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Q: I have never rowed before. Can I still do crew?
A: Absolutely! There is no experience required for joining the Hylton Crew
Team. We have a strong novice program.
Q: Can I letter in Crew?
A: Yes! But not all rowers will earn Varsity letters. Typically,
rowers who row regularly in the "upper" or "first" boats will receive a
Varsity letter. Other rowers will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Basically, the better you are, the more your chances are of earning a
Varsity letter.
Q: Is there a height or size requirement for rowing?
A. There are no size requirements for the Hylton Crew Team. Taller rowers
may have some advantages, but smaller rowers can make up for that with
technique and fitness! And we can always use smaller students as coxswains (definition).
Q: How big is the team?
A: The size of the team varies from year to year. For 2005, we have 33 women
and 24 men.
Q:
What is the schedule for crew and when does the season start?
A: Check out the Hylton Crew calendar.
The competitive Spring season starts with practices on the water in late
February. The first day on the water for 2005 was February 22. The men's
team practices Monday-Friday from 3:15 to 5:30 p.m. The women's team
practices Monday-Friday from 3:45 to 6:00 p.m., with Saturday morning
practices in February and March.
2005 home regattas began on April 2 and end May 14. We had two away
regattas in May the Stotesbury Cup in Philadelphia on May 19-21 (Read
about the 2004 regatta), and the
"Nationals" championships in Princeton, NJ, on May 26-28. Click
here for the
2005 regatta schedule. The schedule for 2006 has not yet been set.
A Fall Crew program is offered by the Prince William Crew Association
(PWCA) and usually starts in mid-September and runs through the first week
in November. PWCA is part of the
Prince William
Rowing Club (PWRC).
Winter conditioning begins the week of Thanksgiving and continues until
we move on the water in the spring.
Q: What is a typical
"Year in Crew" like?
A: We have a page that discusses what a typical
Year in Crew is.
Q:
Is there any special equipment or rowing gear required of rowers?
A: The only required rowing gear is the team uniform, known as a "uni" which
is pronounced You-Knee. Unis are ordered during Spring Registration, and
typically cost about $80. The long-sleeved Cool-Max shirts (about $25) are
strongly recommended but not required. All other team Spirit Gear is
optional. Take a look at the currently
available Spirit Gear.
Q: How do I join the team?
Q:
What is required to be a Hylton Crew Team member, and are there
tryouts?
A: There are no tryouts for the Hylton Crew Team. Everyone is welcome. To
join, you must have a current school physical, pass a simple swim test,
complete the registration paperwork, and pay your team dues. For more
detailed registration information,
click here.
Q: What does it cost to join the crew club and row?
A: The 2005 Spring Competitive Season fee is $300.
The Winter Crew fee is $100 which is fully applicable toward the Spring
Crew fee.
The Prince William Crew Association (PWCA) offers a Fall Crew program for about
$140. PWCA is part of the
Prince William
Rowing Club (PWRC). All rowers are highly encouraged to participate in this program
if they do not have a fall sport that conflicts.
Q: Why do rowers have to pay dues and fees?
A: Crew is not monetarily supported by the county other than a small salary
for the coaches. All equipment, supplies and administrative costs are paid
for through fundraising and dues. Also, Hylton Crew's dues are the lowest of
any school in Northern Virginia.
Q: Why is crew so expensive?
A: Here are a few examples to illustrate why crew is so expensive:
- A new eight (definition) costs anywhere from $15,000 and up.
- A new four (definition) costs anywhere from $11,000 and up.
- Oars cost $200 each
- A cox box (definition) is about $700.
- A launch (definition) costs about $1000.
- A motor for a launch costs about $1200.
- Other items we must pay for include equipment maintenance,
insurance, coaching fees, regatta entry fees, administrative expenses,
etc.
Rowing is an expensive sport both in terms of cost and time but the
rewards are great! You and your parents will learn that the whole must
participate in order to win. The organization behind the team is directly
proportionate to how well that team performs. Parents support their kids by
encouraging their kids not to miss practice, they encourage their kids to
condition hard and eat well, they participate aggressively to insure success
in fundraising so the equipment and facilities can be upgraded (constant and
ongoing), and they also willingly volunteer so vital tasks that are needed
for the program to run smoothly can be fairly distributed and accomplished.
Q:
Can I row and participate in other activities and sports?
A: ABSOLUTELY! Many of our rowers are in orchestra, marching band and
Model U.N. Wrestling, basketball and swimming keeps rowers in shape during
the winter months.
Q: Can I row in college?
A: Yes, if your college has a crew team. Many colleges (large and small)
have crew. Many college rowers START rowing in college; as an experienced
rower or coxswain, you can be a serious asset to the team and many HHS crew
graduates have and continue to row at the college level.
What if my college doesn't have a crew team?? There are local rowing
clubs that are interested in having an experienced rower in their shells.
Practice
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Q: Where does the team practice?
A: Hylton Crew rows out of the Oxford Boathouse at Lake Ridge Park located
at 12380 Cotton Mill Drive in Lake Ridge. During the Winter conditioning
season, the men's team typically works out at Gold's Gym in Dillingham
Square in Lake Ridge, and the women's team works out in the Hylton High
School weight room.
Rowers are responsible for their own transportation to and from Crew
practices. The Boosters' Board works with rowers to establish carpools.
Q: How do I find out if Crew practice is cancelled?
A: Generally, only high winds and lightning will cause a practice to be
cancelled. Cold, light rain and moderate wind will not generally cause
a practice to be cancelled.
Rowers should listen to the end-of-day announcements if the weather is
iffy if practice has been cancelled or changed in any way, an announcement
will be made. As soon as the Boosters' Board gets word of any practice
changes, an email will also be sent out to the team.
Q: How can I contact Oxford Boathouse?
A: The phone number for Oxford Boathouse is 703-491-5754. (It's in the
Prince William County phone book!)
Car
Pooling
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Q: Is there a bus my rower
can catch?
A: Each family would have to check with the school office individually
on this. There is a bus for "out of Hylton district" students that drops off
at the Chinn Library. It may be that if there's room on it you can get
permission for your rower to ride it each afternoon IF you find someone who
can pick up your rower from the library. This may work better for some
families who are able to drive to crew, since many of them pass right by the
library complex on the way to the park. Rowers can change in the library and
can use that "waiting" time for homework.
Q: Can my rower get a
ride from Hylton?
A: Probably not since school is out at 2:00 and coaches' preferred
arrival time at the park for rowers is about 3:45. School rules are that
students can't just "hang out" after school.
Q:
We don't live near anyone else how can I get my rower into a carpool to
crew?
A: Your best bet may be to arrange for your rower to ride the bus home
with a friend either another rower who can take him/her to crew, or a
friend who lives near someone who can offer a ride to crew. You may just
have to go a bit out of your own way to help give rides home in return.
(Remember to have your rower pack an after-school snack!)
Q:
I work "up north" and can't guarantee that I'll be back to pick up my
carpool on time every day, so what happens if I'm late?
A: First, a coach has to hang out and wait for you with your rower(s).
If you arrive within the first 25 minutes after the end of practice, you
should still be able to get into the park to pick up; if it's later than
that, the coach and your rower(s) will most likely be at the gate to the
park waiting for you. If this happens on a regular basis, you'll need to
make other pick up arrangements.
Q:
Why isn't there a crew bus from Hylton to the boathouse?
A: All school buses are already dedicated to other routes (elementary or
"activity" routes) and there aren't enough rowers who need this service to
make it happen.
Q:
If I pay for Spring Crew but my rower has to drop out because of carpool
issues, can I get a refund?
A: The Crew Boosters will issue full refunds up until the end of the
second full week on the water. If there are no more weather delays, then
that refund date would be March 3. If there are weather delays, that date
could change. Families would need to make their decision and notify me by
the deadline in order to get their refund.
Regattas
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Q: Where are the regattas held?
A: Local regattas are held on the Occoquan River reservoir at the
Sandy Run
Regional Park in Fairfax County. For directions to Sandy Run,
click here.
Rowers will report to the Oxford Boathouse at
Lake Ridge Park and will
row over to the regatta site from there. Parents can drive to the park to
watch the regatta and cheer for the team. The parking fee is usually $10 per
car and helps offset the costs of park rental, shuttle van service, regatta
administration and park clean-up.
Q: What is "the Point?"
A: The Point is a spit of land just past the Grandstand and finish line area
at the Sandy Run regatta site. It is the place that the
Oxford House teams
(Hylton, Gar-Field, Forest Park, Potomac and Woodbridge) set up their rower
support areas during regattas. It's where most Hylton parents will gather to
cheer on the team.
To reach the Point, pay your dollar to take the regatta shuttle van down
to the finish line area, follow the path to the Grandstand, continue past
the grandstand and keep following the path around. Just look for the Hylton
banners and blue/gold spirit wear!
Q: What should rowers bring to regattas?
A: Each rower's idea of the "gotta haves" is different, but here's a basic
list to get you started.
Remember to label your stuff (especially Hylton Crew spirit wear) with
your name!!! Rowers will bring their stuff to Oxford house and it will be
loaded onto the launch boats and taken to the point by the Boosters. It's a
very good idea to put your stuff in plastic bags or water-resistant duffels
the launches can be wet!
- First and foremost appropriate weather gear like sunscreen,
hats/visors, sunglasses, rain gear, jackets. Layer, layer, layer!
- Clean, dry socks!
- Sleeping bag or blanket and pillow.
- Money for concession food and T-shirts.
- Personal snacks and drinks if desired the boosters will provide
food and drinks.
- Whatever you need or want to keep you occupied during the day, such
as cards, books, homework, CD or MP3 players (at your own risk!)
Q: What should spectators bring to the Point?
A: Each spectator's idea of the "gotta haves" is different, but here's a
list of ideas to get you started. Keep in mind that you'll be carrying
whatever you bring from wherever you end up parking to the shuttle van stop,
then hauling it on the van, then schlepping it around the path to the Point
it's really not that far, but can seem like forever if you're carrying a
heavy load!
- A folding camp chair.
- Appropriate weather gear like sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, rain gear,
umbrella, poncho, jacket, blanket.
- Binoculars
- Camera (If you take some good digital shots, please email them to
Mark Fichten (mark@fichten.com)
and he might be able to put them on the Web site!)
- Money for concession food and T-shirts.
- Wet ones.
- Snacks and drinks if desired.
- Regatta schedule downloaded from
www.ncasra.org.
Q: How do I find out when my child is rowing?
A: Regatta schedules are published on the NCASRA web site,
www.ncasra.org. They may
be up on Thursdays, and should be up on Fridays. Coaches will usually hand
out schedules on Fridays to the rowers.
Q: How did my kid end up in this boat?
A: First, it's important to know that boat selection is a
coaching issue specific questions should be
addressed directly to the coaches. Generally, boat selection is based on a combination of factors such as
experience level, rowing skill, erg scores (definition),
rower fitness, practice participation, and rower dedication.
Q: What is an "away regatta?"
A: Away regattas are those that are not held on the Occoquan and that
require team transportation and boat transportation. Hylton Crew typically
participates in two or three away regattas each season:
- Mathews Regatta in Mathews, VA, is a day trip. It is usually held
the first Saturday in May. The team and chaperones are transported by
school bus.
- The Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, PA, is the highlight of
the Crew Season for the upper boats. The team and chaperones are
transported by charter bus. We leave Hylton mid-day on Thursday and
return on Saturday evening.
- "Nationals" is the championship regatta for our area. Boats must
qualify for entry during the season. The team and chaperones are
transported by charter bus. We leave Hylton mid-day on Thursday and
return on Saturday evening.
Boosters
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Q: What is the Hylton Crew Boosters?
A: The Hylton Crew Boosters is simply the parents of all the Hylton Crew
rowers, along with parents of graduated rowers who just can't get enough of
this good stuff! The boosters provide support to the team in many ways such
as:
- Fundraising to purchase, upgrade and maintain equipment.
- Providing food and shelter during regattas.
- Filling volunteer slots at "home" regattas.
- Handling logistics for away regattas like lodging, transportation
and food
- Taking care of maintenance on the shells and equipment.
- Towing and maintaining the
crew trailer.
Q: Who is on the Boosters
Board?
A: We have a page that has the current
roster of the people on the Board.
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