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We are looking for athletic women that are open to a new sport and are willing to work hard. You should be tall, at least 5'8" but we also have openings for athletes that weigh less than 130 lbs where height is not as much of a factor. Any athlete weighing less than 110 lbs is the perfect size for a "Coxswain". The coxswain steers the shell and is in charge of executing the race strategy. Our "Open Novice", "Lightweight" and "Varsity" teams travel and race at the same events but in their own category. Any athlete with previous rowing experience should contact the coach to obtain the Varsity practice schedule.
Our Novice Rowing program does not require any previous rowing experience, as we are a "walk on" sport. During your first season you will learn to row and then compete as a "Novice" (beginner) against other novice programs. You will have the opportunity to race novice crews from most major universities from San Diego to Washington and if UC Irvine qualifies we will travel back east to the "ECAC National Collegiate Invitational" regatta. Practice begins the first week of fall quarter. For the first 2 weeks we meet on campus at Crawford Hall (our athletic facility) to learn basic technique on our rowing machines. During that time we also begin some basic fitness exercises. After those initial 2 weeks on campus we move practice to our rowing facility (Boathouse) four miles from campus in Newport Back Bay. For the remainder of the season practice will be held at Newport Back Bay for 2 hours per day Monday through Friday. We offer two separate practice sessions to accommodate class schedules for the first quarter. You will only need to attend one session from 7:00-9:00am or 3:30-5:30pm. Each day we spend most of the time in boats with the main focus on learning rowing technique. Two days a week the first portion of practice is set aside for a 2 mile run along the Back Bay. Weight training will begin the first week of classes. You can expect to practice between ten to fifteen hours per week. In the fall we begin racing in November in what are called "head races" that range between 4 to 5,000 meters. Each crew starts alone with competition in front and behind in a race against the clock. 5,000 meters typically takes a novice crew between 18 to 22 minutes. Spring racing begins in February with some scrimmages against local crews and our opening day is on the first weekend in March against UCSD and Long Beach. During our spring racing season all races are 2,000 meters, which takes about 7 minutes. Our regular season ends at the end of April and if we qualify, the championships are the second weekend in May. All you will need to do before coming to Irvine is get a physical http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports-med/physicals.html and file with the NCAA clearinghouse. All Division I athletes must be cleared to compete by the NCAA. You may do this through your High School counseling office or go to; http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net please let me know if you have any questions.
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