need to achieve my goal, but I would like to know if the goal I have set for myself is attainable at this point in time. Thanks</p>
<p>It’s impossible to predict the likelihood of becoming a rowing recruit, it is too early. However, if you love the sport, and work hard, you do have the chance to become a lightweight or heavyweight–the Ivies have both levels of varsity teams. </p>
<p>Is it likely you will be tall enough? Are your parents and siblings tall? Even the lightweight rowers have a huge advantage with height. Does your school have a crew team? Ivies have large rosters for crew, a good portion are walk-ons, so if you do have experience that is a real advantage. Take a look at the Ivy rosters, on the athletic websites, to see the sizes and rowing backgrounds of team members.</p>
<p>I am only 5’9 right now but I am expected to grow much larger. I do not have a school team but have a rowing club nearby. Do you think with the time I have left within High School I have a shot to get good enough to be recruited? what are the average requirement’s to be a serious recruit. I am not only talking about HYP, but all the ivies in general. Thanks </p>
<p>5’9" is a good start, as most boys shoot up in junior and senior years (or later). You’re lucky to have a rowing club nearby. You should row for the love of the sport, rather than eyeing recruitment at this early stage. It’s a tough, grueling sport. If you like it enough to stick it out through HS, coaches will need to see: great academics, great SAT/ACT scores, good erg times, and a clean disciplinary record. </p>
<p>Take a look at the athletic recruit section here on CC under specialty college admissions. There are previous threads outlining the erg times needed for HS seniors. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help. </p>
<p>You’re welcome. You might also want to check the schools’ athletic website rosters for their crew members’ athletic and academic accomplishments. You will see some extensive lists, and some with only college experience. </p>
<p>If you end up in the Varsity A boat and your team is one of the top ranked in the country, you will likely get recruited by top universities. (Oldest DD was.) More recent experience: based on DS experience two years back, they begin looking during the junior year and fall of senior year is too late to get on the coach’s radar for the top ranked universities with top ranked rowing teams. Do recognize that many universities may not have NCAA D1 teams and still need rowers, so if you are not in the top boat by junior year, there are still a lot of places for you, but not necessarily as a recruited athlete. Even if you were not recruited at UC Berkeley, for example, and you managed to get in, you could do a walk on try-out. Lots of ways to try to work rowing into your life as a college student. Talk with your coach about how all of this works. S/he will know the coaches at the universities and know the drill. Meanwhile, Go Row!</p>
<p>Thanks for the help. I have been doing a lot of research on the topic and it seems that your erg times are the most important part of the recruiting process. It seems that you do not necessarily have to be in the best boat to be recruited if you have very good erg scores. Is this true?</p>
<p>The great thing about rowing is that there is a learning curve so you can get good at it quickly. Erg times are definitely very important and you can get recruited by rowing with a club. A friend of mine picked up rowing her senior year of high school and was offered a scholarship at Northeastern worth up to 75% of her total tuition. The same friend’s younger brother began rowing when he was about your age and was recruited to row at UC Berkeley. Granted, this family is 6’3+, but it is possible! Just find a good rowing club to join and work hard! </p>
<p>Thanks stacks13 for the information.</p>
<p>stacks13, do you have any idea as to the standards needed to be recruited by an ivy league school?</p>
<p>How much do you weigh? For a lightweight (160 lbs. or less) a rule of thumb is that a 6:45 2k erg time is the bare minimum. For heavyweights, I think it’s under 6:30 - and lower is way better in both classifications. Have you ever been on an erg or rowed a 2k? It is extremely difficult. </p>
<p>I would be considered a lightweight. I myself have never been on an erg but intend to very soon due to the fact that I am just picking up the sport of rowing. If I am able to get a 6:45 or lower erg time, what other factors contribute to the recruitment process of ivy league universities?</p>
<p>Why don’t you start rowing and see if you even like it before you start considering things like getting recruited by an ivy league school? Rowing takes a lot of hard work and dedication to get those erg times down to the level you will likely need for recruitment. You may not even like it.</p>
<p>mnm111 I am extremely dedicated to the sport and I am trying to gather information on the recruiting process due to the fact that it will truly start happening midway of next year if I put myself in the position to be a serious contender. </p>
<p>I appreciate your dedication. What are your erg times now?</p>
<p>@GWGUY9 I’m not 100% certain on what erg times Ivy’s look for, but some of the best rowing programs aren’t even Ivy league schools. My friend’s brother who was recruited for Berkeley was one of the top rowers in his club which is known for being the best rowing club in the nation (Community Rowing in Boston). So I’d have to imagine his 2k time was pretty dang great. Also, men’s rowing isn’t a varsity sport at any NCAA school… it’s considered club, so although you may be recruited I’m not sure about scholarships. </p>
<p>I do think that the 6:45 2k time previously mentioned is a pretty good benchmark. </p>
<p>Side note: Rowing in high school or with a club is MUCH different than rowing in college. In college, practices begin around 5:00-5:30am and run for about two hours. You may even have two-a-days depending on the program. You will have races every weekend, sometimes double headers (Saturday & Sunday races) and when you don’t have a race, you’ll be practicing on Saturdays at 6 or 7am. </p>
<p>Thanks for the information stacks13. </p>
<p>I was told that the colleges LOVE kids who do crew. You’ll get in simply by the fact that not a lot of kids do crew.</p>
<p>My kids’ high school had a competitive crew club, and the top rowers were recruited by the Ivy schools and the Naval Academy.</p>