Youth Rowing
Location
Duration
Program: Fall 2024
New and returning rowers, join us at Rocketts Landing for our fall season, beginning September 16. We will meet at the VBC/VCU boathouse near The Boathouse Restaurant. Click the button below to register, and we’ll see you on the water!
Not sure if rowing is the sport for you? Try it out at our youth Try-It Day on Saturday, September 7 at 10am. This is open to anyone who wants a sneak peek of our program. Come and meet the coach, test our equipment, and check out the river.
Commitment
Monday - Thursday: 4:30pm - 6:30pm
(Attendance is not mandatory)
Experience
No previous experience is required
Fees
One seasonal membership is $325
Scholarships are available, no questions asked. Money should not stand in the way of getting a kid out on the water. We like to keep this process simple - no paperwork, no questions. Just reach out to us at rowrva@gmail.com for any scholarship related inquiries.
RCR was founded on the belief that building a community around rowing that is inclusive and diverse would have an impact on the youth of Richmond, beyond the water. Rowing requires a lot of concentration, patience, and work. Most importantly, teamwork.
These are such valuable traits to have in life and we believe that rowing is not only a blast, but a wonderful tool for instilling these traits in our juniors.
All athletes ages *13-18 are welcome to join and no prior experience is necessary! Athletes will learn the fundamentals of both sweep rowing and sculling. Strong leadership, teamwork, and individual goal setting are emphasized as students better themselves on and off the water.
*We implement a height/weight minimum for the safety of our athletes. Most shells are designed to hold athletes around 100-250 pounds, give or take, and a height of at least 5’ is recommended. We do not collect weight and height, as those are just numbers and everybody is unique! Instead, we use the first week of practice to provide “fittings” for new athletes - ensuring that everybody is safe to row the shells that we have. If you have any questions or concerns about this process, hit us up!
“I went into the water and didn’t freak out when I fell off the boat. Also…taking sculling lessons gave me the opportunity to row a boat by myself and be fine on the water for the first time.”
— AJ
FAQs
What is the age range for the athletes in this program?
The athletes in our Youth Rowing program range from grades 9-12, or ages 14-18. We have occasionally allowed kids a little younger to join us on the water but that is mostly reliant on size (our training shells are “one size fits most” and are not well suited for smaller kids).
Do I need to know how to swim?
Yes, it is vital all of our athletes know how to swim. For our athletes who aren’t completely comfortable with swimming/being around water, we require a life jacket to be worn during practice.
What should I wear to practice?
Clothes that are breathable and not baggy are the best for rowing. The seats inside a rowing shell (and the seat on the erg) are on a sliding track, where baggy clothes easily get caught on. As for shoes, sneakers and socks! There are shoes inside the boat, shared by everybody, so we require our athletes bring a pair of socks.
Do I need to come to every practice?
Nope! We highly recommend perfect attendance (I mean who doesn’t) but we understand our athletes have school studies and often other extra curricular activities keeping them busy. Most of our athletes have a regular practice schedule, whether that’s full time or just two times a week. As a curtesy to our coaches, we do require athletes/parents to notify us when skipping a practice in their regular schedule.
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