July 15, 2011
Who: Dedicated, Focused, and Hard Working Individuals
What: SDSU Rowing Informational Meeting
When: September 6th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Aztec Athletic Center (located across the street from Viejas Arena)
Contact: Assistant Coach Alison Abrams at aabrams@mail.sdsu.edu or (619) 594-8911
The SDSU Women's Rowing Team is looking for walk-on athletes for the 2011-2012 academic year. No previous rowing experience is required. In fact, many successful and Olympic rowers learned to row in college. Rowing is undoubtedly known as the ultimate team sport, where one can create strong friendships for life while getting a total body workout.
A potential student-athlete should be dedicated, focused and committed to the team concept. Full-time enrollment at San Diego State is required. Students interested in trying out for the 2011-2012 San Diego State women's rowing team will need to attend an informational meeting. A checklist for walk-on athletes can be viewed by clicking here.
SDSU women's rowing is a nationally competitive collegiate sport sanctioned by the NCAA. Rowing is the second-largest sport on campus next to football with an average of 70 women participating each year. The sport begins training in the fall with the bulk of competition taking place during the spring semester.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need experience to join the team? No experience is necessary to join the rowing team. All athletes new to the sport will be placed on the Novice squad where they will learn the basic techniques of rowing. Experienced athletes will be placed according to their skill level on either the varsity or novice squad.
What do I need to do to join the team?
1. Contact Coach Abrams to let her know you are interested.
2. Attend the informational meeting on Tuesday September 6th at 6:00 p.m.
3. Complete the physical examination paperwork with your primary care physician.
4. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
What do tryouts entail? There will be a two-week session of try-outs that will consist of various tasks and activities. This will include learning how to use the rowing machines with proper technique and learning how to row in an actual boat. The coaches will be looking for motivated, athletic, team-oriented and coachable athletes.
What is the practice schedule like? The regular practice schedule is as follows:
Water practice: Monday - Friday from 5:30am - 7:30am (you will make it to an 8am class) and Saturday 7:00am - 10:00am
Land practice (on-campus): Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30pm - 5:30pm OR 5:30pm - 6:30pm. Each athlete must attend one of the hour-long sessions both days.
Any class conflicts to the practice schedule can be worked out.
How much will it cost? Joining the SDSU Crew team only has a few initial fees that are associated with the NCAA Eligibility Center registration and cost of a physical examination. Other than those costs, the Aztec Athletic department provides funding for everything from uniforms to travel expenses.
Are there different "positions" on the team? There are different positions on the team. Each boat has 8 rowers and 1 coxswain. Each rower is assigned a position in the boat as either a port or a starboard. Port side athletes row to their right side and starboard side athletes row to their left side. The coxswain is generally a smaller athlete (120 lbs or less) who sits in the stern of the boat and helps the coaches run practice. They help correct technique, motivate the rowers, steer, and keep everyone on pace.
How big is the team? The team usually consists of about 35 returning varsity athletes, 15 recruited freshman, and about 25 walk-on athletes. In total, the crew team will have around 75 athletes.
Where does the team practice? The team practices at Mission Bay Aquatic Center off of Santa Clara Point in Mission Beach. The land workouts are held on campus at the Aztec Athletics Center.
How long is the "rowing season"? The rowing season is broken up into two parts. The fall season starts in September and lasts until mid-November. During this time the team competes in long distance races known as head races. The spring season starts in January and lasts until May and the team participates in shorted sprint races.
Does the Novice Team get to travel, too? The novices travel to the majority of the races with the team. Most traveling occurs during the spring season.