<p>I am really enjoying CC as a father of a high school junior rower looking for a competitive rowing and academic environment in college. Thanks for the great information. A few questions for the community. It seems in sports such as football and basketball it is risky to base on college choice on a coach. But what do you think about rowing? It seems that coaches at established programs stay forever. Is it a good idea to base your college choices on the coach (personality, style, etc.)? Then how do you find out about the style of the coaches? Finally, my daugther would probably be interested most in an authoritative coaching style as she is looking to get the most out of her ability and highly motivated. She is a girl, interested in D1 in the northeast, possibly Ivy league academic credentials. Anyone willing to share schools that fit the bill. In other words who are the Harry Parkers in womens rowing?</p>
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<p>Ask former or current rowers.</p>
<p>Attend a workout or practice.</p>
<p>Ask the coach.</p>
<p>Rowing doesn’t bring in millions and millions of dollars to the schools so the coaches job isn’t as unstable which is why you see them stay forever.</p>
<p>I’d like to interject that rowing coaches do move: D (lightweight) was in communication with 4-5 schools through her recruit year and 2 coaches stepped down in June (in fact, ALL the women’s coaches at one of those schools moved on I believe). Happily, the coaches she’d been talking to passed her info. on to their successors and all was well (though D kept an eagle eye out for announcement of the new coaches and immediately emailed them when their email addresses were added to their respective university websites).</p>
<p>Rowing Illustrateds boards have a whole thread on the coaching changes…</p>
<p>[Rowing</a> Illustrated • View topic - Coaching Carousel '11](<a href=“Coaching Carousel '11 - Rowing Illustrated”>Coaching Carousel '11 - Rowing Illustrated)</p>
<p>perhaps this will help? idk…</p>
<p>There are some definite Harry Parker’s in Women’s Rowing!
John Murphy is approaching something close to 30 years at Brown (recently won the inaugural Golden Oars award from US Rowing for collegiate Coach of the Year); Liz O’Leary at Radcliffe; Lori Dauphiny at Princeton; Will Porter at Yale…and then not for longevity, but for great coaching reputation, Justin Moore at Syracuse (his first year there after long service to Williams) - those are just the first that come to my mind. Surely there are many more. Then, there are programs known for a good bit of turnover - Georgetown comes to mind.</p>
<p>Some coaches, in all sports, stay. Some move.</p>
<p>Joe Paterno and Jim Boeheim stay forever.</p>
<p>Rick Pitano and Lane Kiffin move around a lot.</p>
<p>Same in rowing, but as mentioned, economics mean less so.</p>
<p>My daughter just went through the recruiting process for women’s crew, and is now an extremely happy freshman at one of the Ivies (and her brother happens to row for Harry Parker), so as a parent observing from the sidelines, er, shore, will elaborate a bit on the sound advice you’ve received thus far:</p>
<p>There is considerable longevity among head coaches at the top programs, as already mentioned. My daughter did not meet the Murphys at Brown, but loved the others mentioned–O’Leary, Dauphiny, Porter and Moore–even though they are all very different in temperament and style, and would have been happy rowing for any of them (I’m going to keep you guessing as to which one she picked!). They are all of legendary or approaching legendary status. There will no doubt be more than one, even several, programs–and schools–where your daughter would thrive.</p>
<p>My best advice: go with your daughter on unofficial visits in spring of junior year, making sure she emails coaches in advance to provide her academic and athletic qualifications, and to arrange to meet and observe a practice. </p>
<p>This was extremely helpful for us in getting a feel for coaches and rowing programs. It was a different experience than “officials”, which are done in groups of recruits (and without parents), are very dense, packed weekends, and happen much later. Even though we live on the west coast, it was definitely worth the trouble and expense.</p>
<p>The junior year visits were also instrumental in helping her narrow down her “officials” to three. Even though more are allowed (five, I think?), she tells us it would have been utterly overwhelmingly and counterproductive to do more.</p>
<p>[Of note, we have been told Brown does not recruit. If your daughter is interested in Brown, you might want to ask around about how to gain an “audience” with the coaches there. Likely someone already posting on this thread knows.]</p>
<p>She ultimately chose the school and crew program where she really felt “at home” all around. Both official and unofficial visits were important in making the decision.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I appreciate all the great information from this community. D has sent off emails, then back on the erg getting ready for CRASH-Bs this weekend + some campus visits next week. But undoubtedly will be back to these schools in the spring to try to get that “audience” and observe practice, etc.</p>
<p>I was surprised to read that “Brown does not recruit.” Is that new this year? Certainly wasn’t the case previously.</p>
<p>From what I know, Brown has had a relatively unique recruiting style (different angle than HYPDCPC, Stanford), with the Murphys having a different approach to recruiting. The Murphys are intensely private, which I think has a lot to do with this. However, that has changed this year with Catherine Starr, their assistant coach, who is now recruiting in a similar manner to its peer schools.</p>
<p>It was either the Radcliffe coach or Princeton assistant coach who told us Brown does not recruit. That was back in summer 2010. At the time it seemed to fit–Brown, at times, seems to revel in being a bit of an iconoclast, at least by Ivy League standards.</p>
<p>May be different now.</p>
<p>I’m a bit stumped here. What does it mean “Brown does not recruit?” It’s not like their rowers are walk-ons. They may not pester potential recruits with weekly calls, but the coaches certainly meet with potential recruits and get LL for them.</p>
<p>Beenthere2, we were surprised when Brown did not return several emails–starting several weeks in advance–from our D to ask if it would be convenient for her to visit while we were in the area during fall of her junior year. They eventually answered a frustrated phone call from my husband, on our last day in Cambridge, and basically said “we don’t have time for you to visit”.</p>
<p>We really had just wanted a yes or no so we could make appropriate travel plans, and we did not get that until after the fact.</p>
<p>For some reason which I do not now remember, that experience came up very briefly during a home visit the following summer. The visiting coach–definitely someone who would know–simply stated ‘Brown does not recruit’. That was the end of it, as it was a moot issue by then, so I did not inquire further. That’s all I know–but it is a verbatim quote from an experienced, top Ivy coach.</p>
<p>Mayhew on this thread noted that Brown has a different recruiting style, although it may have changed with a new assistant coach.</p>
<p>NWIslander, I think the experience you had with Brown was not untypical at all. My D was very actively recruited by all Ivies except for Brown, who I think returned only one email. We had been a bit puzzled by that, as everyone else seemed to find her desirable. The team is consistently very strong - most winning team in NCAA history for womens crew, never ranked below #5, etc., so we just figured they did not see her as a fit, for whatever reason. They were nonplussed by USRowing camp invitations, etc. that seemed to get other coaches excited. From what we heard during the process, your experience & ours is not uncommon, at least through the time of the entry of this year’s freshman class. But yes, they do host OVs, give LL letters, etc per Ivy custom. I have heard though that, with the new assistant coach, this year’s incoming freshman class will have been recruited in a way that is more typical of their peers.</p>
<p>I think the recruit has to be very specific WHY they want to come to Brown.</p>
<p>Thanks mayhew and beenthere2, I’m sure both of your perspectives apply. My D’s experience was pretty much exactly the same as yours, mayhew.</p>
<p>Though we live on the west coast, I’ve worked very closely over a number of years with quite a few Brown graduates, one of whom did row there (should’ve called her in the midst of the situation), but I really had little feel for the school regardless. My D really couldn’t tell what Brown is about from afar, and I wasn’t much help.</p>
<p>Anyway, the crew program ended up feeling like a closed shop, and a poorly-mannered one at that, sorry to say. From what you say, that was business as usual. I’m glad they are being more transparent and accessible now.</p>
<p>I have a son, but I believe there are 2 young women from my son’s west coast club who will be rowing for Brown next year. I don’t know how that came about (son is a freshman so not in that mix yet), but maybe it is the new blood.</p>
<p>saintfan, it would be interesting to find out (how that came about, as you say) and crack the ‘Brown Mystique’!!</p>
<p>My D had the same experience in reaching out to Brown, last e-mail she sent was not replied to at all, the first one practically said that they were not interested in her even though she just asked to visit the boathouse while she was touring the school. She is so happy working w/coaches who are thoughtful and professional something her prep school teaches. If Brown treats good prospects this way, exactly how do they get their rowers?</p>