FAQ | Huron Rowing

PARENT FAQs

Why row?

Rowing is a full body sport that trains all the major muscle groups and increases overall fitness, endurance, strength and flexibility. High school athletes learn to work together, be accountable, set goals and have fun.

Can my child participate?

In order to participate with Huron crew, your student must attend an Ann Arbor public high school or consortium, namely Huron High School, Community High School, Washtenaw International High School (WIHI), or ECA@EMU. Students attending WTMC and Greenhills may participate in HRA club activities and races, but may need to compete separately during certain "scholastic" races.

Does my child need to know how to swim?

Each athlete is required to pass a swim test performed by a certified lifeguard. While rowing is a safe sport and falling in the water is extremely rare, it is still a possibility and the coaches need to know that all of the athletes can swim and know what to do in case of emergency. Life-jackets may be worn, however they interfere with the mechanics of the stroke so most rowers prefer not to wear them. All coaches carry life-jackets and rescue equipment on the water during practices and are trained in CPR/AED and first aid.

Does my child need to come every day?

There are excused and unexcused absences like any sport, but rowing shells (boats) require a certain number of people in order to carry them and take them out to practice. If someone doesn't show up, their teammates wont' be able to practice. In addition, athletes that attend practice regularly are in better shape, have better technique, and suffer fewer injuries. Therefore, we encourage attendance in this sport.

Equipment, coaching, regatta entry fees, buses, hotels and equipment maintenance. We do everything we can to make rowing as affordable as possible, however the equipment for rowing is very specialized and expensive. Carbon fiber boats --60 feet long with 12 foot carbon oars -- transport our athletes down the river. We participate in local races, but we also give our athletes the opportunity to travel and race against regional and national level competition. For those races we rent buses and stay in hotels. There are surcharges for certain races. We offer fundraisers and scholarships to make rowing more accessible if it is out of reach for your family.

What do season dues (HRA assessment) pay for?

What are the different types of rowing (Sweep and Sculling)?

In sweep rowing, each rower has one oar and the oars alternate sides down the boat. This is typical of large team boats: eight person shells (8's), four person shells (4's) and some smaller boats such as two person boats (pairs). Most larger team boats have a coxswain (a small person who coordinates the boat and steers). Sweep boats make up the majority of the boats we row at Huron. The other type of rowing is called sculling. In sculling, each athlete has two oars. These are typically smaller boats such as one person boats (singles), two person boats (doubles) and sometimes four person boats (quads). These boats typically have no coxswain and steer by themselves.