Middle School Rowing Introduction

Rowing’s enormous potential to have a positive impact on young athletes has made it one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the country.

Our middle school sessions facilitate both an introduction to the sport and an opportunity to prepare for high school rowing.

We have adopted the Long Term Athlete Development Model (LTAD), which always strives to look at the whole child in a developmentally appropriate manner.

Reasons to row

• Most people are not introduced to rowing at a very early age, giving those who start rowing in middle school a completely level playing field to learn, excel, and try out something new without having to compete against others with far more experience.
• Often considered the ultimate team sport, rowing is fundamentally built around a commitment to teamwork. Members of a crew learn to trust and work with one another on a very deep level, often forging strong and meaningful friendships in the process.
• As a sport centered around fitness development and involving both sprint and endurance aspects, rowing has a training regimen that is varied and challenging.
• With more light being cast upon the threat of head injuries and other dangers associated with contact sports, rowing presents an incredible athletic challenge with minimal physical risk.
• The current growth of rowing at the collegiate level means that scholarship opportunities for talented rowers abound at Div I, Div II, and Div III schools (with many athletes from the Ann Arbor area having earned scholarships for rowing in recent years).

On water sessions

• Open to all students grades 6­–8 (this includes rising 6th & 9th graders during the summer).
• No prior rowing knowledge or experience necessary.
• Sessions are divided into 6th/7th grade and 8th-grade groups.
• Groups within sessions are split up internally to allow for newcomers to learn the basics and then join the rest of their grade.
• All middle school sessions, have a coach to boat ratio of 1:1, ensuring high-quality instruction and safe experience.

Indoor winter fitness

Session goals

• Develop rowers who have a love for the sport and can do so in a safe environment (physically and emotionally).
• Expose middle schoolers to the three disciplines of rowing:

1.  Sweep (one larger oar, two hands on the handle).
2. Sculling (two smaller oars, one hand on each handle).
3. Erging (the rowing machine).

• Use a developmentally appropriate approach, to improve overall fitness, motor skills, and technique, which includes core work, stretching and cross-training exercises.
• Gain a strong understanding of the work ethic and camaraderie that lies at the heart of the sport.

Proudly partnered with the STEM to Stern Network

Washtenaw Rowing Center is a proud partner of the STEM to Stern Network. Our goals are to eliminate barriers to participation in rowing and STEM education.  Many students from underserved communities face barriers including lack of transportation and swimming competency as well as cost and underrepresentation. STEM to Stern addresses these barriers through local and national partnerships to ensure that all students are able to participate on rowing teams, regardless of race, socioeconomic status or address.  STEM to Stern enables rowing clubs to be more inclusive, competitive and accessible to everyone and uses rowing to unite students from different communities.

In addition to increasing access to rowing, STEM to Stern also provides participants with high quality STEM education. STEM activities excite and engage students and develop critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork.  Each curriculum is tailored to fit the needs of the students involved.  Both STEM fields and rowing programs have historically excluded students from underserved communities.  STEM to Stern provides access, breaks barriers and increases equity. We’re excited to have this program at our club. 

https://stemtosternrowing.org

If you would like to help us further develop partnerships within Washtenaw County to help facilitate these goals, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Director, Kit Bennett at kit.d.bennett@gmail.com or 734-882-9300. 

Sign up

Below are links to each season’s dates, times and sign up.

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer