Justice Rowing: I hope this finds everyone doing as well as possible under our new “normal” which seems to be changing every day.
In an effort to keep you as informed as possible about the upcoming 2020-21 rowing season, I am passing along the guidance from the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA), which is our governing body for crew in northern Virginia. There is a lot of information below but I encourage you to read it to understand what VASRA is doing to prepare for future crew activities.
As you are aware by now, the situation we are in changes daily, so the below information from VASRA will certainly change/be modified based on what FCPS decides to do with respect to returning to school, etc. We will do as much as we can to pass along updated information when we receive it.
Below is VASRA’s summary:
1. Sandy Run as a training and event venue has numerous challenges. To name a few:
▪ No water for wash points off hands and equipment. Runoff goes into the reservoir.
▪ Drinking water, not always available at the beginning of the season.
▪ No sewer. PortaJohns are not deemed suitable for use in the current environment.
▪ Crowding in boathouses.
▪ Transport by buses, both for practices and regattas.
▪ Spectator crowding on buses and in grandstands.
2. Current Guidelines for resumption of rowing from:
• USOPC Returning to Training Post COVID-19
• USRowing Reopening the Boathouse
• National Federation of High School. Guidance for Opening High School Athletics
Phase 1: for return to rowing is for scullers, who own their own equipment, i.e. singles. The subsection of this would be advancing this to club/team-owned singles with multiple users and developing protocols for cleaning equipment and use of boat bays.
3. Regatta Planning.
See USOPC and WHO guidelines
And USRowing. Current events guidelines mandates the appointment of a Chief Medical Officer for all events.
Under these guidelines there are possibilities of:
• Limited number of competitors for social distancing
• Limiting the class of boats, singles, then doubles/pairs and fours/quads, last eights.
• Only essential staff and officials
• No spectators
• Alternate week/day schedules
• No overnight trips
4. Schedule/s. I have developed 4 schedules. None of which will probably address the situation by the time it arrives. However:
• Business as Usual: with away travel, Stotes and SRAA.
• Home Regattas only: with additional regattas up until the beginning of June. VSRC to remain on the traditional date.
• Home Regattas only: with VSRC moved to be held on 5 June.
• Home Regattas only: with controlled regatta attendance and rowing Saturday and Sunday on most weekends up until VSRC, 5 June.
5. For current planning purposes, we are going to presume a standard calendar of events. However, you and your organizations need to check the Key Dates and webpage for updates. Once schools have resumed in whatever format that they decide and we approach the winter, we will have a better appreciation of the situation and be able to plan more realistically.
6. As there is a high degree of uncertainty for the foreseeable future, I would urge that teams maintain a reserve sufficient to ensure their minimal operations over an additional 12 month period.
—
Row Strong,
David Trissell
President
Justice Rowing Boosters
