• What season does rowing compete?
  
• Do I have to participate in both seasons?
• What if I play another sport?
  
• What is rowing?
  
• Who Rows?
  
• What is the Great Miami Rowing Center?
  
• How safe is it?
• What does it cost?
  
• How do I get started?

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 if I play another sport?
We practice 3-4 days per week. Our practices are full body workouts and can help improve your cardiovascular and muscular strength, making it a perfect accent to any training schedule. Since we row all year round, you can participate in rowing during your off season from your other sports!

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?
Schools such as Miami Oxford, Xavier University, Ohio State, and Indiana University are just a few colleges that also have club rowing teams. When we go to regattas we will generally see these same schools as well as many others!

Most college students come 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 cox’n). 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 MUH team rows out of the Great Miami Rowing Center located at the corner of Main and B Street in downtown Hamilton. The mission of GMRC is to provide river access to all citizens in Butler County is committed to taking an under-used asset, the river, and creating a recreational centerpiece for the county. GMRC is a not for-profit rowing community with youth and masters teams in addition to housing the MUH team.

How safe is it?
We are serious about safety. All coaches are employees of GMRC and all rowers 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.

What does it cost to row?
Miami Hamilton offers this activity to students free of charge! The only expense you may incur is the cost of traveling to regattas (rowing races). These fees are often nominal since we travel together as a team with all the members of GMRC and split the cost of travel among all the members.

How do I get started?
Peruse the links on the left hand side of the page or email the MUH head coach at muhrowing@greatmiamirowing.com. Please provide your name, year in school, and phone number.

We'll be constantly updating the site to keep you informed about the upcoming season.