Summer Rowing Opportunities

Despite this week's forecast, summer is in fact  around the corner and with it ample opportunities to get fitter and faster, all while working on your tan.

Summer is the best time to love rowing. The winds die down, the sun comes out, and the pressures of school and work ease up. All perfect conditions to develop the boat feel and fitness that will be instrumental to success for Notre Dame Rowing. There are many options to consider when choosing a summer camp. Below you will find an overview of the options along with links to some reputable programs. Feel free to email with questions.

Summer Racing & Development Programs

Hands down the best way to improve is to put in more meters. Unlike a week long camp, a summer program will give you daily access to the oar, consistent coaching, and the potential to rack up some medals while making a new group of friends. The world comes to Philly to row, so there is no need to travel to have access to phenomenal coaching and great racing. The summer season usually starts in late June and lasts until mid or late July depending on the program. There opportunities to race at the Independence Day Regatta, as well as the Philadelphia Youth Regatta both in Philly.

If I had my way, each of you would sign up for a summer rowing program, preferably the same one. The more strokes you take the better you'll get, even with no coaching at all. That being said, having exposure to another coach is incredibly valuable. I've listed programs below that have coaches whom I know personally or whom I've researched and approved.

Sunrise Training Systems (Offering a $250 discount to NDA athletes)*
Bachelors Junior Program
Undine Junior Program
Fairmount Rowing Summer Program  
Crescent Boat Club Summer Development Program (non-competitive - for those who want to row but not race)

* I will be coaching at STS for a portion of the summer

College Rowing Camps

College rowing camps can be a great opportunity to get exposure to different schools, experiences a little bit of what rowing in college might be like, and learn to sweep row. Since most of these camps are only a week you'll pick up some new skills but you'll likely not see substantial technical or fitness gains due to the brevity of exposure (improvement takes practice and practice takes time).  That being said there are some incredibly smart coaches out there who spend their summer months running these camps so if you have the funds and the flexibility to travel there are some great experiences to be had.  I've compiled the list below based solely on the coach running the program (in order of preference). If you're interested in applying to a certain school for college then you should go to their camp instead. A larger list of programs can be found at Row2K.

George Washington 
Hobart Rowing Camp
Standford High Performance Camps
University of Virginia
Harvard Rowing Camps
Yale Rowing Camps
Princeton Rowing Camp

Technical Sculling Camps

There are a few sculling camps that offer technical programs during the summer. They are not just for junior rowers, but rather are for any sculler looking to improve their rowing in a beautiful setting. These are fantastic if you can afford them.
In order of my recommendation:

Craftsbury Sculling Center
Black Bear Sculling
Calm Waters Rowing


Don't hesitate to email me if you'd like guidance on which of these options is best for you or your rower!

Grit

Our new Fillipi is rigged and ready for action! As I mentioned today, I have never seen rowing equipment treated as poorly as it is at Vesper. Notre Dame will not be complicit in this behavior. It is each of your responsibility to ensure that our oars, speed coaches, and boats are treated as the highly specialized and expensive tools that they are. If something does happen to the equipment, please let me know immediately so that further damage can be prevented.

A few notes on grittiness:

"Grit is a positive trait based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual’s path to accomplishment and serves as a driving force in achievement realization."

Our goal is not and never has been perfection. Instead it is the indomitable pursuit of improvement. With every stroke, every drill, every piece we must strive to chase that extra inch, even if it means stumbling along the way. Grittiness demands that we accept failure as an inevitable and necessary occurrence and confront it with courage and fortitude as we strive towards our goals.

As we move into the championship racing season, I challenge you each to find every ounce of grit you can and to push your teammates and your coaches to do the same.

 Good work this weekend, and get ready for a great week of training!

Sunday Practice Time

Practice on Sunday will be from 3pm-5pm.

Please let me know ASAP if you are unable to attend.

SRAA Scholarship Applications Due May 1st

Attention Seniors! The SRAA scholarship deadline is approaching. See below for more information and let me know as soon as possible if you'd like a letter of recommendation!

2014 SRAA Scholarship

The SRAA is pleased to announce the inaugural student-athlete scholarship for graduating senior rowers.  We are offering two $3,000 scholarships to one female rower and one male rower. The qualified applicants must be a member of a scholastic rowing program, be a student in good standing, and attending a college, university, or institute of higher learning in the fall.

All portions of the application are to be completed online by May 1, 2014.

More information and the application can be found here: https://www.sraa.net/scholarship-application/

IMPORTANT: Revised Practice Schedule: Wednesday April 23rd - Wednesday April 30th

In an effort to get our race line-ups the most water time possible before City Championships practice for Wednesday April 23rd is CANCELED due to wind and will be RESCHEDULED for Sunday April 27th.  The revised practice schedule is below.

Wednesday April 23rd: Off*
Thursday April 24th: 5:30-7:45pm
Friday April 25th: 5:30-7:30pm
Saturday April 26th: 9:00-11:00am
Sunday April 27th: 3:00-5:00pm**
Monday April 28th: 5:30-7:45pm
Tuesday April 29th: 5:30-7:45pm
Wednesday April 30th: Off

*If you missed practice on Monday or Tuesday of this week please complete 45-60' of cardio in the fitness center after school.

**if you have a conflict on Sunday please submit it on the conflict sheet and send me an email with your reason for missing. Family plans and religious activities are acceptable reasons for missing practice on Sunday, however if at all possible please try to work it into your schedule. If you are unable to attend you will be required to do a workout on your own time.

Spring Break Training Camp Recap

Notre Dame's "spring" break training camp is in the books. While the weather threw us a curve ball, it also forced us to slow down, spend time together, and get creative with our training. Some highlights are below.

Small boat work

I had hoped to get more opportunities for small boat work, but was pleased with the sessions we did have and am confident that we've planted to seed for more when the weather cooperates. Learning to row well in a 1x develops boat feel and balance, in addition to exposing technical flaws or weaknesses. Everyone who rowed in the 1xs on Monday did great, but the special prize goes to Mackenzie Bonner who managed to balance in the full catch position,  atop her racing 1x with one oar just out of reach...she likely could have stayed like this for hours if I hadn't plowed into her full speed in the launch and sent her for a dip in the Schuylkill.  Impressive.

Clean Releases

The torrential down pour on Tuesday morning gave us a great opportunity to experience the thrills of rowing in a hurricane. The rolling waves demand an emphasis on a clean release in order to clear the water and prepare for a stable catch.  The video we watched demonstrates the finish and release movements in more ideal conditions.

By practicing clean rowing in rough water we will ensure our ability to preform in any race day scenario...including monsoons.

Quiet Sitting

A quieter boathouse allowed us to spend more time meditating and stretching then we usually get during our regular practices. The balance poses that we did on Wednesday were designed to make you more aware of your body in space and how you naturally compensate when you feel unsteady. Translating this to the boat, we must learn to make only small adjustments to achieve proper position and set.  Learning to quiet our thoughts and sit still takes time, and thus I encourage you each to use this week as the platform for which to start your own meditation practice. Just as we did in practice this week, spend three minutes sitting quietly focusing your attention on the rise and fall of your breath.

Short (and painful) erg sessions

Tuesday's PM erg session was the toughest workout we've attempted this season. The pieces are designed to simulate a 2k test, but to "trick" the rower with short periods of rest each 500m. As we've talked about, success in rowing requires mental control and Tuesday's workout is proof. You each pulled splits that were close to, if not faster then your splits on our recent 2k test, and you did it for 4k. This should give you the confidence to chase your goals, both on the erg and on the water. Dare greatly!

Long (and boring) erg sessions

Wednesday brought and end to the rain, but also freezing temperatures and a raging river. While we waited for the flow to decrease we did some valuable, albeit a bit boring, low intensity erg work. These 60+ minute workouts build our fitness base in addition to allowing time for technical improvements that cannot be easily made on the water. For the first time all season, the entire team was able to erg together in one big happy group...novice and varsity all working together to make Notre Dame the fastest we can be this season.

Rocky Relays

There is not much I can say that will sum things up better then the photos Casey took:

Seat Racing

When the weather finally cleared on Thursday we didn't waste any time getting to work. On the varsity side we engaged in our first official seat race of the season. There are many components that go into making a boat go fast, and seat racing allows coaches to see which combinations of rowers work well together and which don't. All involved did a great job to ensuring the consistency and focus required to produce the most accurate results. Just as impressive, was Jenny's ability to adjust her feet quickly and how casual Mary Rose makes straddling two boats look.

Bonding Time

One benefit of the the poor weather is that it kept us all together longer then usual. During practice we split into our boats and on race day the line-ups are often filtering through the boathouse at different times. This week we got to spend more time training, meditating, or just hanging out as a team in one space.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend and are ready to jump into the championship season this week!

Practice Schedule Monday & Tuesday

The practice times for the rest of the week are listed below. If you are unable to make practice on either day, please let me know ASAP.

Monday April 21st: 5:30pm-7:30pm
Tuesday April 22nd: 11:00am-3:00pm

Happy Easter!

April 16th Practice Schedule & Notes

Practice on Wednesday April 16th will be 9:00-2:00pm for all groups. Please dress warmly and bring extra clothing as the temperatures will be dropping through the night.


A few remarks on Tuesday's practice:

Take a moment to revisit the quote we read this afternoon. 

“It's not the critic who counts. It's not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled. Credit belongs to the man who really was in the arena, his face marred by dust, sweat, and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs to come short and short again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming. It is the man who actually strives to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasm and knows the great devotion, who spends himself on a worthy cause, who at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement. And, who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and cruel souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”- Roosevelt

Each of you had moments of success today: a clean release through the waves, an efficient spin in the middle of the piece, or a negative split on the erg sets. These positive gains are directly attributed to the hard work and focus that you each have put in at practice thus far this spring and as your coach I am always pleased to witness these small wins.

But today I also saw a lot of failure: an crab resulting from an attempt at sharpening the catch, a cramp or nausea or dizziness during the erg pieces, or a extreme frustration with an off set boat. What I saw in these failures wasn't a deficit of skill or fitness, rather it was a willingness to raise the expectations for yourselves and for your teammates.

The fiercest competitors learn to chase the boarder between success and failure, and when they overstep to embrace the lessons that result. That seed was planted today, and as a result you've raised the bar for what it means to be an NDA rower.  Good job.


Now get some rest and let's do it again tomorrow!

Spring Break Training Camp: Tuesday April 15th Practice Schedule

The forecast tomorrow is calling for strong winds and thunderstorms....less then ideal for our spring training camp.

As a result we will run one practice schedule tomorrow in the hopes of getting everybody some water time before the weather deteriorates later in the day. 

All groups will practice 9:00am - 2:00pm on Tuesday April 11th. 

The afternoon session will likely be on the ergs so pack a healthy lunch to ensure a strong/focused effort. Bring your training notebooks, something to write with and an change of clothes for the afternoon practice.

Please let me know ASAP if you have any conflicts with this and BE ON TIME!  Those tardiness jumpies are adding up fast.
 

 

 

Spring Break Training Camp: April 14th - April 22nd

I hope you are all enjoying your afternoon away from the boathouse. The information about spring break is posted below. Please look it over and share it with your parents to ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Spring Break Training Camp: April 14th - April 22nd 

Spring Break will operate on a shifting schedule to ensure that everyone gets the attention and water time needed. The practice slots are 90 minutes each. The group not practicing will be resting/eating in the boathouse until their next practice time.

The White group will start at 9:00am and finish at 1:30 each day. The Navy and Yellow groups will alternate between a 9:00am-1:30pm schedule and a 10:30-3:00pm schedule.  Upperclassmen, please arrange carpooling with the younger girls accordingly. 

Practice Shifts:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
9:00-10:30	Yellow/White	Navy/ White	Yellow/ White	Navy/ White
10:30-12:00	Navy	Yellow	Navy	Yellow
12:00-1:30	Yellow/White	Navy/White	Yellow/ White	Navy/ White
1:30-3:00	Navy	Yellow	Navy	Yellow

Friday - Monday: "off" (workout will be assigned for Varsity)

Tuesday: TBD

Group assignments:

Yellow Group	Navy Group	White Group
Maria	Curry	MacDonald
Jenny	Rachael	Liv**
Kelly	Jane**	Casey
Bonner	Julia	Serena
Gabby	Brooke	Brenna
Katie	Emily	Emma
Candace**	Mickey	Sara
Abby	Lexi	Maguire
Jo	Taylor*	Reilly
Mary Rose		Caroline*

 * Not attending camp

** Not attending some portion of camp

Spring break is our opportunity to refine the work we’ve been doing over the past several weeks in preparation for the championship races coming up in May. Be prepared for a combination of on water rowing, technical sessions, land training, video review and of course stretching and meditation. Be prepared for hard pieces and speed work in addition to longer steady state efforts.

During your “off” time, you’ll be able to relax at the boathouse and recover for the next session. It is important that you bring plenty of food and water to ensure that you are getting the most out of each workout. I will post some tips on nutrition, as well as some suggestions of what to bring each day, later in the week.

If you have a conflict with the spring break training schedule, please let me know ASAP so we can shuffle things around.