Whitman Crew provides a unique and ongoing gateway into the high school experience, providing a place where a Whitman student can immediately become part of something special. Rowers need no prior experience, just a willingness to commit to a team that depends on the effort and contribution of each and every member. Each year we seek young men and women who are up to the unique and sometimes challenging pursuit of becoming a competitive rower or coxswain.

Hello Novice Families,

We are thrilled to welcome you all to our Whitman Crew family. I'm sure you and your children are eager for the season to start, so we wanted to provide you with a few details leading up to the first practice. First and foremost, thank you for joining the team. Whether your child has prior crew experience or hasn't even set foot in a boat yet, we know that they are about to experience something special!

First Practice
 

Transportation
The novice athletes will look for a school bus that says Middledorf on the side in the Whitman parking lot immediately after school. It will take them to Thompson Boat Center for practice. 

There is no bus for Saturday practices.

Attire
Be sure your child brings athletic clothes (generally tight-fitting), socks, sneakers, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a water bottle. They will have time to quickly change clothes at the boathouse if needed. Please also send them with a combination lock so they can lock their things away during practice. 

Also good to know

• Your kids are going to come home hungry and tired, this is a good thing, they've worked hard and hopefully had fun! Extra snacks for the bus are probably helpful.
• They will start using a bunch of terms you probably don't understand. You can brush up on your crew lingo here: https://www.whitmancrew.org/terms
• If practice is canceled due to bad weather, this will be communicated through our Whitman Crew Slack channel.

If you know of other families looking to join the team, there is still time! Please direct them to our website to view a recording of an information session and to register: www.WhitmanCrew.org.

If you have any other questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to Amy Eisner at amyeisner@icloud.com. Once again, welcome to Whitman Crew, and thank you for joining your children on this new adventure!

Sincerely,
The Whitman Crew Board & Coaches

Coaches can advise you on the best clothing for rowing for your gender, but in general: soft, stretchy, breathable, and fairly formfitting athletic apparel is needed. Loose shorts and bulky tops get caught in the boat's internal sliding mechanisms where the rowers are seated. 

Warm Weather 

• close-fitting, athletic shorts
• athletic shirts made of synthetic fabrics that dry quickly are best.
• athletic shoes (sneakers made for sport) — you take your shoes off to row, but you need them for warm-ups and land workouts.
• 2 pairs of socks — one that can get wet on the boat, and one to change into — wool/blend or synthetic are better than straight cotton for wet feet.
• also useful are "slides" — that flip-flop alternative into which athletes wearing socks can slide their feet. These are great for saving socks from added wear and tear (walking around the docks, to/from boat bays) with the added bonus of being easier/less expensive to replace than sneakers left on the dock that get washed away by a sudden storm surge (#truestory).

Cool Weather

► DO NOT wear cotton
► NEVER wear feather down on the water. When down gets wet, it will clump, get very heavy, and will not keep you warm.

Here are our recommendations:

• Head: You lose a lot of body heat through your head. On cold days, you MUST wear a stocking hat to keep warm (wool or synthetic).
• Body: layer the synthetics! You will get wet from perspiration, rain, and splash. Your needs will change during a practice depending on exertion and changing conditions. Synthetic fabrics such as Polypro, Cool Max, Under Armor and similar fabrics are best because they keep you relatively warm even when wet, and they dry quickly. Layer according to weather conditions.
• Base layer: Form fitting and intended to wick moisture away from the skin. A long-sleeve Under Armor or similar brand is ideal. Multiple base layers can be worn for added warmth. On colder days, men and women wear athletic tights in the boat for leg warmth.
• Insulation layer: A synthetic fleece garment worn on colder days where extra insulation is needed. Thicker than the base layer, but not bulky. Polartec or Polarfleece clothing products fall within this category. Some insulation layer fabrics also have wind protection built in.
• Wind block layer: Having a wind block that breathes helps retain warmth while not getting too hot. Base and insulation layers are generally not designed to block the wind. A Gore-Tex Jacket works well as it is form-fitting so it does not interfere with the oars and has ventilation panels on the sides for breathing. Other wind blocking clothing can be worn, but ensure that it breathes and is form-fitting. Note that rowing-specific jackets are longer in the back and shorter in the front: as a rower leans forward the jacket rides up in the back, so a longer back protects the rower from cold air and/or rain, and a shorter front prevents fabric from scrunching up and impeding movement.
• Waterproof layer: Waterproof clothing is not required for rowing. If you purchase waterproof clothing, make sure that it is highly breathable. Really waterproof clothing tends not to breathe as well, increasing body heat and sweating, and then holding the perspiration within the clothing instead of letting it evaporate. This can result in you getting too hot, taking off the waterproof clothing, and then getting really chilled.
• Hands: Hands can get cold, especially since you cannot wear gloves as rowing requires a tactile feel of the handle. You can bring gloves onto the water to wear while not actually rowing, or you can put your hands under your armpits to keep them warm.
• Feet: It’s vital to have warm socks in the winter. Wool and synthetics that dry quickly are preferable. Always keep a pair on land so that you can change into them on the ride home.