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Smith College Crew Thank you for your interest in Smith College Crew!
Rowing is an exciting and challenging sport, and we encourage you to find out more about the team. The following questions and answers may be helpful.
I’ve never rowed or coxed before. What are my chances of making the team? No experience is necessary for you to be an athlete on the Novice Crew Team (a subset of the Varsity Crew). We expect that you have never taken a stroke or steered a boat before. The typical college rower is 5’5”-6’2”, and coxswains are usually 5’0”-5’4” and between 100 and 125 pounds. All our competitions include separate categories for novice crews, though novices are eligible to row in the varsity boats. Once you have completed your novice year, you move into open competition as a part of the varsity squad. We are planning to have two novice eights (at least 20 rowers and 3 coxswains) that will compete during the 2016 spring racing season. In order to give you the best chance possible to learn and go fast, we will field between 3 and 5 boats (30-50 women) during the beginning of the fall season.
When is the competitive season for crew? Though we train September to May, our main racing season is during the spring semester, with races every weekend from the end of March until mid-May. Novices will participate in a few fall races, to give you a chance to experience the thrill of racing before we start indoor winter training. Our regular season concludes in mid-May against many of the toughest crews in the nation.
When are practices? We practice Monday thru Saturday, during September/October and February thru mid-May. Yes, we sometimes train early in the morning. Novice practices in the fall will be in the afternoons at first; exact times will be determined by your class schedules. By the end of the fall, most of the team will row in the morning. Winter and Spring practice times tend to be in the morning as well. We do not have official practice over the Dec.-Jan. holiday break; however, we will be taking a training trip to Georgia during Spring Break to prepare for the racing season, and it is expected that anyone who is racing in the spring go on the trip.
Where is practice? The Smith College Boathouse is located on the Connecticut River less than two miles from campus. Our winter practices are in Ainsworth Gym, where we use rowing machines and weights, as well as other facilities there
What are the workouts like? Workouts in the fall consist of 60-90 minutes of rowing on the river and/or supplemental exercises (running, weights, aerobics, etc.) designed to teach you how to row and to get you into shape. Winter workouts are a mix of exercises with strength and endurance as the goal. Spring workouts involve more rowing time and emphasize racing skills and teamwork. We do not expect you to be in “olympic” shape when you arrive, as we will teach you the skills you need and help you to get into shape, but starting out fit does help.
Will I be able to handle school work and varsity collegiate athletics? At Smith we have found that our athletes have better average GPA’s than the student population at large, and actually do better when they are in season. We make every effort to tailor practice times to your class and work schedules. Your coaches are equally concerned that you are able to manage your class work and your team work. Tutors, study sessions and academic advising are all available on campus. Good communication about your classes and academic pressures with your coach is must. The best part is that rowing is a great way to work off all the daily aggravations and pressures you will feel as a student!
What is the cost to me? Crew at Smith is a full varsity program. All equipment, racing uniforms, transportation, food, and housing during competitions are provided for the athletes. Each rower pays dues in the fall to fund fun activities, end of the year awards, etc. Athletes are also responsible for the cost of the Spring Training Trip each year. Fundraising opportunities will be available to offset these costs. The only other cost to you would be for t-shirts, jackets, or other special gear you want to purchase for training and racing.
Sounds Great! How do I try out for the Crew Team? We strongly encourage anyone interested in rowing to give the sport a try. The first steps are very simple. Here are the meetings to attend:
Questions?Want to row or cox???
1st Novice Crew Meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9th 5:10pm Ainsworth 150 *If you are an experienced high school coxswain or rower, please contact Coach Klinger ([email protected], x2717) before the meetings above, as we may have you come to the Varsity Meeting-Monday, September 7th 45:15pm in Ainsworth 150. (If you are sure you want to participate, let us know. We can start the ball rolling with your online clearance paperwork before the first meeting. Just send us an email, and we will send you instructions! NOTE: you will need to have had a physical exam in the past 6 months – after March 14th. See the online paperwork for details) Bring a pen, your class schedule, and any questions you have to the above meetings. Practices will begin on Monday September 14th at Scott Gym for novices (you must have filled out the online paperwork and been cleared before you can practice). If you have any further questions, email (or call) Novice Coach Jackie Kleinhans at [email protected], or me at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you!
Rowing is an exciting and challenging sport, and we encourage you to find out more about the team. The following questions and answers may be helpful.
I’ve never rowed or coxed before. What are my chances of making the team? No experience is necessary for you to be an athlete on the Novice Crew Team (a subset of the Varsity Crew). We expect that you have never taken a stroke or steered a boat before. The typical college rower is 5’5”-6’2”, and coxswains are usually 5’0”-5’4” and between 100 and 125 pounds. All our competitions include separate categories for novice crews, though novices are eligible to row in the varsity boats. Once you have completed your novice year, you move into open competition as a part of the varsity squad. We are planning to have two novice eights (at least 20 rowers and 3 coxswains) that will compete during the 2016 spring racing season. In order to give you the best chance possible to learn and go fast, we will field between 3 and 5 boats (30-50 women) during the beginning of the fall season.
When is the competitive season for crew? Though we train September to May, our main racing season is during the spring semester, with races every weekend from the end of March until mid-May. Novices will participate in a few fall races, to give you a chance to experience the thrill of racing before we start indoor winter training. Our regular season concludes in mid-May against many of the toughest crews in the nation.
When are practices? We practice Monday thru Saturday, during September/October and February thru mid-May. Yes, we sometimes train early in the morning. Novice practices in the fall will be in the afternoons at first; exact times will be determined by your class schedules. By the end of the fall, most of the team will row in the morning. Winter and Spring practice times tend to be in the morning as well. We do not have official practice over the Dec.-Jan. holiday break; however, we will be taking a training trip to Georgia during Spring Break to prepare for the racing season, and it is expected that anyone who is racing in the spring go on the trip.
Where is practice? The Smith College Boathouse is located on the Connecticut River less than two miles from campus. Our winter practices are in Ainsworth Gym, where we use rowing machines and weights, as well as other facilities there
What are the workouts like? Workouts in the fall consist of 60-90 minutes of rowing on the river and/or supplemental exercises (running, weights, aerobics, etc.) designed to teach you how to row and to get you into shape. Winter workouts are a mix of exercises with strength and endurance as the goal. Spring workouts involve more rowing time and emphasize racing skills and teamwork. We do not expect you to be in “olympic” shape when you arrive, as we will teach you the skills you need and help you to get into shape, but starting out fit does help.
Will I be able to handle school work and varsity collegiate athletics? At Smith we have found that our athletes have better average GPA’s than the student population at large, and actually do better when they are in season. We make every effort to tailor practice times to your class and work schedules. Your coaches are equally concerned that you are able to manage your class work and your team work. Tutors, study sessions and academic advising are all available on campus. Good communication about your classes and academic pressures with your coach is must. The best part is that rowing is a great way to work off all the daily aggravations and pressures you will feel as a student!
What is the cost to me? Crew at Smith is a full varsity program. All equipment, racing uniforms, transportation, food, and housing during competitions are provided for the athletes. Each rower pays dues in the fall to fund fun activities, end of the year awards, etc. Athletes are also responsible for the cost of the Spring Training Trip each year. Fundraising opportunities will be available to offset these costs. The only other cost to you would be for t-shirts, jackets, or other special gear you want to purchase for training and racing.
Sounds Great! How do I try out for the Crew Team? We strongly encourage anyone interested in rowing to give the sport a try. The first steps are very simple. Here are the meetings to attend:
Questions?Want to row or cox???
1st Novice Crew Meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9th 5:10pm Ainsworth 150 *If you are an experienced high school coxswain or rower, please contact Coach Klinger ([email protected], x2717) before the meetings above, as we may have you come to the Varsity Meeting-Monday, September 7th 45:15pm in Ainsworth 150. (If you are sure you want to participate, let us know. We can start the ball rolling with your online clearance paperwork before the first meeting. Just send us an email, and we will send you instructions! NOTE: you will need to have had a physical exam in the past 6 months – after March 14th. See the online paperwork for details) Bring a pen, your class schedule, and any questions you have to the above meetings. Practices will begin on Monday September 14th at Scott Gym for novices (you must have filled out the online paperwork and been cleared before you can practice). If you have any further questions, email (or call) Novice Coach Jackie Kleinhans at [email protected], or me at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you!
