Wildcat Rowing
The Varsity and Junior Varsity Crews are comprised of all sophomore, junior and senior rowers and coxswains. The Varsity and Junior Varsity compete in their respective events only. The Freshman Crews are made up of all freshman rowers and coxswains and these teams compete in freshman and/or novice events only. The Novice Crews are made up of first time rowers, freshman/sophomore or older. The Novice Crews compete in novice events only. The State Championships, also known as the Southwest Regional Junior Championships, is the primary event of the season. Also, we are not the "Crew Team", which is a redundancy, we are the "Rowing Team" or "Crew". Back to the top
The rowing team competes in several different boat classes during the racing season and during the State Championships. While the Varsity Eight competes at all matches and regattas, other crews are subject to more irregular schedules, depending on the size of our competitor's teams. Apart from the Varsity Eight, the other boat classes in which SI may or may not participate include: Junior Varsity Eight, Lightweight Eight, Varsity Four, Junior Varsity Four, Lightweight Four, Varsity Single, Junior Varsity Single, Freshman Eight, Freshman Four, Novice Eight, and Novice Four. (Boats not designated specifically as "lightweight" are considered heavyweight or open-weight boats.)
Back to the top
The primary goals of all St. Ignatius rowers are as follows:
The crew begins its season on January 15. This is the official starting date for all spring sports and is set by the Athletic Department. The crew finishes its season with the State Championships, which will be held typically on the 2nd weekend in May.
Practices are held six days per week, Monday through Saturday, the entire season. There are no scheduled holidays for crew practice unless it is specified by the Athletic Department that no sports can hold practice in light of department or school policies.
The coaches will adjust the practice schedule with the team if the need arises, i.e. midterm examinations, final examinations, senior retreat, etc. Also, all members of the crew are to make themselves available for daily practices during the entirety of Easter Break (twice daily at the coaches discretion), with the exceptions of Easter Sunday.*
Practices are held at Lake Merced, Monday through Thursday, from 2:45 PM to 5:30 PM, Fridays From 1:35 PM to 4:15 PM, and Saturdays, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM (2 1/2 hours will be the maximum practice time for any one crew). These times are subject to change at the coaches discretion. **
* Easter Break is in the middle of racing season, and any rower who plans to miss this week of practice for any reason, is likely to lose his chance of earning a seat in the priority boat. Coaches will handle infractions of this precept on an individual basis. Back
** Practice times occasionally need adjusting because, 1) the boathouse is two miles from campus, 2) the crews must load their shells onto the boat trailer on Fridays after practice during race season, 3) a large amount of maintenance is required to keep up the equipment, and 4) off-campus coaches have their own work schedules to adjust to allow them to coach. Back to the top
The racing season begins on the weekend of March 1, with successive races held on most of the following Saturdays, right up to the State Championships in May. Occasionally, Friday or Sunday races are held when a scheduling conflict arises. The Varsity Eight will fly to San Diego for the Crew Classic in early April, and if another eight shows respectable speed in early March, they may also travel to San Diego as a Junior Varsity Eight. The decision about a second crew's attendance in San Diego will be made by the coaches as early as possible, hopefully before the beginning of March. (The Junior Varsity Eight is presently the only other high school event held at the Crew Classic.) Back to the top
Varsity and Junior Varsity tryouts begin on January 15th and will be held in accordance with the rules of the athletic department. They will last a minimum of seven (7) days for all teams, Freshman through Varsity, and in some cases, tryouts will last several days longer. A second set of tryouts will be held for athletes coming out late, due to their participation in another sport. If necessary, cuts will be made on the basis of athletic ability, rowing technique, attitude, attendance, and ergometer scores.
Due to the limited amount of equipment available to the freshman, we are unable to enroll more than approximately 14 members for the boys team. This number may also be lower or higher at the coach's discretion. Therefore, if cuts are necessary, the procedures will be the same for the freshman as they are for the Varsity and Junior Varsity crew. Back to the top
All rowers and coxswains are expected to attend all practices, races, and team functions unless specific arrangements have been made with the coaching staff in advance. All rowers and coxswains are expected to remain drug and alcohol free, as prescribed by the athletic department drug/alcohol contract, which all students signed this past summer as part of the Parent/Student Handbook. Also, all rowers and parents must read and sign the attached document regarding the acceptance of the goals, rules, schedules, regulations, expectations, and general guidelines of the syllabus. This form must be returned to the head coach. Finally, all rowers and coxswains are expected to give their all when racing, for themselves and for their teammates, and never, ever, give up. Back to the top
All rowers and coxswains are responsible for their own transportation, to and from the boathouse, for all practices and home races. In additions, rowers and coxswains will use school transportation when traveling to and from all away races. All members are required to return to the St. Ignatius campus with the team after all away races unless excused by the head coach and driven home by his/her parent. A rower or coxswain may not leave from away races with another parent unless written permission from his/her parent/guardian is given to the coach. A rower or coxswain may never leave an away race in a vehicle driven by another student. Back to the top
If the Varsity Eights win the State Championship, they may travel to Cincinnati for the "Junior Rowing Invitational Regatta", pending a decision by the head coach and the approval of the athletic director. This regatta is now considered to be the national championship for high school rowing.
Due to the high cost of marine equipment and specialized racing shells, the S.I. Rowing Team requires to charge a participation fee (please ask your coach for this year's amount due). No S.I. rower will be excluded from the program because of non-payment. Those families requiring scholarship or payment plan should contact the program director.
Back to the top