2008 Woodie Awards
Year in Review: Crew
Amanda Miles
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One thing of which to be certain: Western’s crew club is not for sissies.
The club is composed of 12 dedicated members who practice out on the water in Independence and also do dryland conditioning. Practices run from 6-7:30 in the morning or 4:30-6 in the evening. Dryland conditioning is a key component to be successful at crew. The body’s core muscles, arms and back are key in rowing, as is the cardiovascular system. Conditioning usually consists of climbing stairs, weight lifting to build strength, running and rowing on ergometers, which are rowing machines.
The sport is physically demanding, but the payoff when all the people on the boat are in shape and working together is worth it.
“Crew is a lot different than I first thought it was,” said club member Emily Harper. “It takes way more concentration and technique than I originally thought. A lot of people think it’s all upper body, but in reality it is mostly legs and then arms. It’s completely different than any other sport I have done. It involves a different type of teamwork, where you really have to be in tune with your teammates and what they are doing in the boat and you have to work together; if one person is out of sync it throws the whole boat off.”
Crew requires not only large amounts of physical exertion, but also the dedication to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to attend practice.
“Two things about crew are extremely important,” said Crew Club advisor Dr. Bob Turner. “The physical side requires that you be in excellent physical condition to participate at the highest level. The other is the psychological/emotional/intellectual side of it. It requires commitment to a goal over the long term.”
As a result, Turner sees a lot of parallels between crew and being a college student.
“Committing yourself to the conditioning is the same thing you need to do as a student to succeed,” he explained. “Crew can also teach personal responsibility. You need a minimum number of people at practice to get out on the water, so it develops a sense of team.”
The club currently has two eight-person boats and one four-person boat, two sets of oars and a coach’s launch from which Turner can coach the boats out on the water. People of all kinds of expertise are encouraged to participate, from complete rookies to experienced rowers. Members can be as competitive as they wish. The club has started to attend regattas and plans to continue to do so over the summer and next school year. The most recent was at Dexter Lake on May 16, where the mixed four of Meghan McReynolds, Lacey Sticker, Ramon Lua, Harper and coxen Mike White beat another boat, a first in Western crew history.
Crew may seem daunting at first, but club members love the sport and the camaraderie among the rowers.
“Crew is an amazing sport,” said Ashley Freeman, Crew Club President for the 2005-2006 school year. “When you are conditioning or working out on the ergs it is not always the funnest, but once you get on the water in the boats it is awesome. It is so beautiful, and you get a great workout.”
“It is really peaceful out on the water, a great way to start the day,” said Harper. “It’s also a great workout! It works your whole body. Everyone gets along great, and we have fun together.”
“Once you get on the water and row as a crew, you feel like a part of something special, because you are,” added Lua.
Conditioning and practices will continue over the summer for any interested parties. Contact Dr. Turner at rturner@wou.edu for more information.