ROWING TEACHES ...
- that anything less than 100% is unacceptable...
- how to overcome hardship and draw from deep within, whatever is required...
- to aim high and believe in one's self...
- attention to detail will yield great rewards...
- the body is capable of amazing feats...
- just how much it means to earn someone's trust...
- the importance of preparation and hard work...
WHAT CAN THE K-STATE WOMEN’S ROWING EXPERIENCE OFFER?
Women’s rowing is one of the fastest growing NCAA sports in the country. Of the 49 returning athetes on this year's team, only 1 knew how to row before joining the squad.
Since 1996, our varsity program has been fully supported with three full-time coaches, a 25-mile lake, an indoor facility, weighttraining
staff, a state-of-the-art weight-lifting complex, athletic and medical trainers and academic counselors. In 12 seasons at K-State,
the team has grown from a group of four women who rarely raced, to a team of over 50 that consistently challenges crews
ranked in the nation's top 20.
The team exists so that young women can have the opportunity to participate in collegiate athletics at the very highest level. Many
of the women who have walked on to our team have earned some form of scholarship during their first year of rowing. Scholarships
range in size from books to a full grant-in-aid (books, tuition and fees, room and board). Over 90 percent of the team has earned
some kind of scholarship that directly correlates to their contribution to the team.
We race at the highest level of collegiate athletics and travel around the country to race schools such as Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Tennessee. At our current rate of growth we expect to break into the nation's top 20 ranked programs within the next five years.
ALSO WATCH: LIFE AS A K-STATE ROWER
KNOW ROWING: What to Watch For During a Regatta
The crew that's making it look easy during a rowing competition, or regatta, is most likely the crew doing the best job, working the hardest and hurting the most. Here's what to watch for:
- Continuous, fluid motion of rowers: All good rowers must have power to move the boat through the water and must be in top physical condition.
- Synchronization: Watch the bodies of the crew. (Do they move in unison?)
- Clean catches with the blade: Watch to see if all crew members take the catch together. (Do all oar blades enter the water at the same time?)
- Even bladework: When the blades are brought out of the water, they should all move horizontally at the same height.
- Maintaining the speed of the shell: The shells don't move at a consistent speed (slowest at the catch, quickest at the release). A good crew times the catch at the right moment to maintain the speed of the shell.
- Stroke rate: With each stroke, the crew is trying to make excellent run (distance the shell goes in one stroke cycle). During the race, the number of strokes per minute will vary, from 42 to 50 at the start, 34 to 40 in the body, and 38 to 42 at the finish.
OTHER THINGS TO WATCH FOR:
- In case of a false start, or broken equipment within the first 100 meters, competitors are called back. A boat responsible for two false starts is disqualified.
- Boats must stay in their lanes, though there is no penalty for crossing the buoys, so long as this does not hinder other competitors and the boat crosses the finish line in the judge's view.
- Races are followed by umpires in motorboats, trailing the last crew. From this vantage point, the umpire judges whether the competitors are following the rules. The race is judged by a jury under the direction of the chief judge.