Dear Stuart Crew Rowers and Parents:
We are only a few short weeks away from the official start of our season. I have been getting good reports from the coaches on attendance and intensity of winter conditioning. For those of you winding up winter sports, look forward to seeing you at conditioning as you free up. We start on the water at Lake Barcroft on February 20. Our first regatta (upper boats will compete) is the Polar Bear Regatta at the Occoquan on March 25. That said, there are a few things that need to happen before that can happen — please keep reading.
A few key pre-season dates/requirements for the pre-season:
Saturday, January 28, Prince William Rowing Club Erg Sprints. The venue is Gold’s Gym, Dillingham Square, 12550 Dillingham Square, Woodbridge, VA 22192. The competition starts with our freshman at 2:00 pm … registration and the warmup area will open at 1:00 pm. Action required: If you are signed up for this event, don’t forget your waiver — please bring the signed form to the coaches at winter conditioning NLT Friday; a waiver is needed for any parent “relay rower” as well. It would be great to have some healthy snacks at the event (nuts, fruit, granola bars, etc.), so if a couple parents want to volunteer to bring some, that would be great.
Saturday, February 4, Mid-Atlantic ERG Sprints. The largest indoor rowing event for juniors in the United States and the largest satellite qualifying event for the World Indoor Rowing Championships (C.R.A.S.H.-Bs). Over 100 events, rowers compete in categories appropriate for their age or skills. Cheers to Pasha and Steven for registering. It’s not too late to sign up — registration closes on January 29, 2017 @ 11:59 PM EST. Click for more Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprint info; talk to Coach Mike if you’re interested in participating. Take a look at last year’s event — five Stuart rowers turned in their personal best, and Erin and Steven both broke into the top 10, placing 7th in their categories.
Uniforms, orders and sizes needed. Novices and new members, your crew uniform is part of your dues, so no payment needed. Action: Please make sure you work with captains/coaches at winter conditioning to get sized for your uniform. Varsity rowers, please check to see if you need any replacement pieces so we can put an order in. Orders due by the end of the week.
Boathouse Jackets, orders, sizes and payment needed. It’s time to place our annual Crew Jacket order! These are wonderful water and wind-resistant jackets with hoods, zippered pockets, a front pouch and Velcro wrist closures. The jackets are hand-sewn and customized with your rower’s name. The price is $160 per jacket if we have at least six jackets in our order. We are passing them along at cost. The jackets are NOT included with your dues. They are not part of the official uniform and therefore are not mandatory. But, the rowers will tell you that there is nothing like them. Please email Sandi Fitzgerald with your rower’s personalization (lettering space is limited, so generally either first or last name perhaps with an initial — examples: Sandi, Sandi F., S. Fitzgerald, or Fitzgerald — and class year), as well as adult jacket size. Once the order is placed, there are no cancellations. Payment of $160 due now or upon delivery via check payable to “JEB Stuart Crew Boosters”
Registration Paperwork Most of the team still has some registration paperwork to complete. Look for a personal message from Registrar Mari Mullane this weekend advising what needs to be accomplished in order to be eligible for the first day of on-the-water practice on February 20.
Monday, February 13, Pre-Season Kick Off Meeting for Rowers and Parents, 7:00 in the Library. Come ready to finalize paperwork, discuss the upcoming season, learn about the practice and regatta schedules, build team excitement, and get answers at the Q&A. Participation in this mandatory meeting is critical in preparing for a fun, smooth season.
February 18, Move Boats from Sandy Run to Lake Barcroft. 9:00 to 1:00 (more to come, hold the date).
February 20, First Day On-the-Water Practice, Lake Barcroft. This is a school holiday, but we will still practice.
We will get a comprehensive team calendar out very soon and a date for a swim test for those of you who haven’t had one yet.
