Crew: The Fundamentals
- Gabrielle Gordon, Class of 2017
- May 3, 2016
- 2 min read
Though increasing in size, the sport of rowing remains a mystery to many. This could be due to the intense nature of the sport, the lack of publicity, or to the confusing language which only its members share. However, I can tell you that it is a sport that takes time, dedication, and a strong mind to master.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” is a phrase that is often associated with the extreme sport of rowing. For starters, the full “crew season” is broken up into three main parts: the fall season, the winter season, and the spring season (basically the entire school year, with an exception of a week off during Thanksgiving). Secondly, during the season, its members, more often than not, develop painful blisters. This is due to the repeated motion of the hands gripping upon the oar. The blisters eventually form calluses that then multiply across your hands. Thirdly, rowers practice and race in high winds, rain, and even snow. Finally, every rower is expected to race, “as if another minute of it, would kill you.” And despite all of the above circumstances, there is no such thing as an excuse.
Why is rowing such an unpopular sport? Rowing does not receive the same publicity that other sports receive. There are no comparable rowing teams to that of the “pro” teams such as the Philadelphia Phillie or the Eagles. The prize of playing on one of these pro sports teams attracts more members to the activity.
If you have ever attended a regatta, you may have heard rowers or coaches using terms such as “Stern Four”, or “Bow Pair”. The sport entails its own language, incomprehensible to those outside its walls. This is a list of basic terms that all novice rowers should learn before entering their novice season:
Sources:
Glossary of Rowing Terms http://www.usrowing.org/about/rowing101/glossary
Picture: Girls Cambridge Team http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3511251/Is-really-game-face-Cambridge-s-women-rowers-funny-hilarious-portrait-shots-ahead-today-s-race-s-Oxford-rivals.html
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