Varsity (High School) TeamThe Varsity team is a competitive, year-round scholastic program for high school age boys and girls. We are NOT affiliated with any school district and draw rowers from as far away as Corning. Rowers in grades 10-12, who have completed at least two seasons on the Novice team are welcome to join. In some cases, a 9th grader or rower with less than two seasons may be moved up to varsity at the discretion of coaching staff.
Fall and Spring Rowing In the fall varsity teams row sweep boats (one oar/person), with rowers assigned to four- and eight-person boats. Practice: During the fall and spring seasons, the teams practice in the early-morning practices (M-F approximately 5:45-8:10 a.m., Sat, 7:45-10:10 a.m.) in Stewart Park at Cascadilla Boathouse. Regattas: We attend about four weekend regattas per season. In some seasons, we may attend more. Fall races are head races ranging from 3-5 km, in which boats have staggered starts and the fastest start-to-finish time wins, similar to a large marathon. Past fall regattas have included, Head of the Fish, Row for the Cure, and Head of the Gennesee. Head of the Fish is an overnight regatta. Spring regattas are 1.5km sprints, in which two or more boats compete head-to-head with simultaneous starts, similar to a swim meet. Typical spring regattas include: the CBC-hosted Icebreaker Regatta, the Section III Championship Regatta, the New York State Championship Regatta, and the Pittsford Regatta. Summer Rowing During the summer, rowers are given the opportunity to scull (two oars per person) in singles, quads, and pairs. The summer season follows the same general practice schedule and training as fall and spring with a variable number of regattas. Winter Conditioning During the winter, training sessions focus on maintaining strength and conditioning during the “off” season. Practices include aerobic workouts, strength training, erging, and stretching. Practices occur indoors at various locations in the Ithaca area. Varsity Rowing Time Commitments Rowers on the varsity squad must make a strong commitment to attend all practices and races. Each boat depends on the punctual and consistent attendance of every single rower. The varsity squad practices six days a week, a challenging schedule to balance with academic, family, and extracurricular commitments. But the effort pays off, with rowers continually challenging themselves to improve their overall fitness and set personal records in erg times. It pays off in the confidence rowers develop as they gain technical mastery of the sport. And, finally, the commitment to rowing pays off in the camaraderie that grows as the rowers learn to coordinate their strokes into a single, fast, and powerful rhythm. Varsity rowers must also make the commitment to participate in CBC fundraising activities throughout the year. In the fall, rowers volunteer their time raking leaves and performing other chores for the Rent-a-Rower fundraiser. The end of spring Row for Humanity event raises money for Habitat for Humanity and CBC. These funds support equipment purchases and scholarships to defray registration fees. Other social events that help build team spirit include Stewart Park clean up day, regular team dinners and an end-of-season banquet. A note on practices... All spring, summer, and fall practices occur in Stewart Park at Cascadilla Boathouse. Practices are held, weather permitting, on the Cayuga and Fall Creek Inlets, and Cayuga Lake. Typically, boats go out in most weather except when there is a strong north wind or thunder. If the weather does not allow rowing, practices are held on-land and include aerobic workouts, strength training, erging, and stretching. |
Cascadilla Boat House Location
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