Frequent Asked Questions for Parents

Sweep rowing is a style of rowing in which each rower uses one oar held with both hands, rowing on either the port (right) or starboard (left) side of the boat (rower perspective). Because each rower only pulls on one side, sweep boats require paired or even numbers of rowers to keep the boat balanced. Common sweep boat types include: Pair (2-) — two rowers, one on each side Four (4-) — four rowers, two on each side Eight (8+) — eight rowers, four on each side, plus a coxswain The coxswain (cox) is a non-rowing member who steers the boat and coordinates the crew, and is most commonly found in sweep rowing. Sweep rowing is often considered more of a team-focused discipline, since each rower depends heavily on their partner(s) on the opposite side to maintain balance and timing. It is the most common style seen in high school and collegiate rowing programs.

Sculling is a style of rowing in which each rower uses two oars (one in each hand), as opposed to sweep rowing where each rower holds a single oar with both hands. In sculling, the rower controls both sides of the boat simultaneously, requiring strong coordination and balance. It can be done in three common boat types: Single (1x) — one rower, two oars Double (2x) — two rowers, each with two oars Quad (4x) — four rowers, each with two oars Sculling is often considered a more individual and technical form of rowing, and is commonly used in both recreational and elite competition, including the Olympics.

Rowing involves stamina, strength and technique. Running, weightlifting, yoga, and rowing on a rowing machine (or ergometer, aka erg) help to build these. The work done on land helps to maximize the experience of being on the water. Also, team bonding happens during these on land activities.

An ergometer or “erg” is a rowing machine. Erging is rowing on a rowing machine. The  rowing machine measures the time you rowed and how much power you generate and  calculates a presumed distance rowed from that information.

Honestly, many of us spend over a year just nodding our heads and trying to judge from  our athlete’s expression whether we should look happy or sympathetic. So, your athlete probably says something like: “We did 2 times 3K and for the last 500 of the second piece I pulled a 2:15:8.” Or “we did 5  by 5’s and I broke 2”. When the athletes practice indoors on the erg, the coaches instruct them to do sets of  exercises (called “pieces”) that are either to see how fast s/he can do a preset distance or  how much distance s/he can cover in a given amount of time.  Usually a piece is done  multiple times in a single practice with short rests in between. • The first number is the number of times the piece is done. • When a number has a “K” in it – the piece is a test of how fast your athlete can row a  certain number of kilometers (rowing always measures in kilometers or meters). So, in  the example above, the athletes rowed three thousand meters two times. • When there is not a K after the second number – the piece is a test of how far your  athlete can row in a certain number of minutes. In the case above they are rowing for five minutes five times. • The last number represents the time it takes to row 500 meters (also called a “split”).  The time is measured in minutes, then seconds, then tenths of a second. In the first  example, it took the rower 2 minutes, 15.8 seconds to row the last 500 meters. In the  second example, the rower had some portion of the piece where s/he was rowing at a  pace at which s/he would complete 500 meters in less than 2 minutes.

Starboard is a nautical term that mean the right side of a boat from the boat’s point of view. Because rowers sit backwards in the boat, this can be confusing since the starboard  side of the boat is on the rower’s left. Port is the term for the left side of the boat (on the  rower’s right). Each rower uses one oar. Rowers whose oars extend from the right side of the boat are  called starboard rowers or “starboards”. Rowers whose oars extend from the left side of  the boat are called port rowers or “ports”. Most rowers feel more comfortable on one side or another and usually settle into being a  port or starboard rower. It is not uncommon for a coach to switch a rower from one side  to the other – especially when the rower is a novice, and being able to row both sides is  ultimately to the rowers benefit!

The rowing stroke is a highly precise and technical set of movements and can be  challenging to learn. It is more difficult to learn if the boat is leaning to one side or the  other. For this reason, one or more pairs of rowers may be asked to sit out for a period of  time to “set”the boat – i.e., help stabilize it - while the others work on their stroke.  The  people sitting out are rotated so everyone gets more or less the same amount of time rowing.

In rowing, the idea is for all eight rowers to be rowing in perfect unison, with no movements that interfere with the flow of the boat.  That being said, the different positions  in the boat have slightly different roles to play. Although any rower should be able to row any position, the coaches will switch the rowers among seats to find out which rowers  excel in which positions and which combination of rowers can move the boat fastest. All the rowers need a combination of strengths: technique, rhythm, power, balance, and the ability to adapt to the motion of others. Each seat makes slightly different demands on  the strengths of the individual: • Eight seat, also called stroke, sits in the rear of the boat (or “stern”) nearest the coxswain (see above graphic). Since everyone sits backwards this is the rower that all the other  rowers must follow in order to row together. The stroke must have strong technique  (since the others are matching his or her motion) and a good sense of rhythm (since  s/he is responsible for adjusting the stroke rate in response to instructions of the coxswain). • Seven seat rows on the opposite side of the boat as stroke (i.e., if the stroke is a  starboard, seven seat will be a port and vice versa) and, like stroke, needs strong  technique plus the ability to mirror the motions of the stroke (but on the opposite  side). All the rowers on who row on the same side as the seven seat mirror his or her  actions.  Stroke and seven seat together are called stern pair. • The four middle rowers (six, five, four and three seat), while still demonstrating the  combination of strengths, are generally the most powerful rowers, with six and five the  stronger pair. You will sometimes hear the middle rowers referred to as the "engine room." • Bow pair is made up of two seat and bow seat (who is for some reason not called one  seat) and amongst the pair's other strengths, excel at “setting” or stabilizing the boat  to ensure effective forward motion.

There are many reasons why a rower may not be “boated” (assigned to a boat) on any  given day. First, there are only certain number of seats and not everyone can go out every  day. Coaches try to be fair in making sure that everyone gets their share of time on the  water. Second, for safety reasons, there needs to be a certain number of coaches out on  the water per number of boats. With brand new novices, there are fewer rowers on the  water per coach. Finally, the coaches will use their discretion in whom to place in a boat  and someone who misses practice, is chronically late or slacks off during practice is less  likely to get put in a boat.

It is NOT easy. The coxswain or “cox” is the person in charge of the boat and the rowers,  who sits in the stern (back) of the boat and is the only person without an oar and the only  person facing forward.  In all the 8 person boats they “sit” in the back.  In most (but not all) “4’s” they are in the front.  Think of them like a jockey; they don’t provide the power, but are responsible for how the race goes. Coxing is hard because there are so many varied responsibilities: • Steering – an eight-person boat is almost 60 feet long – longer than anything most of us have ever driven.  Now imagine driving something that long where there is a delay in the steering, may have more power on one side (which pushes your vehicle to the  opposite side), is greatly affected by wind and current/tide, and instead of an  accelerator and brakes you must control speed by telling your vehicle to speed  up/slow down and use more/less power.  Oh, and did I mention that you are probably  short and can’t see the front of your vehicle over the heads of the eight people in front of you, but must avoid hitting logs and other debris in the water at all costs? • Running drills – A typical drill in a boat will have six rowers do one part of the stroke for X strokes, then add in another part of the stroke for X strokes, until the rowers are doing the full stroke. Pairs of rowers are switched in and out so that every rower does the drill three times and sets the boat one time. The cox (while still steering) has to keep track of the number of strokes and switch rowers in and out of the drill.  Alternatively, a drill will be for rowers to row at a set rate (e.g., 20 strokes per minutes, and after X strokes increase the stroke rate to 22 strokes per minutes.) In this case the cox (still steering) is counting strokes and watching the monitor to keep track of the stroke rate. • “Coach in the Boat” – the coxswain is also responsible for giving feedback to the  rowers. S/he can tell whether they are moving together, whether they are at the  correct stroke rate, whether one side of the boat is rowing more powerfully, etc.  Additionally, the coxswain is expected to be able to motivate the rowers – knowing  what to say when they are ready to give up, or bringing them back into a unified motion when they lose focus.  In a race, the coxswain is responsible for the execution  of the race plan, and for making adjustments to reflect the actions of his or her own  rowers and that of the competitor boats. • Safety of the Boat – the coxswain has overall responsibility for the safety of the boat  when it is on the water, coming into dock and being moved on land. The cox is the  person you will see walking by the boat when the others are carrying it, giving  instructions to the rowers to make sure they are all moving together.

The coxswain raises his or her hand to signal to a coach or race official that they have heard an instruction and understand it.  In races, the coxswain will raise a hand to let  officials know that the boat is not ready to begin the race. After a race, a coxswain may  raise his or her hand to indicate a problem happening with a crew member, or to protest the results of a race.

Blisters are part of rowing, and comparing blisters is a common rower activity. We have  found the best thing is to keep them clean, leave them uncovered during the school day so  they dry out and then put Band-Aids on them while rowing. Blisters turn into callouses and  are not a frequent issue once your athlete has been rowing for awhile. If a blister is raw and open, try to keep it dry and put bacitracin ointment on it to keep it  from becoming infected. A great but painful treatment is called New Skin (can find at any  drug store), it burns while going on but creates a new layer of skin and it will feel better  almost instantly.

No, crabs do not live in the Grand River.  When a rower says that someone  “caught a crab” they are describing a mis-stroke in which the rower is unable to release the oar blade from the water and the oar blade acts as a brake on the boat. Because the boat is still moving the handle of the oar tends to come back with some force and the rower will often end up lying flat in the boat.  It can be difficult for the rower to get the oar back into position until the boat has slowed sufficiently and reduced the pressure on the blade.

Seat racing is one input that coaches use in figuring out the final line-up for a boat. By  having two boats race during practice, then switching one rower at a time and racing again, the coach can see what impact a specific rower in a specific “seat” has on a boat  and what combinations of rowers are most effective.  Seat racing most often occurs in the  lead up to a regatta.

First, your athlete’s coach will tell them the approximate time they are expected to race. Times can move around depending on competitor no shows, weather and other factors outside the coaches’ control – so be prepared to be flexible. Second, most regattas have websites and they usually allow you to download a “heat sheet” before the regatta.  The heat sheets list the times of the races, as well as the lane  assigned to each boat. Wait until the night before or the morning of the regatta because these can change.

There is a lot to do to prepare for racing. Because boats have been brought to the regatta by trailer, the athletes need to reattach the riggers (the part that has the oar lock and that sticks out from side of the boat). Then, the athletes check over the boat and make sure it is ready to go. The rowers also need to warm up, get final instructions from the coach and get into a racing frame of mind.

A lot!! Regattas take a long time and you will most likely be there for multiple hours. Bring more  layers than you think you need – you will be sitting there for a long time, and it is easy to  get cold. Also since you are right next to water, wind is always an issue. Most people bring folding chairs, wagons, binoculars, and cameras. You should  bring a water bottle. You may want to bring something to do (books, work, etc.) since it can be a long time between races that include Rockford boats.

Yes, but it is highly unusual. Generally, a regatta will proceed unless and until the officials  determine that it is unsafe. Usually this is due to water conditions such as waves or whitecaps on the water.  Also races will be delayed/shortened/canceled due to lightning.  Sometimes a decision will be made that it is not safe for novices, but is okay for more experienced rowers. We have all been at regattas in the rain and the cold – so remember, bring clothes appropriate to the weather and bring more  layers than you think you will need.

A sprint is what you think of as a race everyone lines up at the start and the first one to cross the finish line wins. Sprints are most often 2000 meters and happen during the Spring Season.A head race is a race in which the rowers all start at the same place but at staggered times. The first boat goes and then the next boat chases it down the course while in turn being chased by the third boat and so on. You generally do not know who wins until the end  when the times are announced. Head races are pretty boring to watch – the only  excitement is when one of the boats catches the boat ahead of it. A head race is generally  about 3k longer than a sprint and happen during the Fall Season.

Yes, there is. For the purpose of rowing, any boat that does not have a Senior rowing in it can be considered “JV.”  The novice teams are made up of males and females new to rowing. After their first year of rowing (sometimes sooner), a rower  will move up to varsity. Sometimes, people will refer to the second and third varsity boats  as JV, but that is not really common.

Erg score is only one of the considerations that a coach uses to determine the line-up in a  boat. In order to be good, a rower needs not only strength and stamina, but good balance  and the ability to move in unison with his or her teammates. Superior strength can make  up for some weakness in form; the ability to follow the movements of teammates can  make up for some degree of lesser strength – the ability to consider the strengths and  weakness of each rower and put together the fastest boat possible is one of the core jobs  of the coaches. Additionally, the coaches are looking for athletes that they and the athlete’s teammates can  depend on. An athlete who misses practices, or doesn’t work as hard as other teammates during practice may not get placed as highly as their skill level would otherwise warrant.

No. The athletes and the coaches are busy before the race and the area around the trailer is  generally very crowded. Although you stopping by will only take a few seconds, there are  eight other athletes in that boat and several other boats – a parade of well-meaning parents is not helpful. Also, the same applies for congratulating the athletes after a race – the team will return to the team tent as soon as they are through with the post-race activities, or a coach will let parents know when they are allowed to approach the boat trailer at the end of a race day.

Yes! The really hard jobs are filled on a long-term basis by experienced parents. Other than pulling the trailers, which requires a big vehicle with a tow hitch, you can sign up for any job. There is almost always someone with more experience there to help show you the ropes, and will explain what you need to know.

This can be a challenge since generally you sign up before you know what time your athlete is racing. Generally, the coach will give your athlete some idea of the time and the regatta  website will have a general schedule. Also, all the other parents understand that you want  to see your athlete race and are generally flexible about covering for you briefly if you need  to step away to watch your child.