For
the first time ever Butler County has a competitive high school
rowing team for all high school students. The Great Miami Rowing
Center is designed so that it is not affiliated with any one
school (much like club basketball or volleyball) so any high
school aged student may join.
Experience
There is no experience necessary to join and you may join at
any time of the year! We have two programs, one for the competitive athlete (9th-12th grade) and one for younger rowers and those who do not wish to compete (7th-12th grade). Many rowers begin their rowing career
during high school. On the racing team, the first year you row, you will be classified
as "novice" and race other teams of novice. After
that first year you will be classified as "varsity"
and race other varsity teams. GMRC has a second team called JROW, which only practices 2-3 days per week
and will not race. This is for individuals who want to try rowing
out but don't necessarily want to row competitively.
GMRC
offers young athletes an opportunity to learn the basics of
rowing and meet kids from around the Butler County area. We
are located at 110 N. B Street
near the High/Main Bridge in historic downtown Hamilton.
Training
Our training consists of rowing on the Great Miami River in
the fall and spring. During the winter months, when it is too
cold to practice outdoors, we train indoors on rowing machines.
Although crew is a year round sport, we don't ask that you give
up your other sports! Crew is a physically demanding sport
that can make an athlete much stronger for traditional sports
and many high school athletes use rowing as cross training.
Registration Ready to give it a shot? We give every student a weeks worth of practice to try out the sport before we ask you to commit to the season. In order to start you must have a parent fill out 2 online registrations.
1. Online waiver of liability
No student is able to participate in rowing without a current waiver on file. Students who are under the age of 13 may submit a paper waiver on the first day of practice, which can be downloaded here. All other students must submit online, instructions are found here.
2. GMRC Registration Please register with the Great Miami Rowing Center. Payment is not due until 7 days after the season has begun, however, we need this registration on file in order to start the season. This form contains vital medical information that the coaches need in order to run a safe practice.
Please choose from the following options for the current season.
Youth Fall Season 2010
Varsity & Junior Varsity Crew (9th-12th grade)
August 23 - November 13, 2010
M-F 3:30PM - 5:30PM; Sat 8AM - 10AM Register for the varsity/JV crew if you have at least one season of competition experience.
Novice Crew (9th-12th grade)
September 13 - November 13, 2010
M-F 3:30PM - 5:30PM; Sat 8AM - 10AM
Register for the novice crew if you have no experience or have rowed previously on the recreational team.
What
season does rowing compete?
Rowing occurs all year round. The school year is comprised of
Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons with racing opportunities during
all seasons. Additionally, we offer opportunities for students
to row during the summer.
During
the fall season we train over longer distances and the races
are generally between 4,000 and 6,000 meters. The spring season
is our sprint season and we race 2,000 meters, which can take
anywhere from 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the crew. The winter
months are too cold to practice outdoors, so we train indoors
on rowing machines. Additionally, there are indoor rowing contests
in Cincinnati and around the US that are performed by connecting
several rowing machines together.
Do
I have to participate in all seasons?
We would love it if you competed all year, but we know that
is not always possible for those students who compete in other
sports. We do not want you to have to give up the other sports
and activities you are already involved in.
The Spring is our biggest season as it is the time for the
regional and national championships.
What is
rowing? Rowing
is the oldest sport in the modern Olympics, and the founder
was actually a rower. This is a physically demanding sport involving
strength, endurance, and coordination. This sport engages all
muscle groups, not just the upper body a common misconception.
We row our boats with a style of rowing called sweep rowing,
which requires us to row in pairs in 2, 4, or 8 person boats.
In sweep rowing the rowers have both their hands on one oar
(sculling is with one smaller oar in each hand). Rowing has
both long distance events, which take about 20 minutes, and
sprint distances, which take about 7-8 minutes. The events are
rowed on lakes such as Lake Harsha just east of Cincinnati,
and rivers, such as our own Great Miami River.
Who rows?
Our rowers come from Badin, Fairfield, Hamilton, Lakota, Mason, Middletown, to name a few. All of our rowers come together from different backgrounds to perform on one team.
Schools such as Moeller, Indian Hill, Turpin, Notre Dame Academy,
and many others
row for the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club. This team caters
to the schools within the 275 loop and they practice near downtown
Cincinnati. Similarly, the Greater Dayton Rowing Club and the
Dayton Boatclub attracts students from Beavercreek, Carroll,
Stebbens, Chamanade-Julienne, and many more. Individual schools
also have rowing programs such as Cincinnati Country Day and
Dublin High School.
Almost every high school rower comes to the sport with no experience.
Rowers are generally taller, but people with smaller statures
and lots of drive may also be competitive. Crew has an important
position called the coxswain (pronounced coxn). This is
a naturally small, light person who motivates the rowers, executes
racing strategy, and steers the racing shells.
Please visit this USRowing website for a list of all Ohio boat clubs.
What
is the Great Miami Rowing Center?
The Great Miami Rowing Center strives to provide river access
to all citizens in Butler County. We are committed to taking
an under-used asset, the river, and creating a recreational
centerpiece for the county. We are a not for-profit rowing community
and the youth team is our cornerstone program and focus. In
the future, we hope the youth provide inspiration for collegiate,
post collegiate, and masters rowing programs.
How much does it cost to row?
There are two fees associated with rowing with GMRC. First is the Program Fees. These are paid once per season and cover the cost of daily operations, paying the coaches, equipment maintenance, insurance on the equipment, land rental, etc. Every rower, varsity, novice, and JROW, pay these fees. The JROW team is a bit more inexpensive as they do not race and practice only 2-3 days per week.
The second fee is the Regatta Fee and is only paid by those individuals going to away regattas. The total cost of attending a regatta, entry fees, trailer fees, truck rental, food, lodging, etc. is calculated and split among everyone going on the trip. The regatta fees are usually distributed 1 week after the last day to join the team for the season. We cannot estimate the fees earlier than that, as we don't know the exact number of students from year to year.
To find current information on Program Fees, please visit our registration page.
How safe
is it?
We are serious about safety, and we follow an extensive plan
in accordance with the United States Rowing Association (the
national governing body for rowing) to assure that we continue
to conduct our rowing safely. The coach follows a much more
elaborate set of rules, as well as applying the use if their
own judgment and experience.
How do
I get started?
The best way to get started is to come out to a practice! Email our Head Coach Emilie Graham at coach@greatmiamirowing.com to set up your first day of practice!
A
special thanks to the community for your continued support!
The Great Miami Rowing Center
does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed,
age or national origin, ancestry, marital status or sexual orientation
or disability
All comments, corrections, and questions regarding the website
should be directed to the webmaster at webmaster@greatmiamirrowing.com